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1950 NEW ZEALAND
DEPARTMENT OF ISLAND TERRITORIES WESTERN SAMOA ADMINISTERED UNDER TRUSTEESHIP AGREEMENT DATED 13th DECEMBER, 1946 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1950
Presented to Both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency
The Hon. the Minister of Island Territories to His Excellency the Governor-General. Wellington, 15th August, 1950. I have the honour to submit to Your Excellency the report on the administration of Western Samoa for the year ended 31st March, 1950. Minister of Island Territories. His Excellency the Governor-General of New Zealand.
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CONTENTS
A. Brief Introductory Descriptive Section — page Physical and Political Geography, and Basic Economy .. .. .. .. 5 Historical Survey .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 6 Main Events of the Year .. .. .... .. .. .. 8 B. Status of the Territory and Its Inhabitants — Status of the Territory .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 9 The High Commissioner .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 9 The Council of State .. .. .. .. .. .. 10 The Legislative Assembly .. .. .. .. .. .. 10 Committees of the Assembly.. .. .. .. .. .. .. 11 The Fono of Faipule .. .. .. .. .. .. 11 The Administrative Structure .. .. .. .. .. .. 12 The Secretary to the Government .. .. .. .. .. 13 The Secretary of Samoan Affairs .. .. .. .. .. 13 Status of the Inhabitants .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 13 C. International and Regional Relations — International Relations .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 16 Regional Agreements— South Pacific Health Service .. .. .. .. .. 16 South Pacific Commission .. .. .. .. .. .. 16 South Pacific Conference .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 17 D. International Peace and Security : Maintenance of Law and Order— International Peace and Security.. .. .. .. .. .. .. 17 Maintenance of Law and Order .. .. .. .. .. .. 17 Firearms, Ammunition, and Explosives .. .. .. .. .. 18 E. Political Advancement— General Administration .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 18 Local Government .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 19 The Western Samoan Public Service .. .. .. .. .. 20 The Public Service During the Year .. .. .. .. .. .. 21 Judicial Organization— Law .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 22 Judicial Organization .. .. .. .. .. .. 23 F. Economic Advancement— General .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 24 Public Finance, Money, and Banking .. .. .. .. .. 27 Taxation .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 30 Commerce and Trade .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 30 Monopolies .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 32 Land and Natural Resources .. .. .. .. .. .. 32 Forests and Mines .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 34 Agriculture, Fisheries, and Animal Husbandry .. .. .. .. 34 Industry .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 35 Investments .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 35 Transport and Communication — Postal and Telephone .. .. .. .. .. .. 35 Radio .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 36 Roads .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 36 External Communications .. .. .. .. .. .. 36 Public Works .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 37 1*
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G. Social Advancement — General .. .. • • • ■ • • • • •• • • 39 Social Conditions — Samoan Society .. .. .. • • • • • • • • .. 39 The European Community . . .. .. • • • • • ■ " 4 n Standards of Living .. . . . . • - • • • ■ • • '' 11 Status of Women .. . . .. • ■ • • • - • • " a 1 Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms .. . . - • • • " i Labour Conditions and Regulations .. .. • • • • • • 42 Public Health .. .. . - ■ • • • ■ • • • ■ • If Personnel .. .. ■ • • • - * • • • • • • * k Training of Personnel . . .. • • • • • - • • Apia Hospital .. .. • • • • • • • • • • !!• District Organization . . . . • • - • • • - • " Mobile Clinic .. . . • ■ • • • • • • • ■ "47 Treatments .. .. ■ • • • • • • • • ■ J_ Mortality Rates .. .. . ■ • • • • • • • • '' 7o Public Health .. .. .. •• •• -• "IS Sanitation .. .. • • • ■ • • ■ • • • • • A 9 Drugs Alcohol and Spirits .. -. • • • • • ■ • • • • " ki Population .. .. • • • • ■ • ■ • • - • • " ki Social Security and Welfare .. .. .. • • •• • • " ki Housing and Town-planning .. . . • ■ • - • • • • " f 9 Penal Organization .. - - -. • • • • • • • • .. 52 H. Educational Advancement — General .. .. • • • • •• • • • • •• " Building Programme . . . ■ .. • • • • • • " Education Committee . . . . .. ■ • • • ■ • Administrative Structure .. .. .. • ■ • • • • . . 55 Government Schools and Curricula — Samoan Village Schools .. . . - . • • • • • - " ka Text-books for Village Schools . . . • • • • ■ • • Visual Education .. .. ■ • • • • • • - • • " Teachers' Refresher Courses .. . . • • • • • • • • .. 5o Schools' Day .. • • • • • • • • • • ■ • District Schools . . .. • • • • • • • • ■ • zi Samoan Middle Primary Schools .. -. • ■ • • • - " o Samoan Accelerate Schools .. .. .. • • ■ • • - " European Primary Schools .. .. .. • • • ■ • • " °c The Intermediate School . . . . . . • • • • • • Leifiifi Post-primary School .. . . .. • • • • • • . . 58 Mission Schools .. - - • - • • • • • • • • " kq Scholarships .. .. • • • • • • •• • • • * " kq Teachers: The Training College . . .. .. • • - • - • " Education Visits .. • ■ ■ • ■ • • • • • ■ • "fin Adult and Community Education .. . - • • • - • " «n Radio Broadcasting .. .. ■. • ■ • • • • " «? Libraries .. -. • • • • • • • • • • •• " ei Theatres .. . • • • • • • • ■ • ■ • • • .. bl I; Publications .. .. .. . • • • • • • • • J. Research .. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • " The Apia Observatory .. .. .. ■ • • • • • • • K. Suggestions and Recommendations .. .. • • • • • • 64 Political Advancement .. .. .. .. • • • • • • "fit Social Advancement .. .. • • • • • • • • • • " ra Educational Advancement .. .. .. . • • • • • " rk Economic Development .. .. .. • • • • • • .. 65 L. Summary and Conclusions .. .. .. • • • • • • .. 66 Map oe the Territory .. .. . • • • • • • • Facing page 66 Appendices .. •• • ■ •• • • • • • • • • .. 67
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A. BRIEF INTRODUCTORY DESCRIPTIVE SECTION Physical and Political Geography, and Basic Economy The Territory of Western Samoa lies between latitude 13° and 15° south and longitude 171° and 173° west. It comprises the two large islands of Savai'i and Upolu, the small islands of Manono and Apolima, and several islets lying off the coasts. The total land area is about 1,130 square miles, of which 700 square miles are in Savai'i and between 420 and 430 square miles in Upolu. The islands are formed mainly of volcanic rocks, with coral reefs surrounding much of their coasts. Rugged mountain-ranges form the core of both main islands and rise to 3,608 ft. in Upolu and 6,094 ft. in Savai'i. Samoa is still an area of active vulcanism, and in Savai'i large areas of previously cultivated land were covered by lava during the most recent period of activity of the volcano Matavanu between 1905 and 1911. The climate of Samoa is tropical, with heavy precipitation and occasional severe storms. The wettest months are from December to March, when the dominance of the south-east trade winds is interrupted by northerlies and westerlies. But the rainfall throughout the remainder of the year is considerable. Similarly, the difference in mean temperatures between the hottest and the coolest months is only a few degrees. The steady heat and plentiful rain enable the islands to support a dense tropical rain-forest, despite the thin and rocky character of much of the soil. A large proportion of the land is believed, however, to be unfit for clearance and cultivation, and, in fact, both Samoan and European cultivation has been restricted very largely to the coastal zones and adjacent foothills. The large area laid waste by lava-flows in Savai'i is a primary cause of that island supporting only between a quarter and a third of the population of the Territory, despite its greater size than Upolu. At the time of the last census, in 1945, the figures (for Samoans only) were : Upolu, 43,768 ; Savai'i, 18,654. At 31st March, 1950, the total population was estimated at 78,155. Of this total, 71,900 were Samoans, 5,693 were persons of part-Samoan blood possessing European status, and 322 were full Europeans (mainly New Zealanders connected with the Public Service, commercial organizations, or the missionary societies). The pattern of settlement is a relatively simple one. The great majority of Samoans live in villages, and these, with very few exceptions, are situated on the coast or on rivers with easy access to the sea. The only town is Apia, the political capital and commercial centre of the Territory, situated on the north coast of Upolu. The town stretches along the shores of Apia Harbour, encircling what were formerly several separate Samoan villages. Apia, with immediately adjacent villages, has a population of about 10,000. The great majority of persons of European status live in or about Apia. The indigenous population of Western Samoa is Polynesian, who are numerically the largest branch of the Polynesian race after the New Zealand Maori. Though admixture has taken place, there is still a very high proportion of full-blooded Samoans. The speech of the Samoan is a Polynesian dialect and some sounds occurring in other Polynesian dialects are absent or replaced by a glottal stop. Almost universal literacy in the vernacular prevails throughout the Territory. The standard reference work on the language is Pratts " Grammar and Dictionary of the Samoan Language " (published by the London Missionery Society, Samoa, 1862).
