A. Samoa's land bill

will help tourism

The most important bill before the session of the American Samoan legislature that began late July was a bill to extend leases of communal land.

Leases of communal land were formerly for 30 years and no land could be leased for a period of more than 40 years. The bill sought to extend the period to 55 years for any purpose except that of timber cutting and similar enterprises.

The bill, after it was introduced, then went to the Department of Samoan Affairs for further study.

The purpose behind the proposed amendment to existing legislation is to open the way for more hotel development in American Samoa.

International operators are neces sarily wary of expending the kind of money that modern hotels cost unless they have some security of land tenure.

On the other hand, it is up to the people of American Samoa (and their administrators) to decide how much of their total 76 square indies (much of it useless for agriculture) they can dispose of, on long lease.