SAMOA UNSUITABLE

Waikato Times, Volume 94, Issue 14585, 7 February 1921, Page 3

SAMOA UNSUITABLE

FOR SOLDIER SETTLEMENT. VIEW OK EX-COXTIXGEXTER. "One of llie troubles in Samoa," said Mr F. C. E. Codd to a reporter, "is that the Government u'oes not seem to he able to do anything with the Crown estates al llie present time. The Uovernment can'l sell or lei them, and that is keeping people from going there. But, as for sending returned soldiers. without anj tropical experience, out there, I think il is a mistake. The climate seems to he against any man who hns been mil to the front or been knocked about at all. When the Parliamentary party was in Samoa, one or two members spoke to me of cutting up the D.11.P.G. estates, of which 0000 acres are in coeoanuts. But, I don't think our men, and especially their wives and families, could stand the climate. It is too hot. Moreover, by cutting up the estates into small holdings you would be making the labour problem still more difficult, because you can employ labour much more economically on a place, say. of 4000 acres than on small areas. The small holdings would mean so much more labour devoted to work about the house, for cart-boys, cook-boys, and so on. The Solomon Island hoys, too, seem [o be leaving Samoa, and one Solomon Islander is worth four Chinamen in the coooanut plantations. The Chinamen, however, are bcsl in the cocoa plantations, liecause they are more or less used to horticultural work."