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The Samoans have long been converted to Christianity, and their religious affiliations as indicated by the census of 1945 were : Per Per Cent. Cent. London Missionary Society .. 58 * 7 Latter Day Saints .. .. 3*7 Roman Catholic .. .. 18-9 Samoan Congregational Church 0-9 Methodist .. .. 17*0 Seventh Day Adventist .. 0-8 Economically, Western Samoa is a predominantly agricultural country. The village communities maintain a largely subsistence economy, based on agriculture and fishing. The principal exports are copra, cocoa, and bananas. The only secondary industry of significance in the export trade is the manufacture of desiccated coconut. The Territory has also useful forest resources. They are limited in extent and variety, but in recent years they have been more carefully examined. There are no known deposits of commercially valuable minerals. Histokical Sukvey For more than a century Samoa has been in continuous contact with the western world. Socially and, to some extent, economically, Samoan society has been able to absorb the external influences to which it has been exposed. The Church has become an integral part of village life. For almost the lifetime of the oldest men and women now living, the villagers have been cutting copra to support their Church and pay for their purchases at the trading-station. Politically the transition has been far less smooth. For a variety of reasons, Samoa failed to obtain internal political unity such as that established in Tonga and various other parts of the Pacific. Samoan society does not readily accept the dominance of a single leader, and the scale and intensity of commercial and political rivalries among the western intruders ensured that every tendency to division would be exploited to the full. A Samoan Kingship was established under western influence ; but it quite failed to build up an effective Administration. Germany, Great Britain, and the United States obtained privileges for themselves and for their nationals. They were granted the right to establish coaling-stations and to bring Europeans under a form of extra-territorial jurisdiction. Internal intrigue, and jealousy among the representatives of the interested Powers, reached its climax in 1889. In that year the Powers signed the treaty known as " The Final Act of the Berlin Conference on Samoan Affairs." Samoa was declared neutral and independent and Malietoa Laupepa was recognized as King. The Samoan Government was provided with a Supreme Court, with most extensive jurisdiction, presided over by a European Judge. And a separate municipality of Apia was constituted, with a multiplicity of officials, to take care of the area where most Europeans were settled. But these arrangements brought about no real solution. The death in August, 1898, of the King and a dispute over the succession gave the Powers another chance. In 1899 they sent a Commission to Samoa. It secured the acquiescence of some of the Samoan leaders to the abolition of the Kingship. The three Powers then agreed to partition the islands. In a series of conventions signed on 16th February, 1900, it was agreed that the United States should annex Eastern Samoa (including the fine harbour of Pago Pago), while Germany acquired Western Samoa (including the Town of Apia and the important plantation properties of the Deutsche Handels and PlantagenGesellschaft). Great Britain withdrew from the group in return for the recognition by the other Powers of certain of her asserted rights in other parts of the Pacific. Germany administered Western Samoa until 29th August, 1914, when the Territory was occupied by New Zealand Military Forces. After the end of the war, on 7th May, 1919, the Supreme Council of the Allied Powers conferred on His Britannic Majesty,
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to be exercised on his behalf by the New Zealand Government, a mandate for the administration of Western Samoa. By the Samoa Act, 1921, New Zealand made provision for a civil Administration to replace the wartime military regime. The new Constitution provided for a Legislative Council with unofficial members, and the Administration began to carry out a plan of building up a system of representative local government. Schemes for economic development were also undertaken. For some years considerable progress was made ; but in 1926 and 1927 the Administrator found himself faced with a growing body of opposition among both Samoans and the European community. It found an organized outlet in the Mau. The faults of the Administration had been in the matter of tactics, rather than in the over-all objectives of policy. But, for the time being, the opportunity for further progress was slight. In 1927 the Mau embarked on a programme of civil disobedience which lingered on until 1936. In 1936 agreement was reached with the leaders of the Mau, who thereupon re-entered political life. During the three years that followed, various preliminary steps were taken towards making the Samoan Administration more effectively representative. The participation of New Zealand in the Second World War from 1939 then restricted any further advancement. In December, 1946, the Trusteeship Agreement for Western Samoa was approved by the General Assembly of the United Nations, and the New Zealand Government, as the Administering Authority, formally committed itself to promote development of the Territory towards ultimate self-government. In accordance with the policy of the Administering Authority, the representatives of the Samoan people were consulted as to the terms of the Trusteeship Agreement when it was in its draft form. They declared that they recognized that the Agreement marked a considerable advance on the terms of the former mandate, and they expressed their appreciation of the sympathetic attitude of the New Zealand Government; but they concluded that their long-term aim of self-government would not be furthered by their acceptance of it. They asked instead that Samoa be granted self-government, with New Zealand remaining as advisor and protector. New Zealand's obligations to the United Nations did not permit of the withdrawal of the Territory from the scope of the Trusteeship system, even had the Administering Authority been willing to agree to such a proposal. It was therefore agreed with the Samoan representatives that the Trusteeship Agreement should be proceeded with, but that a petition containing their opinions should be forwarded to the Secretary-General of the United Nations through the New Zealand Government. This was done in January, 1947 ; the terms of the petition had already been informally communicated to the Sub-committee on Trusteeship by the New Zealand delegate in November, 1946. The petition was duly considered by the Trusteeship Council on 24th April, 1947, and, on the invitation of the New Zealand delegate, it was resolved to inquire into the matter on the spot. In July a Mission, led by the President of the Trusteeship Council (Mr. Francis B. Sayre), arrived in Western Samoa. It was accompanied by a representative of the Prime Minister and by the Secretary of Island Territories, who, like the Administrator and local officials, made themselves available for constant consultation. On 27th August, 1947, just before the Mission left Apia, the New Zealand Government's proposals for political development in Western Samoa were outlined in a statement in Parliament by the Deputy Prime Minister. The Mission published its report in October, 1947, and it was considered by the Trusteeship Council in the following month. The recommendations of the Mission were found to be closely in line with the policy of the Administering Authority. The constitutional framework for implementing these new proposals was established by the passing by the New Zealand Parliament on 25th November, 1947, of the Samoa Amendment Act, 1947, which came into force on 10th March, 1948.
