TRADE IN SAMOA.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4758, 4 January 1918, Page 6

TRADE IN SAMOA.

THE PRESENT POSITION. NEW ZEALAND SHOULD WAKE UP. • . A recent visitor to Samoa draws attention to a labour problem which nas recently arisen. He has made the following statement to the Auckland something is - not quickly done to assist the cocoavplanters m procuring labour for their- plantations they will be utterly r uni fid. Since the New Zealand occupatioiT of Samoa about 600 Chinese coolies-; have, been repatriated. Another batch is .to be sent away in January (300 Glimpse), which will cost £6OOO. In addition to this nearly 200 black boys have been returned to their homes, and no other plantation labour recruited m tneir place. It is possible that some black boys would have re-engaged with others, providing they had been given the opportunity.. The arrangement with the German authorities was that the repatriation charge of the Chinese coolies should not cost more than 50s or 60s per head. The last lot that left Samoa cost their employers £lB per head. It is well known that the Samoans, although strong, intelligent and healthv, cannot be depended upon, for work on the plantations, and even when they can be persuaded to work, demand very high wages. The cocoa" is subject to. canker, a disease which wants very careful watching and 1 immediate attention, as it attacks the most healthy trees, and spreads rapidly. During the past two years thousands of trees have been destroyed, azid some of the cocoa plantations nearly wiped out of existence on account of the high price and general shortage of. labour, it being impossible i for the same clean condition as formerly. ; Most of the German trade has past into the hands of neutrals, as. it is quite natural that German residents will do as little business as possible with the nationals while their country is at war. The result is that nearly the whole of the German Grade, or those who still have something to •trade with, is m the hands of other nationals, who have strong support from banks and firms outside the colony. Yet New Zealand who ought to be the most interested, has not commercially invested a sixpence in the islands under New Zealand occupation. ’ ■Since the occupation, speculators .took advantage of the situation, chartered ships, mostly three-masted schooners, which, after delivering their cargoes in Australian colonies loaded copra in Samoa, which was delivered in San Francisco, making an enormous profit for the speculators and those they were backing, with the result that when the German firm in liquidation stocks came on the market, those who had done so well were in a position to purchase the stocks, which were put up in such enormous quantities that- the ordinary storekeeper could not possibly compete. The outside nationals in business in Samoa made such-a fine turnover that they were then in a position to purchase many of the out-stations and some of the town buildings _ c-f the German firms in liquida.t/ion. _ Why was Jit that the New Zealand business'community neglected in every way to try and secure the trade of the Islands under New Zealand occupation? They bad the same opportunity to charter American schooners, after discharging their cargoes in Australia and New Zealand, as the other national. As it stands at present, if Samoa *-mnes under New Zealand jurisdiction after the war. the other-nation-als are so firmly established that New Zealand will find: it bard to. get a footing. After more than three years’ military occupation, it is time that somebody was appointed from New Zealand, or by the Home Government, to bead and direct the Civil Administration. He shoulj be a.man of both legal knowledge and business ability. It is to be assumed that an appoint- j ment .of this kind would be of great ( assistance to the Military Administration, where problems are brought f forward which are more of a civil than of a Military nature.