SAMOA'S SERIOUS PROBLEM.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 283, 28 November 1924, Page 8

SAMOA'S SERIOUS PROBLEM.

I LACK OF EMPLOYMENT. : NEED rOR OPENING FRESH LANDS. j ■ ] (By tl. E. U WESTBROOK.) On the Ititll September a letter was published in tlie "Fiji Times'' by Mr. j 1). darner Jones headed "The Greatest 'Gamble on Earth—After School, What;'' | Mr. Garner Jones, who, for 27 years I was the headmaster of the Government ! school, Levuka, and trained many of I the young men of Fiji who now hold I prominent positions as business men and artisans, is certainly well acquainted j with the i|!U\stion be writes about. His letter is too lung lo i|uote in detail, so ,1 therefore make a few extracts:--I "What steps arc we taking to create ' a supply nf artisans to i.ssist in developing our industries? The reply is in the ; negative—none—but tbe question is ' slightly misleading. i "Fiji has only one industry, and that ;is agriculture, and it is on tbe developI incut and success of that asset that I every activity in Fiji depends. Nor does our present .so-called system of cduca'tinn assist to solve the problem. "The pitiful helplessness with which the subject of education in Fiji hitherto ha.s been dealt with is simply astounding. Confessedly incapable of evolving a system suited to the colony's requirements, Fijji. after trying Australia, bus now meekly become an appendage of the New Zealand system, pursuing the line of least resistance, regardless of its unsuitability, even going as far as to introduce correspondence classes for primary education, the absurdity of which is apparent to anyone cognisant of the general conditions obtaining in the colony. Tbe present policy of drift must cease if Fiji is to keep abreast of the times. "A system must be drafted that, offers tbe child a definite future, and that must lie connected with agriculture; there is no other outlet, and no better. The majority must be catered for, and tbe future development of the colony considered. What is awaiting a child aTter passing through the present school course? What does it fit him for? Is lie employable? If so, in what direction? Has he learnt sufficient lo hanker after the unwholesome side of town life and to despise the country? He is the inevitable product of the want of a system which offers no inducement to sustained effort, but which is automatically producing unemployable youths with no means of learning a trade-" Samoans of Mixed Blood. Samoa is in the same position as Fiji, but far worse, as there is much less scope for a youth to find employment here than there is in Fiji. The writer often wonders what are the future pros. I peets of the numerous boys and youth? now being educated at the Government and Marist Brothers' schools. At the present time there is an everincreasing population of people of mixed blood, who are cla.=*ed as Europeans in every way, but who. in many instances, although born in Samoa, possess no property in their own right. Being classed as Europeans, they are debarred from inheriting any property on their (native) mother's side, although in many instances they have been brought up by their mothers and her relatives, who, "recognising the fact that they were not Samoans, went lo the expense of having them educated in the European schools. Which means there is an everincreasing population of Samoan-born neople who arc educated, but can find no means of employment, and possess no lands to cultivate over which they tould obtain a clear and individual title. As far as their ability goes, that is undisputed, as many of our most prominent and wealthy citizens arc men of mixed blnod, and employ a large number oi Sainoan-born people, who are just as capable of filling good and trustworthy positions as imported Europeans. Unfortunately the supply far exceeds the demand, as far as the labour market goes. The only way to solve the problem is to place them on the land and make planters of them. The writer would therefore suggest that tlie Administration, who possess thousands of acres of uncultivated land, known as tho Crown Estates, which is and has been for many years lying idle, and therefore non-productive, thereby retarding the progress and development of these islands, should commence a system of opening up suitable tracks through these properties with the view to making roads for the purpose of land development, f am not advocating (he excessive expense of macadamising these roads, but I advocate encouraging settlers to take up land for cultivation. Everything has to come out of the soil, and the prosperity of Samoa depends upon increased production. Open New Land. It. is the general opinion that if the Alafaalava road was formed that many thousands of acres of some of the finest cocoanut and cocoa land in Samoa would be made available for plantation purposes, and that tnis road would not only open up Crown Estates land, but native lauds as well. As far as the natives go, 1 do not think they could ever be persuaded to leave the -beach front, their church, and village associations. The. Herman Government every year set aside a certain sum for the Alafaalava Road, which would have been constructed years ago if it had not been for the intervention of the war. The cocoa planters, realising the fact that sooner or later their plantations (cocoa) will be worked out, are now looking for fresh areas for new cultivation, and are anxiously awaiting the formation of the Alafaalava Road, and the possibility of being able to lease or acquire land in that locality. If this road were opened it would be a grand opportunity to settle those of mixed European blood, for whom no employment other than cultivation can lie procured. 1 feel sure that if these people were placed on the land they wonld make good planters, and become an asset to their country, and I do not think wo would again hear of young men frying to get away from Samoa by stealing ships and motor boats, the suggestion for which was probably brought about more by force of circumstances than anything" else.

In reply to a letter sent by the Auck- ! land branch of the South African War Veterans' Association, Lord Jellicoe has £ forwarded the following to the hon. ' secretary. Mr. J. F. Jackson:—"l am s extremely grateful for your Assoc-ia- C tion's very kind resolution, for its 2 assurance of its loyalty to His -"Majesty c the King, and for the good withes extended to her Exeollenev. our family. and myself. We desire to cordially 'Msli the members of the Association <j every good fortune in the future— t Jellicoe.