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Main Events of the Year The most important events of the year 1949-50 included the following : 30th May, 1949 : The Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Prime Minister (Mr. A. G. Osborne, M.P.), accompanied by the Secretary of the Department of Island Territories (Mr. R. T. G. Patrick), arrived on a visit to the Territory and remained until 17th June. Ist June, 1949 : Flag-raising Day. 24th June, 1949 : Setting up of the Select Committee on Preferential Tariff. The Committee held nine meetings, and its report was adopted by the Legislative Assembly on 7th November. (See page 32 of this report.) 17th July, 1949 : H.M.N.Z.S. " Hawea," a corvette of the New Zealand Squadron, visited Western Samoa. 24th July, 1949 : H.M.N.Z.S. " Hawea " was joined by H.M.N.Z.S. " Kanieri." The former ship left the Territory on 30th July, and the " Kanieri" on the following day. 10th to 13th September, 1949 : The Governor of American Samoa and a party of his senior officials visited the Territory. 21st October, 1949 : Enactment by the New Zealand Parliament of the Samoa Amendment Act, 1949. (See page 20 of this report.) Bth November, 1949 : Members of the Public Lands Committee of the Congress of the United States paid a visit to Western Samoa. 10th November, 1949 : A Select Committee upon Currency was set up. The Committee held two meetings during the year, and is continuing its investigations. (See page 29 of this report.) 26th to 29th November, 1949 : The High Commissioner and senior officials made a return visit to American Samoa. 13th January, 1950 : The High Commissioner left the Territory for New Zealand to hold consultations with the Minister of Island Territories and senior New Zealand Government officers in Wellington. Until the return of the High Commissioner on 22nd February, Mr. C. C. Marsack, Chief Judge, acted as High Commissioner. The Director of Health (Dr. J. C. Lopdell) and the Director of Education (Mr. K. R. Lambie) also visited New Zealand to confer with the High Commissioner and New Zealand departmental officers on health and education problems. 27th March, 1950 : A Commission of Inquiry into Local Government in Western Samoa was appointed. Three sessions of the Legislative Assembly were held: 26th to 28th April, 20th June to Ist July, and from 26th October to 11th November. A list of the business transacted appears in Appendix IV. Three sessions of the Fono of Faipule were held : 3rd to 6th June, 31st August to 19th September, and 29th March to 14th April. A note of the business transacted appears on page 12. Regular meetings of the standing Committees of the Legislative Assembly were held, the Finance Committee meeting on a total of fifteen days, the Education Committee on eight days, the Health Committee on ten days, and the Public Works Committee on seven days. During the year a contract was finalized with the United Kingdom Ministry of Food covering all copra produced during a period of nine years from Ist January, 1949. Consequent upon the devaluation of sterling during the year, the exchange-rate between Samoan currency and dollar currencies was raised, and stricter dollar exchange control measures were adopted to keep the Territory's dollar imports within its dollar earnings.
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Professional and technical advisers as well as officials of the Administering Authority continued to visit the Territory to give advice and assistance. Visits included those of— Sir Charles Hercus, Dean of the Medical School, Otago University. Dr. Muriel Bell, Senior Nutrition Officer, New Zealand Medical Research Council. Dr. E. Massal, Full-time Member for Health of the South Pacific Commission, Research Council. Dr. J. M. Cruikshank, Inspector-General, South Pacific Health Service. Mr. F. B. Rice, Assistant Director of Dental Hygiene, Department of Health. Mr. H. W. Simmonds, late Government Entomologist, Fiji Colony. Mr. L. J. Dumhleton, Entomologist, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Mr. A. L. Moore, Adviser on Visual Education for the Research Council of the South Pacific Commission. Mr. F. H. Beckett, Architect, Fiji. Miss M. P. Dennehy, Editor, Island Schools Publications, Education Department. Mr. F. R. J. Davies, Officer for Islands Education. Mr. A. W. Holland, Telegraph Engineer, Post and Telegraph Department. Mr. H. D. Kelly, New Zealand Public Service Commission. B. STATUS OF THE TERRITORY AND ITS INHABITANTS Status of the Territory Western Samoa is administered by New Zealand in accordance with the terms of a Trusteeship Agreement approved by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 13th December, 1946. New Zealand jurisdiction over Western Samoa has its origin in the decision of the Supreme Council of the Allied Powers on 7th May, 1919, to confer a mandate for the Territory upon His Britannic Majesty to be exercised on his behalf by the Government of New Zealand. The terms of this mandate were later confirmed by the Council of the League of Nations on 17th December, 1920. As a consequence of these events, the New Zealand Parliament made provision for the establishment of a form of government and a system of law in the Territory by the Samoa Act, 1921. This Act and its amendments, of which the most recent and most important are the Samoa Amendment Acts of 1947 and 1949, remains the foundation upon which the legal and political structures are built. The New Zealand Parliament still retains its inherent legislative power in respect of Western Samoa ; and the Samoa Aet, 1921, conferred on the Governor-General in Council the power to make regulations " for the peace, order, and good government " of the Territory. These powers are intended, however, as a safeguard for New Zealand's position as trustee, and not as the normal means of legislation. Although some explanation of the new political organization was given in the last report, the matter is of such importance that in this report the organization will again be explained. The High Commissioner The administration of the Executive Government is entrusted to the High Commissioner, who is appointed by the Governor-General of New Zealand and responsible to the Minister of Island Territories. He is President of the Council of State and of the Legislative Assembly. He also presides at meetings of the Fono of Faipule which he attends. The High Commissioner has no " reserve " or emergency powers of his own. No Ordinance passed by the Legislative Assembly becomes law without his assent, and no Finance Bill disposing of public revenues may be passed by the Assembly except
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upon his recommendation. During the year the High Commissioner has not found it necessary to refuse either his assent or his recommendation. Certain existing Ordinances give the High Commissioner power to make regulations upon matters of detail—for example, regulation of motor traffic. Some New Zealand Orders in Council relating to such matters as price control empower the High Commissioner to make certain executive orders. The Council of State The Council of State is composed of the High Commissioner and the Fautua, Appointment to the Council of State is made by the Governor-General, who, in an appropriate case, would invite the Samoan members of the Legislative Assembly and the members of the Fono of Faipule to submit recommendations. At present there are two Fautua, Tupua Tamasese and Malietoa, the representatives of the two Royal lines of Tupua and Malietoa. As members of the Council of State, and in many other ways, they give full-time service in the performance of many public duties. The Council of State itself endeavours to meet regularly every week, but owing to other engagements, such as sessions of the Legislative Assembly and the Fono of Faipule, this is not completely possible. Nevertheless, thirty-five meetings were held during the year. The Secretary of the Government of Western Samoa is normally present at the meetings of the Council of State to provide information and note decisions, but he is not a member and has not a vote. The High Commissioner is directed to consult the Council of State upon all proposals for legislation to be submitted to the Legislative Assembly upon all matters closely relating to Samoan Custom, and upon any other matters affecting the welfare of Western Samoa, which he considers proper. The year has shown that the Council of State is an institution of great value, providing the High Commissioner with direct contact with important Samoan opinion and enabling him on a number of matters of policy to receive valuable advice. The Legislative Assembly The Legislative Assembly is composed of the members of the Council of State, twelve elected Samoan members, five elected European members, and six official members. The High Commissioner, as President, has a casting but no deliberative vote. The other members of the Council of State have the voting powers of ordinary members. The right of electing the Samoan members was conferred