SAMOAN CENSUS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 49, 27 February 1937, Page 7

SAMOAN CENSUS.

TEN YEARS' INCREASE.

OVER FORTY-TWO PER CENT

INCREASING BIRTH RATE.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) APIA, February 20. The final count of native population shows a large increase over the 1920 census figures. The tabulation of the census figures relating to the native population of the Mandated Territory has been completed. The total native Samoan and Polynesian population at November 4 last was ;>2,2(i<> . compared with a total of 3C.GSB in 192t>, when the last official census was taken. The increase over a 10-year period amounts to 42i per cent. The Samoans are probably the only branch of the Polynesian race showing such a large proportionate increased which is due to the high and increasing birth rate and the steadily decreasing death and especially infant death rate. It must also be taken into consideration that during part of 193(5 the infant death rate was extraordinarily high among the natives owing to an epidemic' of whooping cough. I lie Samoan native population is composed of •_>»;.4f,S males and 2r>.708 females. Ihe count by age groups shows the following totals: — MA r.KS. Heads of families ranking as chiefs or orators (usually over .">•"> years of a jr..) • .".,100 l n titled men ajre over „ 1 4 10.140 Roys, two to 14 years old 11 ,-">.*>4 Infant hovs, under two years .... LUSS Total 2tVUS FEMALES. Married women and unmarried women over (Jirls from l-"> to years . "7*^7 (Jirls two t.i 14 years Jo.'-t.-.T Girls, infants under two years ...... Total Trriirns Principal Islands. The native population on the ma in island of the group, I'polu. is 34,G.">7. distributed approximately as follows: Apia and neighbourhood, 14,000; North Coast, west of Apia. (>.">00: North Coast, east of Apia. (ioOO; South Coast. 7500. 1 he large island of Savaii counts onlv 16.375 inhabitants (Sainoans). 5091 of whom !ive in the densely populated district of I'aasa lea >*a. Of the smaller islands of the group. M mono has 843 and Apolima 157 Samoan lwidcnt •>. Included in the native Samoan population are a fairly large number of other Polynesians and Pacific Islanders, as well as Chinese Samoans, descendants of Chinese contract labourers and Samoan women. The figures are as follows: — Xiucans 210. fokelau 122, Elliee 87, Togaus 72, Melanesians 28, Fijians 25, Wallis Islanders 21, Rotuma 21. (Jilbert Islanders 13. other islanders 11. part Samoa n-Chinese 778, Samoans 50,878; total. 52.21it>. Apart from the 778 C'hinese-Samoans included in the Samoan population, there are an additional 127 Cliinese-Samoans, descendants of Chinese free residents, included in the European population. Of the Chinese-Samoans' offspring of Chinese contract labourers less than 50 are born during the period 1903 to 1914, i.e., under the German regime, the majority are born under the New Zealand Administration, 1914 to 1936.

Church Affiliations. j The native Samoans. belong to the j following denominations (figures for 1926 are given in parentheses): — London Mission Society Congregational 31.838 (23.457) Roman Catholics !t.."i(M> (5,842) Methodists 8,611 (6,447) Latter Day Saints (Mormons) (808) Seventh Day Adveutists .. 312 (14) Totals (:Mi,088) The Roman Catholics show the largest increase in numbers (1i.'!.74 ]>cr cent); the London Mission adherents have increased 35.55 jut cent; tlit* Methodists 33.50 per cent. Owing to their greater activity, the smaller sects. Mormons and Seventh Day Adventists have also made large gains during the last 10 years. There are altogether 1021 native Samoans in remunerative employment working for a livelihood, 447 of whom are plantation workers on European or Government plantations. A total of 2049 Samoans are living on European properties, mainly in Apia and neighbourhood. The total population of the territory, European and native, as counted in the census, is now composed as follows: — Native Samoans 52,206 Europeans 3, 005 Chinese and Meianesian labourers .. 585 Total population of Western Samoa 00,046