SAMOAN INDUSTRIES

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 99, 24 March 1930, Page 8

SAMOAN INDUSTRIES

PRESENT BUSINESS DULL. FUTURE MORE HOPEFUL. (Spncial to “Standard.”) FEILDING, March 24. That Samoa has a hopeful business futute before it may be regarded as evident from facts given to a “Standard” reporter on Saturday afternoon in an interview with Hon. J. G. Cobbe, Minister of Defence, who has returned from Samoa after representing the New Zealand Government in the settling of tho recent unrest among the Mau in the island. In giving a brief outline of commerce in Samoa as he had observed it during his stay there, Mr Cobbe said that, as was only natural, the 11 disturbance had had a dulling effect on business, Uio unrest nuv.n 0 stui fered with the natives bringing in copra, but there was hope for the future. As a country the Minister was convinced Samoa was capable of great expansion in its primary industries. The soil was of a rich volcanic nature, mostly flat and well watered, there being frequent rain. Cocoanuts, bananas and cocoa grew well and there were a great number of cocoauut plantations, the copra taken from these was kiln dried nad exported, but unfortunately prices at present for this commodity were low and the margin of profit was small. Cocoa at the moment was the more profitable industry, and the culture of coffee and tea was also being tried, but owing to the labour involved in picking there was no commercial importance attached to this project at the present time. Rubber growing whs another industry Samoa was interested in, and trees were plentiful there aud certain plantations were yielding well, but tho prices for the raw rubber were so low that unless labour conditions were extremely favourable the industry could not be worked except at a loss, in Apia there were some old established plantations and the traders tliero seemed to bo doing very well. Questioned regarding the marketing and business methods of the islands, Mr Cobbe’s observations showed aniiluminatuig comparison with those prevailing in New Zealand. The expenses in working businesses in Samoa, the Minister stated, appeared to be very low. There was no income tax and traders paid—or were supposed to pay, tho speaker added as an aside—a half per cont. on their turnover in tax. On the whole, the conditions in Samoa for business were very favourable for those engaged in trading and for those who had been established in business for a number of years, ail of them appearing to be doing exceedingly well. Dealing with the firms doing the business, Air Cobbe stated that Burns, and the 0. F. Nelson Coy. were the principal exporters of copra. One of the acts of the Alau had been to divert Pliilp, Ltd., Alorris. Hedestrom, Ltd., the whole of the natives’ trade to the 0. F. Nelson. Coy., but these troubles were now in the process of being rectified. The present Administrator and his predecessor, Sir George Richardson, had met with a lot of refusals to get the Alau into a conference( but Air Cobbe was happy to be able to say that the recent efforts made had proved successful and he was hopeful for the future.