WESTERN SAMOA NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 261, 3 November 1932, Page 11

WESTERN SAMOA NEWS.

ELECTION NOMINATIONS. BIG SHIPMENTS OF COPRA. (From Our Own Correspondent.) APIA, October 21. The topic of conversation in Apia is the coming election of members to the Legislative Council. The Hon. S. H. Meredith seeks re-election. Mr. A. G. Sniythe's nomination is subject to the approval of the director of Morris, Hedstrom, Ltd.,' Suva. A joint request has been made, to the directors by the Apia Chamber of .Commerce, the Planters' .Association, and the newly-formed German Concordia-Club, that Mr. Smythe's nomination be regarded favourably. Messrs. I. H. Carruthers and G. Miedecke (late engineer in charge of Public Works and now a cocoa planter), have the' support of the planters, and Mr. R. Wetzell has the support of the Concordia Club. The elections will take'place on November 9. . • This month will see big shipments of copra for overseas fFom this port. About 3400 tons are down for shipment;, besides 100 tone, of cocoa beans. The Government will benefit in the way of export tax to the extent of £5000 odd, and it is no.secret that it ia needed. The Burns, Philp Company have started the construction of their new building, and a big portion of the old building has been dismantled. Mr. Freeman ie in charge of the work. A number of'local men employed are doing good work. Towards the end of the last month the Bank of New Zealand sprang a surprise by telephoning the business houses and informing them that Australian silver .would be subject to an exchange of £11 12/ per cent. A deputation waited on the manager and were successful in getting him to agree to a month's grace, so as to give them an opportunity of recalling Australian eilver from their trading stations around the group. One. of the local firms, which has held a credit balance for a couple of years for a native church, received an urgent letter asking the manager to have a look at their money, and if there was any Australian eilver in. it to pick it out and replace it with English. His Excellency ' the Administrator, who went to New Zealand by the Maui Pom are, ia due back on the Monterey, via Pago Pago, at the end of the month. The "beach wireless" has been busy, and at least two dozen people know two dozen different reasons for his trip. Apia lias experienced very heavy weather in the last week or go. The Shell Company boat Pinna arrived 12 hours late, and reported that she had struck very heavy gales, and at times made only two knots. The Makoa left with the mail for Pago Pago, but after five hours had to put back. The Taumafai made the trip and succeeded in making the connection, but six; passengers would not face the second trip.