SAMOAN AFFAIRS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 73, 26 March 1923, Page 7

SAMOAN AFFAIRS.

m PUBLIC WORKS AND FINANCE. INTERVIEW WITH COLONEL R. W. TATE. MANY IMPROVEMENTS MADE. Colonel R. W. Tate, who has been Administrator at Samoa from October, 1919, to March 16 last, returned to Auckland by the Navua this morning. In the course of an interview the Colonel dealt with a number of interesting matters concerning Samoa, including finance and public works. Regarding the former he said that the financial position of the mandated territory might be considered as satisfactory, ill spite of the fact that the three years since civil Government was instituted cover the period of financial stress through which the world generally has been passing. The ordinary revenue and expenditure had averaged a little over £130,000 per annum, but this included £16,000 provided by New Zealand by way of subsidy during each of the past two years for the development of medical and educational services. In addition to the ordinary revenue a capital vote of £125,000 had been authorised to unable various necessary public works to be carried out, such as water supplies for Apia and native villages, roads and bridges, hospitals, schools and other buildings. It was unfortunate that these public works had to be commenced at a time when material and wages were very high and conditions of delivery of i material most difficult, but at the same I time, it must be recognised that the fact thivt these works resulted in the spending of a considerable amount of money locally helped to tide Samoa over the! ' period of financial stringency. As regards the financial outlook gen-! erally, the prospects for this year were fairly good. Prices for Samoan products were only fari, but a new note of cooperaton and energy had been Bounded, and the Government, the European comt munity, and the Samoans were at work 1 together on plans to build up the trade • nnd prosperity of Samoa. Despite what had been said to the contrary, taxation I was light in Samoa, but, nevertheless, i reductions in taxation, in the direction . particularly of improving matters for the small man, were in process of being carried out. A direct steamer service i between New Zealand and Samoa, if it ' could be achieved, would eventually become a boon to both Samoa and New Zealand. PUBLIC WORKS POLICY. With the inauguration of civil admin- ■ istration, one of the most urgent necesi sities was the immediate and vigorous • prosecution Of public works. As was : only to be expected, such activities were [ comparatively dormant during the military administration. A loan programme was. therefore, embarked on in the middle of 1020. It was most unfortunate that the date of commencing the works practically coincided with the date of the highest peak in construction costs. The materials used had to be bought when the markets were most unfavourable. Labour troubles still further aggravated the position. In spite of these difficulties, however, a very large ' amount of good, sound construction had ■ been accomplished. A great deal of proi traded maintenance both of building and roads had also to be dealt with. Most of the Government buildings, while comparing very favourably with priv-ately-owned premises in Samoa, were of an extremely low standard as regards plumbing and sanitation when compared with New Zealand standards. This state of affairs had been largely remed--1 ied by the temporary introduction of ' qualified plumbers. Thus a new standard had been set, and private owners i were being helped and encouraged in l every way possible to bring their pre--1 raises up to a similar state. Several i local workmen had been trained by the ; Public Works as drain layers, and could i now produce work equal to the New ! Zealand standard. 1 RISE IN STANDARD OF WORK. The carrying out of a loan programme and the temporary introduction of a qualified and capable staff of white officials had really meant an appreciable rise in the standard of all classes of construction work in Samoa. All new Govern- ' ment construction had been carried out to satisfy ordinary New Zealand by- ' laws. New materials and new plant had ' been introduced into the country. Reinforced concrete, in the modern sense of the term, was practically unknown in Samoa until the Administration erected several reinforced concrete buildings. Several structures had also been erected with hollow concrete blocks. En- ' tirely new methods of road construction 1 and modern road-making plant had been introduced. He mentioned several of the more important works that had ' been accomplished since the civil administration commenced, such as a hijli > water pressure supply for Apia, reading, enlargement of Apia hospital, etc. '