SAMOAN ESTATES.

Wairarapa Age, 13 August 1926, Page 5

SAMOAN ESTATES.

“THOUGHT WE HAD A GOLDMINE.”

i MBMBERS UNDECEIVED. (“The Age” Special.—By Telegraph.) WELLINGTON, August 12.—When New Zealand took over the reparation estates from Germany in Samoa, they were said to be worth a million sterling, but questions to the Minister of External Affairs when the Samoan Bill was being considered in Committee in the House to-day produced a much modified estimate.

The question was first raised by Mr McCombs, who also wished to know when the Government would repatriate all the remaining Chinese from Samoa. New Zealand, he suggested, should not tolerate in Samoa which, was essentially a part of the Dominion, conditions which New Zealanders would not permit in their own country. The. Imperial Government had inquired during the administration of Sir Jas. Allen when the Chinese were to return home.

The Hon. W. Nosworthy (Minister of External Affairs) replied that experience showed the impossibility of working the estates without Chinese labour, but the House could have his assurance it would be reduced ag fast as possible, but not right away. He hoped members would have patience and await his opinion after he had v.Aited Samoa.

“Did the tenders for leasing the exGerman estates bear out the estimate that they were worth a million?” asked Mr Forbes.

“There was never any official estimate of one million,” retorted Mr Nos« worthy.

“A politician’s value was placed on them,” continued Mr. Forbes. “We thought we were taking over estates worth a million and we were much elated over it. Then a loss was shown on working though we thought we had a goldmine.”

Mr Nosworthy explained that on the basis of tenders for the leasing of the estates they were worth half a million sterling, but the Government did not consider the tenders good enough to let them go. It considered it far better to work the estates itself and results had proved the wisdom of that policy. The estimated accrued profits to the end of the year were £58,000 and last year’s profits were between £25,000 and £26,000.