by the Samoan Amendment Act, 1947, on the Fono of Faipule. This is a system of indirect election, but is in accordance with existing Samoan opinion. It gives the Fono the opportunity of appointing to the Assembly men with standing and experience which would enable them to take a full part in the proceedings of the Assembly. No conditions are imposed by law as to the manner in which the Fono of Faipule should exercise its right of election, but the number of Samoan elected members was originally fixed at eleven, partly to enable them to provide for the separate representation of each of the traditional districts if that should be their wish. In the first election under the new Constitution, members were actually chosen on the basis of these traditional districts. Selection was determined at this election by the traditional Samoan custom and not by secret ballot, as is now employed. When the Samoa Amendment Act, 1947, was passed there were three Fautua, who, together with the eleven Samoan members, made fourteen Samoans'in the Legislative Assembly. One of the Fautua, Mata'afa, died in 1948, and the Fono of Faipule passed a resolution requesting the amendment of the Act to provide for the election of an additional Samoan member of the Legislative Assembly to bring the total Samoan members up to fourteen in number. This proposal was accepted by the Administering
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Authority, and the relevant amendment is contained in the Samoa Amendment Act, 1949. The Fono of Faipule met in March, 1950, to elect the twelfth member, and on this occasion adopted a strict procedure of secret ballot. The European members are chosen by secret ballot under a system of adult suffrage. All adults possessing European status who have resided in the Territory for a period of one year preceding the elections are eligible to vote, regardless of nationality. Three of the official members are appointed by the Governor-General of New Zealand and three by the High Commissioner. The jurisdiction granted by the Samoa Amendment Act, 1947, to the Legislative Assembly makes it in effect an autonomous Sovereign assembly in so far as concerns domestic matters within the Territory. It has full financial authority (subject to the powers of the High Commissioner as already referred to), and its power to make laws is limited only by the provisions, first, that it may not legislate with reference to defence, external affairs, or Crown land, and second, it may not pass any legislation repugnant to certain named reserved enactments which probably make up what might be regarded as the Constitution of Western Samoa. These enactments comprise mainly parts of the Samoa Act, 1921, and its amendments, certain legislation relating to the New Zealand Reparation Estates, and the regulations relating to the appointment of the Fautua and the election of the Assembly itself. Committees of the Assembly As previously reported, the Assembly formed four standing Committees, the Finance Committee, the Health Committee, the Public Works Committee, and the Education Committee, each of which consists of three Samoan members, one European, and one official member. These Committees have met regularly throughout the year, and their meetings are summarized on page 8. The question of appointing a chairman was left to each Committee to determine for itself, with the then indication that it might not be desirable to appoint the official member. The Health and Education Committees, however, decided to appoint the heads of their respective services as their chairmen, and this arrangement has undoubtedly worked extremely well. The Committees have been given an insight into the working of the Government, and have themselves given contributions of no mean value. The Finance and Public Works Committees each appointed Samoan members as chairmen. The Public Works Committee has perhaps not made as much progress as the others, partly due to the absence from the Territory of some of its important members, and also due partly to the varied details and technical nature of the operations of the Public Works Department. The Finance Committee is proving a wholly desirable institution, and as it is concerned with practically all major policy questions the High Commissioner has on occasion found it useful to attend meetings in person and to discuss such questions with the members. The Fono of Faipule The Fono of Faipule was formed in 1905 by the German Administration to provide a link between the Government and the people of the outer districts. Its members were regarded as Government officials, and were required to attend two sessions of the Fono each year at Mulinu'u to give advice to the Government and between sessions to act as Government representatives in their districts. Under the New Zealand Administration, the Fono of Faipule was continued, and for the first time it was given statutory recognition. The Samoa Amendment Act, 1923, as amended, gave the Fono of Faipule a statutory right " to consider such matters relative to the welfare of the Samoan people as of their own initiative they think proper or as may be submitted to them by the High Commissioner and to express their opinions and made their recommendations to the High Commissioner." In addition, by a custom which has developed over a period of
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years, the Fono submits nominations for the appointment of Samoan District Judges, the Samoan Plantation Inspectors, and the Samoan Associate Judges of the Land and Titles Court. Super-imposed upon all these functions is the duty cast upon the Fono by the new Constitution of electing the Samoan members of the Legislative Assembly. ■■■ ii rer At present the Fono has forty-one members, representing territorial constituencies based on the traditional districts and sub-districts of Western Samoa. Each constituency returns one member, who must be supported by a majority of the matai in the constituency. The franchise is confined to the matai, who constitute about one in four of adult males. The reasons for the retention of this restrictive suffrage were discussed in the last report. (See page 15 of report for 1948-49.) It is interesting to note that the Fono itself has in recent elections adopted the method of secret majority ballot as its internal procedure, and this method of election may perhaps in future become firmly entrenched enough in Samoan thought to be considered for fairly general adoption. Many of the Faipule continue to exercise the old historic duality of function —namely, that of representative of the district to the Government, and a representative of the Government in the district —a situation which cannot completely disappear until adequate organs of local government exist throughout Western Samoa. At its sessions the Fono of Faipule discusses a very wide range of topics, which fall under two main heads ; first, interest in the developing participation in self-government; and second, matters of district welfare, such as roads and water-supplies. Under the first head, the Fono has several times during the year discussed with the High Commissioner questions involving increased participation by the Samoan Judges in judicial work. It has also been suggested that representatives of the Fono be appointed to sit with the Standing Committees of the Legislative Assembly, and to discuss the progress and policy of the scholarship scheme for Samoan students in New Zealand and the Public Service policy giving maximum employment to Samoans. The Administrative Structure The work of the Executive Government is carried on, under the High Commissioner, by a Secretariat headed by the Secretary of the Government of Western Samoa and comprising suitable ancillary services. The general work of co-ordinating the policy is carried out by the Secretary, who is associated in certain matters with the Secretary of Samoan Affairs. This dualism in the realm of central control is of the usual kind found in territories in which a western system of government is functioning in a society where cultural patterns of non-European origin continue to guide much of the thought and action of the mass of the inhabitants. The Secretariat represents the apex of a modern type of administration ; the Secretary of Samoan Affairs links this with Samoan society. He, like the Secretary, is in direct contact with the High Commissioner in a way in which the more functional services are not. The Secretary of Samoan Affairs is necessarily, like the Secretary to the Government of Western Samoa, an advisor to the High Commissioner on matters of general policy, and not merely on those matters which relate to his own specific duties. The principal functional services are: Agriculture, Broadcasting, Education, Health, Justice, Lands and Survey, Police and Prisons, Postal, Public Works, Radio, Samoan Affairs, Treasury and Customs. The work of these functional services is discussed in other sections of this report. Here the services directly concerned with general policy will alone be discussed.
