SAMOA NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 139, 14 June 1935, Page 7

SAMOA NEWS.

U.S. GOVERNOR'S VISIT. A CEREMONIAL OCCASION. 3OPRA PROSPECTS IMPROVE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) APIA, May 30. The station ship of our American cousins from Pago Pago, arrived at Apia on May 21 for one of her frequent visits. The present occasion was an "official" or "State" visit, which was carried out to the accompaniment of much salute firing, guards of honour, an official dance at Vailima, to plantations and an "official" visit to Government plantations. The elaborate ceremony adopted seemed a bi*. unwarranted when compared with the scant arrangements made on the occasion of the King's jubilee. In this connection a letter sent to the local newspaper by "Old Timer" very properly reminds the public of the splendid way the present King's coronation was celebrated by the British residents of Apia in 1910, under the German Administration, which celebration vividly contrasted with the pooi show the New Zealand Administration made in 1935. For the fiivt time since the occupation of Western Samoa, there is to be no King's birthday dance at Vailima, nor are any sports or competitions or races announced this year. Dance Invitations Limited. For functions of the Samoa Administration lately only a limited number of European residents unconnected with the Administration have received, invitations. This was strikingly demonstrated at the official dance at Vailima in honour of the visit of the Governor of American Samoa. Apart from the visitors, only about a hundred persons were present, almost entirely officials and their families. Some of the most prominent citizens of Apia had not received invitations. It is recalled that at the King's Birthday dances in-Gen-eral Richardson's time sometimes 600 and more people were present, a testimony to the good feeling existing at that time between the Administration and the public.

Large quantities of copra are being delivered to Apia sheds at present, and the natives are continuing to cut large quantities of Samoa's main product. This year promises a much larger crop than the preceding years, and as the price has risen lately and the local price also was raised recently, things in general look much brighter in Samoa.

Apart from a parcel of cocoa beans which was sold at good prices in Hamburg of late, the sellers accepting payment in German goods, there seems to be little change in the cocoa market. The American market seems still very weak. Locally only small quantities of cocoa beans are delivered at present, and there will be no crop available before the end of the year. Bananas also are in short supply at present, and for three months running there have been short shipments; in no case were the expected quotas reached. The Maui Pomere takes on her present trip only just above 0000 cases, or 1500 cases short on her quota of 7800. Owing to the monthly Union steamer shipment to Auckland being abolished for the next four months, the next Maui Pomare shipment will probably be a full one.

Stones in Copra. A trader on the island of Savaii was recently prosecuted in the Apia Court, when in the copra bought by him from natives a large quantity of shell and stones was detected. ' This practice. due mostly to negligence of the trader when inspecting the copra, has led to heavy losses and damages suffered by Apia merchants in the past, as stones in the copra serionely damaged the machinery of the crushing mills. Lately, owing to heavy fines for the offenders, the practice has been almost abolished. The trader was fined £3 by Judge

Novrie. When a consignment of whisky was landed from the steamer Hauraki, it was found that two eases were missing. The police were informed, but the search proved unavailing until a little later a native was observed on the beach starring about blind drunk. He was followed and arrested, and in his house a number of empty whisky bottles were found, easily identified as stolen, as the stamp which the Customs officers I]se to brand bottles issued by them hi the regular way, wa? missing. It was found "that several other natives were involved. They will be tried shortly in Apia High Court for theft. The wife o ( Mr. G. L. W. Westbrook, one of the oldest residents of Samoa, died recently in the Apia Hospital after a long illness. She was born in "»Vallis Island. *