CONTROL OF SAMOA

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 10 September 1921, Page 7

CONTROL OF SAMOA

ADMINISTRATION CRITICISED

BY CABLE—PRE3S ASSOCIATION—COPYEIGHJ SYDNEY, Sept. 9. The Herald's special commisßio.ner, in his concluding article, says: "Samoa's troubles are mostly due to economic factors, for which the Government is in no way blameablo. The scarcity and cost of labour, combined with tlie low prices of tropical products, make it problematic whither any plantation schemes could be worked at a profit.' The writer discusses the Chinese labour question and the New Zealand policy in, connection therewith, and says that, instead oi' the early policy \ of encouraging, their repatriation recently owing to the acute labour short, age, the Chinese have been solicited to stay and the Government has made arrangements to import 1000 new Cliineso from Hongkong, The writer adds: ''Serious injury will bo done to agricultural interests in Samoa if Chinese labourers are not available, because it is difficult to replace them.'' Referring to Crown lands, he says that the administration has taken over 1000 acres of cultivated and uncultivated lands which belonged to deported Germans, believing that they would produce large profits and thereby reduce the cost of administration to a minimum. This has proved a delusion, and all the Crown estates are likely to show losses. There have been too many white officials employed, and consequently too high a salary list, prevent, ing ft profit even if the markets become normal again. Probably the most sensible course would be to lease these estates.