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The Secretary to the Government The Secretary to the Government of Western Samoa is also, at present, holding the appointment of Treasurer, and is thus able to combine in his one person general policy considerations relating to the whole Territory. This arrangement is not necessarily permanent, and relies for its success upon the presence of able and competent officers in detailed control of the Treasury and Customs division, as is now the case. All correspondence of the Samoan Government with the Department of Island Territories and with any outside agencies is carried on through the Secretary. Similarly, the officers responsible for all the other services communicate with the High Commissioner through the Secretary. The Secretariat is also responsible for the administrative work connected with the Legislative Assembly. It provides a Clerk of the Legislative Assembly and reporters for its debates, and arranges for the publication of its proceedings. With the Crown Solicitor it is also responsible for the preparation of legislation to be submitted to the Assembly. The Secretariat also publishes the Western Samoa Gazette and produces a daily sheet of press news. It maintains the principal record system of the Government and a central library of books and official publications relating to Western Samoa and the Pacific generally. The Secretary of Samoan Affairs The Secretary of Samoan Affairs has his headquarters at Mulinu'u, the traditional capital close to Apia. Regional and village administration in the island of Upolu is handled direct from Mulinu'u. In Savai'i the Government is represented by a Resident Commissioner stationed at Tuasivi. As the Secretary of Samoan Affairs is the main channel of communication between the Government and the people of the villages in political and general administrative matters, he is required to take close account of traditional Samoan political forms and practices. To enable any Samoan, regardless of rank, to place his requests or grievances before the High Commissioner personally, a regular period is set aside each Wednesday morning when the High Commissioner is present at the Secretary's Office to receive Samoan visitors. The Secretary also keeps in touch with the people through the Fono of Faipule, whose elections he supervises and meetings of which he organizes. A member of his staff acts as the Registrar of the Land and Titles Court, which has jurisdiction in relation to the possession or use of or entry on any Samoan land, the holding or using of any Samoan name or title, or the exercise of any right or the doing of any act, matter, or thing concerning or affecting any Samoan land or any Samoan name or title. The Secretary publishes and distributes through the system of Samoan district messengers under his control a gazette in the vernacular, which is also employed from time to time for the dissemination of items of general or particular interest. Status of the Inhabitants The legislation defining the status of the inhabitants of Western Samoa is complex, and in some respects unsatisfactory. In respect of certain parts of the municipal law of the Territory the inhabitants are divided into the two categories of " Samoan " and " European." Their national status affecting their rights outside the Territory is that of either British-protected persons, nationals of some Sovereign State, or Stateless persons. The two classifications —that of municipal status and that of nationality—are related, but they are by no means coincident. A Samoan is defined as " a person belonging to one or more of the Polynesian races," and the term " Polynesian" is itself defined as including " Melanesian, Micronesian, and Maori." The definition includes as Samoan, without qualification, all who are of pure Polynesian descent (in this extended sense of the term " Polynesian ").
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The law also classes as Samoan any persons who are of more than three-quarters Polynesian blood, unless they are specifically declared in accordance with any regulations or Ordinance to possess some status other than Samoan status and incompatible with it. Many persons of three-quarters Polynesian blood or less are deemed to be Samoans. In addition, any person of half Samoan blood or more who has been declared or deemed to be a European may petition the High Court to declare him a Samoan. A European may have acquired his status in any of a number of ways. Members of any of the classes of persons who were registered as foreigners at the time New Zealand Civil administration was set up possess European status. In effect, this includes all descendants in the male line of European fathers by legal marriages. Additionally, since 1944 all persons not regarded as Samoan whose male ancestors have not been more than three-quarters Polynesian are classed as Europeans. Further, any person who is deemed or declared to be a Samoan may petition the High Court for inclusion in the register of Europeans if he is not of pure Polynesian descent. For such a petition to be granted the Court must be satisfied that the petitioner is above a specified age (eighteen years for males, fourteen for females), that he can read English, and that his registration as a European is in his own interest. The Court has declared a total of 551 former Samoans to be Europeans and 40 Europeans to be Samoans. During the year 1949-50, 3 Samoans have been declared to be Europeans and 4 Europeans have been declared to be Samoans. The principal legal consequences of the difference in status are as follows : A Samoan may not — (1) In general be sued for trade debts (in other types of debt the matter is at the discretion of the High Court). (2) Be a member of any incorporated company or partnership without the sanction of the High Commissioner. (3) Be enrolled as a European elector. A European may not — (1) Share, as of right, in the use of Samoan land, or in the rents or profits derived from it, or acquire Samoan land by inheritance. (2) Permit a Samoan title to be conferred on him, except with the express consent of the High Commissioner. (3) Exercise any of the rights associated with a Samoan title, if he has been permitted to accept one. The national status of the great majority of Samoans is that of British-protected persons. Following the recent re-organization of the nationality laws of the British Commonwealth, it is intended to change this by Order in Council, under the British Nationality and New Zealand Citizenship Act, 1948, to that of New-Zealand-protected persons. This proposed change is in accordance with the expressed wish of Samoan representatives. There are two small classes of Samoans whose status differs from that of the majority. The first of these consists of Samoans who have acquired British nationality by naturalization. The number of certificates of naturalization issued to Samoans up to 31st March, 1950, was 54. The second class consists of former Europeans who acquired Samoan status by declaration of the High Court. They retain the national status which they possessed as Europeans. The national status of Europeans is dependent upon the nationality of a direct male ancestor, from whom, in the great majority of cases, they derive their European status. Thus there are considerable groups of Europeans of British, American, German, and Chinese nationality, and smaller numbers who are nationals of many other States. Many Europeans, however, do not retain their full rights of nationality, and may, indeed, have become Stateless persons. Nationality laws in most cases lay down that those who acquire nationality by descent must take some positive step to assert their rights.
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In some cases, even those whose nationality derives from, birth may lose it if they fail for a long period to register with a consulate or take some similar action. In addition, it is now possible for an inhabitant of the Territority to claim European status by virtue of non-Samoan descent on the female side. In such circumstances the national status of the person concerned would be that of a Samoan. Europeans, like Samoans, can apply for naturalization as British subjects. Up to 31st March, 1950, 99 certificates had been granted to persons of European status. There are long-standing prejudices and animosities to be found in the relations between Samoans and local Europeans of part-Samoan blood, but there is a very great deal of real friendliness and co-operation. The local Europeans feels that he or his forebears have been responsible for most of the development of the Territory, and that it is just as much his country and his home as it is that of the Samoans. The Samoan is generally inclined to feel that Samoa should really be for the Samoans alone. The local European feels aggrieved at what he believes to be lack of opportunity for him in the Territory, where he considers he has no adequate rights to acquire land. The Samoan believes that all Samoan land should, in the future, be reserved for the Samoans. This situation is not helped by the complexities of the present laws, but is essentially one which can be resolved into harmony only by a gradual process, assisted by the undoubted good sense and good feeling openly displayed by the leaders of both groups. No adequate solution could ever be imposed from without. The legal position is now in the hands of the Legislative Assembly, which may, in time, be able to solve some of the difficulties. The Administering Authority, through the High Commissioner, is watching the problem with sympathy and understanding for both groups, and is ready at any time to offer guidance and advice, conscious of the fact that each group has undoubted rights. A contributing difficulty is that there is no one overall common status, either domestic or national, which could unite the whole population. Much consideration was given to this point by the Administering Authority when drafting the Order in Council referred to above conferring upon the inhabitants of Western Samoa who did not possess any nationality the status of New-Zealand-protected persons. Both groups of the population were invited by the High Commissioner to accept a provision which would purport to describe such persons as " citizens of Western Samoa " and which would give foreign nationals, inhabitants of Western Samoa, optional rights to acquire a national status so described. The leaders of both groups readily agreed to this proposal, but upon further examination the Administering Authority was reluctantly compelled to conclude that in the present state of international law and custom such a provision would be useless. The Administering Authority is, however, continuing to examine the problem. It is worth noting that the authorized flags of Western Samoa —-the New Zealand Ensign and the Western Samoan flag flown conjointly—increasingly provide a common focus for domestic loyalties. They are flown on all public buildings and on official occasions and, when appropriate, with the playing or singing of the corresponding musical honours " God Save the King " and " The Banner of Freedom " (the new Samoan national song). National status is not normally a basis for the restriction of personal rights. In a period of emergency, however, those who are declared to be enemy aliens suffer various disabilities. There is no civil register of the inhabitants of the Territory. A register of adult Europeans is kept in connection with elections; and the registration of births and deaths is compulsory. This latter work is carried out for Samoans by the Pulenu'u of each village, and for Europeans by the Postmaster. The peoples of the Territory enjoy the same guarantees as regards the protection of their persons and property within New Zealand and its dependencies as New Zealand citizens. No distinction is made between the rights of men and women.
