ADMINISTRATOR AND AGITATION

Evening Star, Issue 19613, 20 July 1927, Page 2

ADMINISTRATOR AND AGITATION

FINANCIAL POSITION OF TERRITORY The Samoan Administration report show's a debit balance of £7,898 on tho year’s operations. The revenue included a £20,000 subsidy from New Zealand, and totalled £133,812. The revenue directly from natives was £20,104; the expenditure on natives, £71,308. Though the imports exceeded the exports by £4,157, this adverse balance was caused by the usual December export shipment of copra and cacao being delayed until early in January ; otherwise there would have been a favorable trade balance about equal to last vear. The prospects for tho ensuing year arc particularly good, as the plantations nearly all show signs of fairly heavy crops. New' areas of cocoanuts are coming into bearing, the cacao plantations have recovered Ironi the blow of last year, and tho trees are bearing well. All the rubber plantations, excepting one owned by a private company, aro being developed. Larger areas of cotton aro being put _ under cultivation, and extensive planting of bananas has been carried out in preparation for the proposed export of fruit to New Zealand. It is hopefully anticipated, therefore, that this will bo a record year for trade. The Administrator describes the system of native political organisation, and states that experience continues to show that tho people co-operate with and approve of it, because they see its effectiveness in promoting their welfare and progress. • When troubles which are likely to disturb the peace, order, and good government of the natives arise, the Administrator assembles tho committee of Faipules to investigate, collect evidence, and advise him. By this means tho best possible advice on native matters is obtained. Tho Faipules have themselves no judicial powers. “ The only native opposition to this policy of control of tho native race through their chiefs, Faipules, and various Native Committees, comes from a few who have been punished as a result of these investigations. They have received encouragement from a small number of Europeans in Apia, who, in order to gain influence over the natives, have openly expressed their desire to see tho system abolished, and all native matters dealt with in council, where the local mercantile community would have greater power and influence than tho natives themselves. _ The native leaders arc very appreciative of the existing organisation, the working of which improves year by year. It enables tho Samoans to control their own affairs through a system of committees, in which nearly every chief and orator participates, and so prevents any one person exercising autocratic powers, while their o-iisions and suggestions, which arc forwarded to the Administrator, keep the latter in tho closest touch with the opinions and needs of the natives, aud their progress in every district. A small local political agitation during the past year indicated that this territory is no exception to the general rule that progress and change in every country are marked by a certain amount of opposition, which, in Samoa, comes from those persons who oppose the Government in its policy for the development of the native race.” Reference is made to the formation of the Citizens’ Committee, and the report declares that none of tho high chiefs or political leaders took part in the agitation. “The leaders of those natives who wore induced to cooperate with tho elected members in tueir political agitation is ono of the very few Europeanised Samoans in the territory, aud one who had been so punished after being found guilty by the High Court of the theft from the natives of a largo sum of money; also for attempting to degrade some of his own race by manufacturing intoxicating liquor and selling it to them.” There are 946 Chinese laborers in tho territory, and they have generally maintained their good reputation for reliability as workers, and for behaviour. Tho European Planters’ Association has urged the Government to import cheaper labor, but the report states that experiences on the New Zealand Government plantations, which are practically all making profits, prove that tho successful running of the plantations depends more upon skilful organisation and proper supervision of contented laborers, than upon a plentiful supply of so-called cheap labor. The present wage of 3s per day for Chinese coolies is a reasonable wage for tho daily task, and cannot, in fairness to laborers, bo reduced.