SAMOAN ESTATES

Evening Star, Issue 19327, 13 August 1926, Page 4

SAMOAN ESTATES

“ THOUGHT M HAD A GOLD mine ” DISILLUSIONED POLITICIAIIS [From Oor Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON', August 12. When Now Zealand took over the reparation estates from Germany in Samoa they were said to bo worth a million sterling, but questions to the Minister of External Affairs when the Samoa Bill was being considered in committee in the House to-day produced a much-modified estimate. The question was first raised by Mr M'Combs, who also wished to know when the Government would repatriate all the remaining Chinese from Samoa, Now Zealand, he suggested, should not create in Samoa, which was essentially a part of the Dominion, conditions which New Zealanders would not permit in their own country. The Imperial Government had inquired during the administration of Sir James Allen when the Chinese were to return home.

Mr Nosworthy, Minister of External Affairs, replied that experience showed the impossibility of working the estates without .Chinese labor, but the House could have his assurance that it would bo reduced as fast as possible, but not right away. He hoped members would have patience and await his opinion after he had visited Samoa. “Did the tenders for leasing exGerman estates bear out the estimate that they were worth a million,” asked Mr Forbes. “ There was never any official estimate of one milliou,” retorted Mr Nosworthy. “ A value was placed on them,” continued Mr Forbes. “We thought wo were taking over estates worth a million, and we were much elated over it. Then a loss was shown, though wo thought we had a gold mine.” Mr Nosworthy explained that on tho basis of the tenders for leasing, tho estates were worth half a million sterling, but the Government did not consider the tenders good enough to let them go. It considered it far better to work the estates itself, and the results proved tho wisdom of that policy. The estimated accrued profits to the end of the year were £BO,OOO, and last year’s profits were between £25,000 and £26,000.