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C. INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL RELATIONS International Relations The external relations of Western Samoa, as a United Nations Trust Territory, are controlled by New Zealand as Administering Authority. International conventions signed by New Zealand are normally extended to the Territory, wherever they are appropriate. Some of these conventions are, however, applicable to Western Samoa only to a limited extent. The most important convention applying to the Territory is, of course, the Trusteeship Agreement, approved at New York on 13th December, 1946. As is shown elsewhere in this report, the New Zealand Government has accepted fully the responsibilities and opportunities which the inclusion of the Territory within the scope of the Trusteeship system provides. The New Zealand Government is also co-operating fully with the other organs and specialized agencies of the United Nations in respect of Western Samoa. In April, 1947, the Trusteeship Council examined a petition from the representatives of the Samoan people and, at the invitation of the New Zealand Government, sent a Mission to the Territory. A complete list of international agreements applying to the Territory is given in Appendix 111. No activities are carried out in the Territory by non-governmental bodies of an international character, unless the activities of the various Christian missions can be included under this heading. There is no proposal for the association or federation of the Territory with other territories for Customs, fiscal, or administrative purposes. Regional Agreements South Pacific Health Service An agreement for the establishment of a South Pacific Health Service was made between the Government of New Zealand (in respect of Western Samoa and the Cook Islands), the Government of Fiji, and the Western Pacific High Commission on 7th September, 1946. The Government of Tonga joined on Ist January, 1947. This agreement established a South Pacific Board of Health, with a Chief Administrative Officer, known as the Inspector-General, South Pacific Health Service, and headquarters at Suva. The functions of the Board are to advise the participating Governments on health matters, to assist generally in the more effective control of disease and promotion of health in the territories under their control, and to co-operate in the provision of professional staff. The South Pacific Health Service has, during the year under review, brought into operation a scheme for the interchange of epidemiological information amongst all Pacific island territories. The original agreement was for a period of three years, and since the end of the financial year it has been extended for a further period of five years from 7th September, 1949. South Pacific Commission The Administering Authority continued its membership in the South Pacific Commission during the year. At its fourth session, held at Noumea head quarters in November, 1949, the Commission adopted a large-scale research programme under the headings of Health, Social Development, and Economic Development, which had been drawn up by the Research Council at its meeting in April, 1949. In some cases considerable progress under the various head of research can be recorded, and under others preparatory work only has been possible. Details of the research projects as they have affected Western Samoa may be found in other parts of this Report, and the v ; sits of various members of
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the staff of the South Pacific Commission to carry out certain preliminary investigations are also mentioned under the appropriate section. The following members of the Western Samoan Public Service have been appointed to the Research Council: — Mr. F. J. H. Grattan, Secretary of Samoan Affairs, Part-time Member for Social Development. Mr. K. R. Lambie, Director of Education, Part-time Member for Social Development. Dr. J. C. Lopdell, Director of Health, Part-time Member for Health. In addition, Mr. D. R. Eden, General Manager of the New Zealand Reparation Estates, is a Part-time Member for Economic Development. It is pleasing to record the prominent part which the Territory of Western Samoa is taking in the work of the Research Council. South Pacific Conference The delegation from Western Samoa to attend the South Pacific Conference in Fiji to commence on the 25th April, 1950, comprises the Hon. Tamasese and Hon. Malietoa (Fautua), Hon. Tualaulelei (an elected Samoan member of the Legislative Assembly), and Hon. Anapu (Chairman of the Fono of Faipule), with A. Kalapu (a Samoan Government officer) as Secretary. The delegation has had many meetings to study the Conference papers, and has prepared, in consultation with the Director of Education, a paper on " The Village School " for presentation to the Conference. D. INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY: MAINTENANCE OF LAW AND ORDER International Peace and Security No obligations with respect to the Territory have been undertaken by the New Zealand Government towards the Security Council. Maintenance of Law and Order The maintenance of law and order is entrusted to the Department of Police and Prisons, under the administrative control of the Inspector of Police. The Department also performs certain subsidiary functions, including the control of immigration and emigration and the issue of passports and travel permits, the registration of vehicles, the issue of drivers' licences, and the registration and control of firearms, ammunition, and explosives. The Inspector of Police is in charge of the fire brigade. The personnel of the Department at the end of the year was as follows :
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— | Europeans. . Samoans. Total. Inspector 1 1 Sub-Inspector 1 1 Gaoler 1 1 Senior Sergeants 3 3 Sergeants 3 3 Corporals 5 5 Constables 2 44 46 Warders (male) 12 12 Warders (female) .. 2 2 Messengers .. .. 2 8 8 Clerks .. . . 1 3 Traffic Inspectors .. . 2 1 3 Totals 12 76 88
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The main body of the Force is stationed at Apia. In addition to the gaoler and the warders, a sergeant and a corporal are assigned to the prison at Yaimea and the prison farm at Tafaigata. There are two out-stations in Upolu, one at Lalomanu, in the Aleipata district, and the other at the Faleolo Airport. Each is staffed by one constable. In Savai'i there is a Force composed of one sergeant and one corporal, six constables, and four messengers. Their headquarters are at Tuasivi, where they are under the immediate direction of the Resident Commissioner. One of the constables is normally stationed at Fagamalo, twenty miles to the north of Tuasivi. There were during the year one conviction for murder, two for manslaughter, and three for negligent driving causing death. There have been no instances of collective violence or disorder. Minor offences against the person and minor thefts continue to be fairly prevalent and showed an increase over last year. Other categories of crime, however, showed a decrease, with a resulting net decrease in crime for 1949-50 over 1948-49. A table showing the number of convictions in the High Court under the various main headings is given in Appendix V. Firearms, Ammunition, and Explosives A strict control is maintained over the importation and possession of firearms,, ammunition, and explosives. The relevant statistics for the year are as follows : Firearms : Licences issued to registered holders : Shotguns .. .. .. .. .. 1,108 Rifles .. .. .. .. .. .. 73 Pistols .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 Ammunition : Imports during the year : Shot cartridges .. .. .. .. .. 299,000 Rifle and pistol cartridges .. .. .. 45,150 Explosives : Imports during the year : Gelignite (lb.) .. .. .. .. .. 18,000 Detonators .. .. .. .. .. 25,000 E. POLITICAL ADVANCEMENT General Administration The year 1949-50 represents the first full year during which the new political organs established by the Samoa Amendment Act, 1947 (see page 9 et seq), have been continuously in force and operation. It has been, in many ways, a notable year because, while it has naturally been found that there are certain defects in the organization, the new scheme has been found not only workable, but capable, in the present stage of Western Samoa's development, of producing results quite as satisfactory as those which were hoped for. Three meetings of the Assembly were held during the year, and the business transacted at those meetings is summarized in Appendix IV. The debates upon all financial provisions, including the estimates and the supplementary estimates, have been keen and intelligent, with nearly every member participating. The Assembly as a whole has shown a distinct tendency to be most conservative in the matter of expenditure and to scrutinize the Government accounts with a critical eye. Debates upon Ordinances have not, in general, been so freely participated in, perhaps because, as is natural, some of the members do not feel quite at home in discussing questions of general law. Nevertheless, from the first year's proceedings can be drawn the conclusion that the Assembly is fully competent to exercise its function, which is described in the enabling Act as "to make laws for the peace, order, and good government of Western Samoa." All the Ordinances passed were introduced and sponsored by the Government, but many of the motions upon which some of the keenest debates were held were introduced by private members.
