SAMOA

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 April 1920, Page 3

SAMOA

INDENTURED LABOUR. SIR JAMES ALLEN SUMS UP.

THE SAMOAN PROBLEM.

AUCKLAND, March 26. . "Can be summed up in one word—Labour. That is the outstanding" problem of the Islands," said Sir James Allen to-day. "That question is not so prominent in Rarotonga. as in some other islands, but even there it is intimately associated with the development of the Cook group. "The object of our trip, 53 the Minister continued, "was to< enable members to see for themselves the'conditions prevailing- in the islands and especially to make a special study of the Labour problem. That problem is probably the most acute in Samoa, where so much cultivation was accomplished by the Germans.'' He could not say what the members' opinions were, but had gathered that most of: them were of the conviction that we must face the responsibility of keeping' the Islands in a condition which could produce and distribute products. It was not right to allow the rich islands of the Pacific to lie idle when so many people were wanting tilings which they produced in such lavish profusion. Members had seen for themselves that it was impossible to keep up the production of Samoa with native .labour only. The Europeanowned plantations must either bo abandoned or labour procured from outside. They also knew that so far as present information went it. was impossible to get either -7avniie.se or Solomon 'lsland labour. No one wished to deal with Samoa.in th esame way as Fiji had been dealt with by the importation of coolies and their wives, which meant the ultimate

extinct ion of tlio Samoan. He gathered -that the bulk of (ho members were convinced that the

simplest solution of the difficulty was to continue the introduction of Chinese labour. The point troubling' some of them was not so much the introduction of labour as the question that it opened up a problem which seemed almost' insoluble. The Government's present information was that the Chinese would not be allowed to. bring in their wives. New Zealand could not contemplate with equanimity the prospect of CJiine.se marrying Samoan wives and taking tluun to China, lie hoped and believed that a period of short indenture—say, not more than three years—would be a partial solution of the 'difficult question, though it could by no means be regarded as a complete solution. As far as he could see, the Chinese lived quite contentedly in Samoa. They were not a serious menace to the Samoan race so long as they were not allowed to remain there in perpetuity. He could see no better way to preserve the Samoan race and to keep the Islands productive than to continue policy lines existing.

When the question of the disposal oF the D.TI. and P.G. plantations, some tliousands of acres oi' which had been brought to a stage of complete cultivation, was raised Sir -lames said that after seeing these plantations he was convinced that it was not wise to attempt an immediate policy of settlement upon them. Trained men who knew how to manage copra production were not available. It was necessary, for some time at all events, to work these plantations as community concerns, in order to make the best use of the drying machines and other plant, lie favoured using the big plantations as training grounds" for people who would eventually take up land. Any man oi' intelligence and vigour should have the opportunity of getting this training, with an opportunity later on of taking up 200 acres of land. lie had thought that one hundred acres would be sufficient, but after going into the question on the spot he believed that the area should be double that size. Any man taking up land in Samoa should have the opportunity of making a reajly good living. Mis prospects should be better than in Ne He believed that it would be achieved under the system he had outlined.