IMPROVED POSITION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 237, 6 October 1932, Page 20

IMPROVED POSITION.

SAMOAN ADMINISTRATION.

"AIX FUNCTIONING HAPPII/V." BETTER FEELING EXISTS. . . WELLINGTON, Wednesday. There has been a marked improvement in the political situation throughout the Mandated Territory of Samoa, and all Departments dealing with natives were: functioning happily and satisfactorily at the end of the financial year, states the annual report of the Administrator, Mr. H. E. Hart. The Land and Titles Commission met in April and November, and more cases were brought before ... the Commission than in any of the preceding five years. The better feeling not only extended to official transactions, but also extended to sports and social functions. The drop in the price of copra, tho main product of the territory,' had resulted in a considerable decrease of trade, the.drop totalling 35 per cent. To meet the -position, Departments, were reorganised, retrenchments ordered, and an increase of Customs duty equal to -a general increase of 5' per cent was made. Aβ a result,' the year ended with a small credit balance. ' •

A mild epidemic of influenza spread throughout the. islands in September, but there were no deaths. Arrangements had been made in co-operation with the Rockefeller Institute to undertake a complete yaws campaign, and' every village was now being visited; A complete roll of each village had been compiled, and treatment was being made available for every Sainoan throughout the territory free of charge. Normal conditions existed in the Justice Department, the , difficulties which existed several . years ago having now disappeared. A decrease of 491 criminal offences was reported, the total being 987. Theft and trespass had increased, largely in connection with the removal of foodstuffs from plantations.'

The Customs and Marine Department reported that the total trade for the year was £359,397, as compared with an average of £G35,491 for the preceding five years. An analysis of the trade showed that the New Zealand proportion increased from 29.0 per cent for 1930 to 34.2 per cent for 1931. Australia had the next largest share of trade, having 21.5 per cent in 1931, as compared with 21.3 per cent in 1930. Trade with America decreased from 19.7 per cent in 1930 to 14.4 per cent in 1931. The majority of the lines in which decreased imports were ehown were staple lines of native trade, and the decrease in these, which totalled 45 per cent, illustrated the extent to which Samoans had reverted to the consumption of their own products. The estimated production of copra was 7764 tons, and the export of rubber was only 41 tons, as compared with' 101 tons in, the prebeding year. Rubber production had ceased owing to the. low values.

Expenditure for the year exceeded revenue by £19,896, but that was covered by an available balance of £20,042 available at the beginning" of the year. Revenue decreased by £21,345, aa compared with the preceding year, the total being £109,040. A reduction of £21,352 occurred in the revenue, as compared with the preceding year. The revenue account showed a credit balance of £16,839 for the year.