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An important feature of the Legislative Assembly's operations was the discussion during the June meeting of a suggestion that the proceedings be broadcast over the local broadcasting system, and the actual broadcasting of the whole of the proceedings of the last meeting of the year. The broadcast is a contemporaneous live broadcast from microphones suspended in the Assembly building, and has created a great deal of interest among Samoan villages. The presence of the microphones has had no noticeable effect upon the conduct of the debates, which, in accordance with the Samoan way of life, are invariably courteous in tone and orderly in manner. The proceedings are bi-lingual, being in both English and Samoan, and a staff of interpreters is on hand to provide suitable reliefs for this exacting work. The following steps have been taken during the year to further the political development of the people of Western Samoa. Local Government Samoan district and village officials, whose work is supervised by the Secretary of Samoan Affairs, are all elected or nominated by Samoan representatives, but receive their salaries from the Government of Western Samoa. They normally comprise District Judges (Fa'amasino), Plantation Inspectors (Pulefa'atoaga), PolicemenMessengers (Leoleo), and the Mayors of villages (Pulenu'u). The three former classes of officials are nominated by their districts, which formally communicate their names through the Fono of Faipule to the High Commissioner, who then appoints them. The Pulenu'u is nominated by the Chiefs and orators of his village and is similarly appointed by the High Commissioner. All appointments are for a period of three years. The Pulenu'u, however, may have his appointment terminated if the village requests it and gives adequate reasons. The number of Pulenu'u is 212. In a few very large villages social subdivisions have been recognized by the appointment of two Pulenu'u. The Pulenu'u acts as the representative of the Government, and more directly the Secretary of Samoan Affairs, in the village. Certain of his duties are based on specific legislative provisions, but most are matters merely of administrative practice. He promulgates and administers the law of the Territory in regard to such matters as the registration of births and deaths, the cleanliness and order of the village, the control of live-stock, and the burial of the dead. He may report breaches of the peace to the District Judge. Further, he cooperates with the chiefs and orators of his village in all village matters such as the reception of official visitors, co-operation with officers of Government services such as Health, Education, and Public Works, and with the village women's committee. The Administering Authority has long been aware that some more adequate system of local government is required before very great progress in political responsibility can be accepted in Western Samoa. In 1938 the question was examined very carefully by the then Secretary of Samoan Affairs but, largely owing to the extreme difficulties involved, was temporarily dropped. In August, 1947, the Administering Authority stated its desire to discuss these questions with the Samoan people, and the report of the Urited Nations Mission of 1947 gave attention to this question, stating that "the development and constitutional recognition of an adequate system of popular local government and the appropriate relationships between the local government and the central authority is essential to progress in self-government." The Administering Authority was able to secure the services of Dr. J. W. Davidson, Lecturer in Colonial History at the University of Cambridge, and a member of the Native Law Advisory Panel to the Secretary of State for the Colonies in the United Kingdom, and appointed him to a position in the Secretariat as Trusteeship Officer, which would enable him to devote attention to this and other matters. During the year the question was discussed broadly by the Fono of Faipule, and then in some detail by the Legislative Assembly following the introduction of a Government motion
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requesting the High Commissioner to set up a Commission of Inquiry to examine the question of local government throughout Western Samoa. This motion (see Appendix IV) was well received by the Assembly, and as a result the High Commissioner decided duly to set up this Commission, the terms of reference for which will be found in Appendix XIII. The work of the Commission will be exacting and time-consuming, and will continue through most of 1950, but the Commission has the opportunity of doing work and producing a report which may well be a landmark in Samoan progress. It had been the intention of the Government of Western Samoa that this Commission should inquire into the question of a municipality for Apia. During the debate in the Legislative Assembly, it appeared that many members were reluctant to have the matter inquired into either at this time or in conjunction with the general problem of district and village government, opposition being expressed both by Samoan members representing outer districts and by European elected members representing, in a sense, Apia itself. Consequently the reference to Apia was dropped from the original motion, and the Samoan Government has now under consideration other methods of dealing with this problem, which has an importance of its own. The Western Samoan Public Service As a further step in augmenting the policy of the Administering Authority announced on the 27th August, 1947, which was supported by the report of the visiting Mission from the Trusteeship Council in that year, a separate Western Samoan Public Service has now been established. On 21st October, 1949, the New Zealand Parliament passed the Samoa Amendment Act, 1949, which comes into force on the Ist April, 1950. This Act establishes a Western Samoan Public Service under the control of a Public Service Commissioner of Western Samoa, who is to be appointed by the Governor-General of New Zealand. He is to be assisted in the discharge of his duties by two Assistant Public Service Commissioners, one of whom is to be the Secretary of Island Territories or his deputy, and the other is to be appointed by the Governor-General on the nomination of the Council of State. The Act contains the usual provisions necessary for the control of a Public Service, and gives to the Public Service Commissioner power, with the approval of the Minister of Island Territories, to make regulations for the conduct of the Service. In matters which, in the opinion of the Minister, affect the policy of the Administering Authority the Public Service Commissioner is subject to any direction which he may from time to time receive from the Minister. The Act also provides that the Public Service Commissioner shall, " consonant with the efficient conduct of the Government Service of Western Samoa, have regard to the obligation of the Administering Authority under the Trusteeship Agreement to assure to the inhabitants of Western Samoa a progressively increasing share in the administrative and other services of the Territory." The Public Service Commissioner, on or before the first day of the financial year next following the commencement of the Act —i.e., on or before Ist January, 1951—is to grade, and thereafter at intervals of not more than three years, regrade, all permanent positions in the Western Samoan Public Service and assign to them a fixed salary or scale of salaries. There are also provisions relating to the reciprocity with the New Zealand Public Service, permanent and temporary appointments, appeals against gradings, and for enforcement of discipline. The Act provides that" any employee or any person desirous of becoming an employee who, directly or indirectly, solicits any member of the Council of State, the Legislative Assembly, or the Fono of Faipule, with a view to obtaining promotion in or appointment to the Western Samoan Public Service shall be deemed unfit for the promotion or appointment."
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All employees of the New Zealand Reparation Estates except tlie General Manager are now to be included in the Western Samoan Public Service under the control of the Public Service Commissioner. The Police Force is placed under the direct control of the High Commissioner. Once every year the Public Service Commissioner is to report upon the efficiency and condition of the Western Samoan Public Service, and a copy is to be laid before both Houses of the New Zealand Parliament and before the Council of State and the Legislative Assembly of Western Samoa. Mr. R. A. Malone, a senior officer of the New Zealand Public Service who had some years ago served a term as Treasurer of Western Samoa, was appointed as Public Service Commissioner as from the Ist April, 1950. The Public Service During the Year As the references to conditions and to scales of salaries in the last annual report are also in general applicable during the year under review, but will rapidly become obsolete with the operations of the new Public Service Commissioner, they are not repeated in this report. The administrative structure of the Government of Western Samoa is shown diagramatically in Appendix II of this report. As at 31st March, 1950, the numbers employed in the then constituted Samoan Public Service are shown in the following table, grouped under the various branches. The table has been amended, when compared with that shown in previous reports, by the addition of a further column giving details of European officers recruited outside Western Samoa, who are mostly New Zealanders but are not seconded members of the New Zealand Public Service.
Comparisons of Totals
The above table shows the striking increase which has taken place in the number of Samoan and local European officers, and reflects the consistent policy of the Administering Authority.
