QUIETENING DOWN

Hawera Star, Volume L, 5 August 1930, Page 5

QUIETENING DOWN

SAMOAN UNREST,

BACK TO VILLAGES.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Aug. 4. Visitors who returned by the Toi'ua. from .Samoa to-day report that while planters in the mandated territory are experiencing unusually lean times owing to the fall in copra, cocoa and rubber values, the quietening down of the political troubles holds encouraging] prospects for tiie future.' The Samoans are back in their villages and have settled down to work, and the Administration of the country is running as smoothly as ever. Mr S. J. Collins, who was for four years accountant to the reparations estates in Western Samoa, and who has just completed their reorganisation, stated that efforts were being made to

prevent the complete collapse of the rubber market v Dutch planter's in the Malav States and the Dutch Indies in-

tended to export onto a portion of their •crop in order to prevent prices from falling much lower, and steps were being taken in Samoa to reduce production costs. .Although copra was down to the lowest figure yet known, the Samoans were settling down to work again, and it was hoped the old standard of production would be restored. Cocoa had fallen heavily in price, but a considerable quantity had been sold to New Zealand during the past year. The reparations estates, totalling about 10,000 acres, comprised 7000 acres in cocoa nuts, 1500 acres in cocoa, and SOO acres in rubber, while other areas were leased to private planters, said Mr Collins. Considering the state

of the world markets, these estates had not done so badly. Mr .T. C. Entrican, who .also returned by the Tofua, said that Samoan rubber was being sold below production cost. Whereas it. cost 74d a lb 'to grow, it could only be sold foi 54d. The principal hope of improving matters lay in the efforts now being made to reduce the quantity being placed on the market.