LABOUR IN SAMOA

Evening Post, Issue 11, 13 July 1936, Page 9

LABOUR IN SAMOA

THE COOUE PROBLEM

PLANTERS OPPOSE CHANGE

MINISTER DIFFERS

(Special to Press Association.) (Received July 13, 10.10 a.m.) APIA, July 12. The view that any alteration in the, conditions of indentured' Chinese lab- : our would seriously affect the whole | territory was expressed by the Samoa Planters' Association in an interview with the New Zealand Government delegation. The deputation pointed out that the Chinese were law-abiding citizens, good I workers, and very reliable. The | Samoans, on the other hand, lived in : plenty on the products of their own. \ land, which for centuries ,had kept ' them in smiling abundance and had j produced a race of natives known j throughout the world as "the Gentlemen of the Pacific." No offer of addi- j tional remuneration would induce them j 'to remain at work on the plantations j ' when a new church or rowing boat | was to be built or when some grand feast was the order of the day. NO BENEFIT TO ANY COUNTRY. The leader .of the delegation, the Hon. F. Langstone, in replying;, said: "We are greatly concerned about the cheap coolie labour exploited here. We don't like it. We hate it. Cheap labour has never been of benefit to any country. It seems that your great problem is I lack of sufficient income. What you need more than anything: else is stabilised prices for cocoa and copra. The present system of' marketing is stupid, like playing at blind man's buff." The Minister said that an endeavour would be made to include the mandated territory in any reciprocal agreements entered into between New Zealand and other countries. The planters could rest assured that wages would not be increased until they were provided with the means to pay higher rates. ■ He did not see any reason why the

He did not see any reason why the Samoan could not be trained to do the work now being done by Chinese. The astonishingly large number of very beautiful .churches scattered throughout Samoa was surely a striking tribute to the ability and industry of the natives. ■