BACK FROM SAMOA

Evening Star, Issue 17314, 30 March 1920, Page 6

BACK FROM SAMOA

MR JAMES HORN’S IMPRESSIONS. COOK GROUP DIFFIODLTIES. SOME PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS. Mr James Horn, M.P. for Wakatipu, returned to Dunedin yesterday afternoon. Interviewed* by a ‘ Star ’ reporter to-day, Air Horn, gave us some of his impressions. The sunny isles of the Pacific were particularly pleasing and the weather perfect for the parliamentarians’ visit to our present possessions and new responsibilities. They dodged all tho hurricanes, they had a good, if slow, ship, and excellent officers. Mr Horn tells us that Sir James Allen excelled himself. He handled everything well, and showed infinite tact in dealing with the labor question. On the way out the politicians studied the island conditions in books, and found big differences when the book knowledge was compared with the real thing. Rarotonga, Mr Horn points out, is the only island in tho Cook Group which has communication. The calls at other islands were unannounced until the steamer whistle and rocket, signalled their approach. The Arikis prepared a great reception at Rarotonga, and, as elsewhere, the reception consisted in feasting and dancing. Mangaia presents an element of danger to all who would attempt to land on the island. , Two calls from steamers was the whole communication last year The steamers came in the off season,' and took only copra. The fruit was wasted. Besides growing excellent fruit, the island has a great future for coffee brans—possibly one of the finest coffee-producing countries in the world. Here, as in other cases, steamers come unannounced, and cannot wait until oranges and fruit arc packed. Result—big loss. Tho development work at Rarotonga is good. Mr Horn is optimistic as to the prospects on account of the improved methods. The planters, are growing early tomatoes to catch the New Zealand r. arket in September and October. Two plantations, of two and a-half acres each. cleared £6OO per acre last year, and those concerned are consequently in good heart. In other cases the best lemons are being planted, and copra is, of course, a basic industry. No land is alienated from the natives, and ample education reserves have been set aside. Mr Horn met an ex-Otago school teacher in the person of Mr Bannerman, previously at ■■ Bannockburn School. He has been teaching for two years. The immediate necessities for t># Conk I Group, says Air Horn, are steamer accommodation. a regular steamer service, and_communication by wireless. It means a big outlay, but trade would he multiplied many times by these necessary and modern conveniences. At Niuie, an island in the Cook Group under separate administration, the landing was difficult. It was through a cut in the reef made by the crew of the Mildnra. It_ is narrow, with very rough sides. Niuie had one visit from’a steamer last year. It produces all kinds of fruit, but Mr Horn told ns tho island contains the Champion hat-weavers. The hats are made from the palm leaf, and are wonderful samples of workmanship. Panama straw is to be introduced, and the hats produced will then be equal to anything on the market for workmanship. The party were the guests of the Administrator of American Samoa, and the entertainment was perfect from the point cf view of hospitality. Certainly it consisted of dancing and dinner at midday. and with the temperature high it entailed some discomforts. The administration takes the form of naval control, and the discipline is exactly like that .of a man-of-war. Air Horn detailed with evident interest and strong approval the method of the American Government in dealing with the copra produced by natives in American Samoa. Tenders are called for the whole output. The natives are paid 75 per cent, on delivery and tho balance when accounts are adjusted. No traders got a look in, and the natives get the world’s market price. I want to see our Government do that with the Cook Group, said Air Horn. He found in one case that island traders elsewhere gave £24 per ton for copra, for which the natives under American protection got. £45 per ton. Regarding our own responsibility in Samoa, Air Horn says the Germans did nothing to improve harbor facilities. The German Government had given concessions to German companies at a small figure, and the profit from three such were worth £50,000 to £60,000 a year. They were all worked by indentured' labor, winch in the early staves of German occupation was pain at 15s per month and kept. Prior to tho war the rate per laborer rose to 20s, and 12s additional for food allowance They were also given land to grow vegetables, keep fowls, and had the use of a horse. Now the men who could not be repatriated are paid £2 10s, and experts are paid as high as £5 or £6 per month. They are mostly Chinese, with a few Soloman Islanders. The system of housing is interesting. It consists of a line ot huts very close together, because the Chinese prefer to live that way. They have common conveniences. In anothe't row of huts, in some cases almost opposite, a number of Samoan women live, aney work on the copra. The Chinese in some cases have Samoan “waves,” women to whom they are faithful while in Samoa, but who must he left behind when they go back to China. This is not satisfactory, and the members of the parliamentary party have considered various possible ways out. One planter has as many as five Chinese with Samoan “wives.” 'This is all against the system of indentured labor. To get over that difficulty it was suggested that the indenture should be only for three years, and the Chinese would have to leave at (hat time. Tho Cliine.se do not get into close contact with. Samoan women until they learn the language and understand the habits of the Samoans. In other avoids, the Samoan women arc naturally diffident on such matters, ami it is felt that the intercourse would he less likely if the Chinese stayed only three years. It was considered a possible solution, at least, in part. jibe ideal in this matter might be attained if Chinese women could accompany their husbands, but Chinese custom is against that. Air Horn has promised us a further instalment of his interesting impressions for to-morrow.