WESTERN SAMOA

Northern Advocate, 5 January 1937, Page 9

WESTERN SAMOA

NATIVE POPULATIONi INCREASES [Special to “Northern Advocate” J APIA, December 26. The census of the population of Western Samoa, taken on November 4, w&s divided into a European and'a native division.

In 1926, when the last official census was taken, the number of native Samoans totalled 36,688, but preliminary figures for 1936 show a Samoan population of 52,000, an increase of over 40 per cent. While the number of whites has decreased since 1926 by over 17 per cent., and is the lowest figure recorded since the German census of 1903, the mixed blood population has increased’ even more rapidly than the full-blood Samoans,

Of the 3358 persons classified as Europeans, including Samoan wives of Europeans and Samoans of European legal status, 1683 are males and 1675 females: Of the Europeans born outside Western Samoa, 149 have resided in the territory from 20 to 66 years. A total of 1962 Europeans gave their national status as British, 2(fo as British protected persons, 536 as German, 282 as American, 88 as French, 82 as Swedish, 68 as Danish, 38 as Swiss, 25 as Chinese and 10 as Portuguese.

Fewer Whites. The decrease in the numbers of white residents may be ascribed to the passing of many of the old pioneer settlers, the decrease in the number of white New Zealand officials and the complete lack of any immigration, due mainly to the absence of economic possibilities for white settlers and the strong competition of the large mixed blood section of the European community. Amongst the mixed blood population there is a growing tendency for the young men to marry full-blood Samoan women, thus hastening the gradual absorption of the mixed blood element into the full-blood Samoan majority. . It is interesting to find the large preponderance of the adherents of the Roman Catholic Church, more especially amongst the “mixed bloods.” Of the smaller sects, the Mormons and the Seventh Day Adventists have in recent years increased their following amongst Europeans as well as amongst native Samoans.