“Tatty” Dress Of Tourists In Samoa

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29744, 10 February 1962, Page 2

“Tatty” Dress Of Tourists In Samoa

The tatty dress that some New Zealand tourists considered suitable to wear when visiting Samoa not only gave a poor impression of New Zealand but shocked the tidy and dress-conscious Samoans, a former Director of Education in Samoa (Mr J. Leggat) told members of the Canterbury Travel Club at the first* meeting of the year yesterday. New Zealanders knew very little about Samoans and their way of life, but the peoples of Samoa looked upon New Zealand as their mother country and trusted New Zealand to look after them.

Mr Leggat said that although the climate was hot New Zealanders could find something more tidy to wear than socks drooping into boots, grubby shorts and old football jerseys.

Samoans had cue of the most disciplined societies in the world, he said. "The people have security. Everyone has a place in society and a job of work. They are scrupulously clean, honest, and sincere people who take a great pride in their homes and villages. "Work is organised and delegated by the chiefs of the villages. The men fish and work in the plantations. The fish from the day’s catch is communal property. However, the women walk behind the men who are wading with the nets. They carry baskets and are allowed to keep any fish escaped from the nets.” said Mr Leggat. Women’s Committees

The women were organised by women's committees. The young girls had the job of cutting the grass and tidying up the villages while the women worked in groups at weaving. Some helped in the plantations but they did only light work such as weeding, he said.

The committees also inspected the homes. If a woman was found not to come up to the high standards of cleanliness or efficiency that were expected, the committee would report her to the chief, who then fined her husband.

A husband might, if he was very fond of his wife, pay a fine twice, but if he was fined a third time, then no-one blamed him for dissolving the marriage and sending his wife back to her village. Bringing up children in Samoa was no problem, he said. The older ones looked after the younger ones. “A three-year-old will look after the baby, and of course a child can go anywhere and he will find someone ready to give him attention. You very rarely hear a child cry. They are all happy, chubby and well cared for.”

Religion played a big part in Samoan life. Most villages had three churches —Roman Catholic, Methodist, and Samoan. In many cases a village might bankrupt itself for a generation paying for them. Education In recent years, Samoans had become more educationconscious, said Mr Leggat. They built their own schools, which each had a distinctive uniform. “The children take a great pride in their uniforms and are always immaculate. It is considered a great disgrace to be untidy.” That the transition to independence was so calm was due, Mr Leggat considered, to the qualities and discipline of the people. “On the eve of independence the people went to the churches to pray They also emptied the gaols of all prisoners, even murderers. I feel that they have doubts regarding the effectiveness of the white penal system, and consider they can control their criminals more successfully in their own way,” he said.

Now that Samoa had become independent it was important that New Zealand retain her goodwill. In the event of another war. New Zealand could expect an attack from the north, said Mr Leggat. who is now the civil defence officer in Christchurch. Samoa formed part of a protective umbrella.

Economically, too. New Zealand had a responsibility for it could supply Samoa with industrial goods. Mr Leggat said.