The Crows Estates.

Samoanische Zeitung, Volume 23, Issue 33, 17 August 1923, Page 8

The Crows Estates.

(To the Editor Samoa Times.) Sir,—There has always been a certain amount of doubt regarding the actual position of the Crown Estates. As far as I can learn, the.,position is that the Crown Estates are really carried on a& a sort of hobby of New Zealand's and Samoa has nothing to say in the matter. In other words the New Zealand Government are really a sort of "Trust*"— monopolizing practically the whole of the- industries of Samoa, crippling the initiative of the' local people and- forcing them, by limiting openings, to either work for Crown 'Estates or go trading, to which' everybody is not adapted. This means that so many are in the Government employ, who are not permitted to criticise the Administration, that very few are left to criticise and bring about the- necessary changes in the administration of these Islands.Tbere'are those who are now in the employ of the Administration, who now apparently take no interest in tiftttt; is gorng on, although what they formerly protested about is still taking place; but it is as much as their position is wdrth if they attempted to speak up as formerly. The fact that in Samoa only one small plantation has beeu started since the occupation and 'When 1 war time prices were paid for cocoa /ioo or mow per tiffl; one small plantation started on one hand and hundreds of acres lost on -

prise and have to be-spoon fed where the Germans (who built up nearly all of these plantations, during the I % or 14 years before the war) worked ; or is it the iesult of Government monopoly of industries having crippled the initiative and enterprise of the local people, so that they would now rather squat in a comfortable Govenment job than take any chances of striking out for themselves in business or planting ? Take the banana scheme recently started by Crown Estates. This to my mind was a very good scheme, if carried out in the right way, by taking one large area and making a huge banana plantation, particularly in a place with a 'good harbour like Saluafata. This place with a good man in charge with practical and not theoretical knowledge of the. industry; then you could look for success. What have we now ? Several tiny blocks scattered about the country like "currants io bun," with the result it will cost more to cart the fruit than it would be worth. What Samoa needs at present are practical men, there are far to many theorists here, and dreamers. Why not send .to Trinidad and get a man; there are many . men with a life time of experience in these oldsettled cocoa and cocoanut countries, and even if we only have him here a few months his practical knowledge and experience would be worth many thousands of pounds to Samoa. Let the Government encourage a spirit of enterprise and give every assistance to those who wish to strike out for themselves, by leasing Crown Estates plantations, etc.; protect them by making the rent in accordance with the present earning power of the plantations, and I see no reason, why in a short period we cannot lift Samoa eff the financial "umd Bank." Much credit is due to His Excellency the Administrator, frho is studying the situation, and I believe is doing his best to bring about a better state of affairs.. "Rome was not built in a day," and his Excellency has had a very busy time since his arrival in Saihoa, but as long as he is in sympathy with small enterprising pioneers wo can see a brighter future be fore ns, and once the plana tions "trust" is broken, we will have accomplished much but we must keep our eyes open on other trusts. Trus ting I am not taking up tco much of your space,- I etc., \

PLANTER. July 21st, 1923.