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Branch. New Zealand Seconded Officers. (1) European Officers from Outside Western Samoa. (2) Local Officers of European Status. (3) Samoan Officers. (4) Total. Government House 2 9 11 Secretariat 2 2 5 4 13 Samoan Affairs 2 1 4 22 29 Treasury 2 11 1 14 Customs (and Harbour) 1 1 8 1 11 Justice, Labour, and Public Trust .. 2 1 5 3 11 Broadcasting 2 10 12 Education 1 22 27 475 525 Health 1 16 6 240 263 Lands and Survey2 2 4 2 10 Postal 2 10 5 17 Public Works 3 1 9 13 26 Radio 5 9 13 27 Police and Prisons 3 9 76 88 Agriculture 1 8 9 Totals 25 52 117 872 1,066
Year. Columns (1) and (2). Column (3). Column (4). 1938-39 63 87 488 1948-49 71 118 682 1949-50 77 117 872
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In keeping with the growing responsibilities of their positions and with the status of the Territory as compared with that of other Pacific islands territories, the designations of the officers in charge of various important branches have during the year been changed as follows : " Chief Medical Officer " to " Director of Health." " Superintendent of Schools " to " Director of Education." " Officer in Charge of Public Works " to " Director of Public Works." And an Acting Director of Agriculture has been appointed. The wide range of activities now attempted by the Government of Western Samoa has placed a very heavy strain on all members of the Western Samoan Public Service. This is particularly true in the senior positions, where, due to inability to fill certain key appointments, the staff available is inadequate for the tasks which are expected to be carried out. Especially is this the case when senior officers are away on furlough. It is proper and pleasing to record in this report the really excellent and loyal spirit of co-operation which exists throughout the Samoan Public Service and the strenuous and unselfish work performed by all its members. During the year all questions of personnel have been handled by the Secretary to the Government under the direction of the New Zealand Public Service Commission, but the appointment of a Western Samoan Public Service Commissioner enables an economy of approach to be arranged. The training of suitable staff for the Public Service of Western Samoa is essentially a fairly long-term project. The scholarship scheme mentioned on page 59 of the report is being co-ordinated with this problem, and already two young Samoans who have received post-primary education in New Zealand and a period of training with the New Zealand Public Service have returned to take up duty in Apia. The scheme will, it is hoped, provide increasing numbers of trained Samoans and part-Samoans for service in the Territory. In addition, an investigation by the South Pacific Commission of the possibility of establishing a combined training centre for professional and technical employees is being given every encouragement by the Administering Authority, particularly in regard to certain types of training for which it is uneconomic either to bring trainees to New Zealand or to establish smallscale training institutions within the Territory. The problem of staff training will, of course, be one of the immediate concerns of the Western Samoan Public Service Commissioner. In regard to European staff seconded from the New Zealand Public Service the problem is slightly more difficult, as the comparatively small number of appointments open to them does not enable a type of training to be given comparable with that given members of the United Kingdom Colonial Service. Judicial Organization Law The Samoa Act, 1921, laid down the basis of the private, as well as the public, law of the Territory. It provided that the law of England as existing on 14th January, 1840—the year in which British jurisdiction was established in New Zealand —should be in force in Western Samoa, subject to various modifications. These included the provision that no action should be brought for an offence at common law, and that Acts of the British Parliament should apply only so far as they were in force in New Zealand at the coming into operation of the Samoa Act. New Zealand statute law was declared not to apply in Western Samoa except where it was specifically made applicable to the Territory. The Samoa Act declared a large number of New Zealand Acts so to apply. A complete criminal code was laid down in the Act, which also provided the law of
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marriage, divorce, certification and treatment of those of unsound mind, and control of intoxicating liquor. The Act also made many provisions in regard to the ownership and control of land. Subsequent additions and amendments have been made to the law of the Territory by Acts of the New Zealand Parliament, by New Zealand Orders in Council, and by Ordinances of the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly. The New Zealand Acts which apply to the Territory in whole or in part are principally those which amend earlier Acts specifically applied to Samoa by the Samoa Act, 1921, or by subsequent Acts or Orders in Council. Present policy lays emphasis on the need for attaining a more nearly autonomous legal system. New Zealand legislation applying to the Territory will, it is anticipated, gradually be replaced by local Ordinances as circumstances permit. The body of law in force in Western Samoa is thus to be gathered from a number of different series of publications —principally the New Zealand statute series, New Zealand regulations series, and the Western Samoan Ordinances. With the political development of Western Samoa there is a growing need for the consolidation of all legislation affecting the Territory and for its translation into Samoan. At present all the Ordinances are published in Samoan as a matter of course, and in some cases important New Zealand Acts have been translated and published in 0 le Savali, the monthly journal distributed by the Office of Samoan Affairs. The Administering Authority recognizes the need for a consolidation and its publication in Samoan as well as English, but it is anticipated that some time will elapse before the work can be completed. The Samoa Act, 1921, provides that equal treatment in the administration of justice be accorded to all residents of the Territory, irrespective of nationality. Judicial Organization The Samoa Act, 1921, established the High Court of Western Samoa. It consists at present of the Chief Judge, five Commissioners, and fourteen Samoan District Judges (Fa'amasino Samoa Itumalo). In addition, there are three Samoan Associate Judges (Fa'amasino Samoa) who participate in the work of the High Court. The Chief Judge and the Commissioners are appointed by the Minister of Island Territories and hold office during his pleasure. The Associate Judges and the Fa'amasino Samoa Itumalo are appointed by the High Commissioner for a term of three years on the basis of nominations by the Fono of Faipule. In practice the Fono has so far not been willing to re-nominate a Judge for a second consecutive period of office, except when it is convinced that the particular Judge's services are of special importance. The High Court has full jurisdiction, both Civil and criminal, for the administration of the law of Western Samoa. The Chief Judge has authority to exercise all the powers of the Court. The Commissioners and Fa'amasino Samoa Itumalo have only such jurisdiction as has been prescribed for them. In practice, the Commissioners hear a large proportion of the petty cases which come before the Court in Apia or, in the case of one Commissioner (the Resident Commissioner of Savai'i), at Tuasivi. The fourteen Fa'amasino Samoa Itumalo preside over district Courts, with jurisdiction over Samoans only. This jurisdiction extends to Civil actions up to the value of £5 when both parties are Samoans, and to criminal offences by Samoans, including thefts of under £2 value, adultery, breach of the peace, and some twenty-five other prescribed offences. The official language is English, but the Samoan language is used where necessary. In more serious criminal cases the High Court employs assessors. Four assessors are appointed by the Court from a panel nominated by the High Commissioner, which contains the names of both Europeans and Samoans, the latter being chosen mainly from the ranks of Judges and former Judges. When the defendant is a Samoan it is usual to include one Samoan assessor among the four. The assessors sit in an advisory capacity with the Judge, who may accept a majority opinion of three of the four assessors so engaged.
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Provision is made for the allowance of appeals from the High Court to the Supreme Court of New Zealand. Very little use has ever been made of this right, and none at all for the past fifteen years. Of more practical importance is a right of rehearing in the High Court of cases tried by Fa'amasino Samoa Itumalo or Commissioners. A case tried by a Fa'amasino can be reheard by a Commissioner and again by the Chief Judge. Where a case was originally tried by a Commissioner, there can be a rehearing before the Chief Judge. The only other legally constituted judicial body in the Territory besides the High Court is the Native Land and Titles Court, which has jurisdiction in respect of disputes over Native land and succession to Samoan titles. The Court is the successor to a rather similar body established by the German Administration. Its present constitution and powers were conferred onjt by the Native Land and Titles Protection Ordinance, 1934, and an amending Ordinance of 1937. The Chief Judge is President of the Court, and he is assisted by two or three European assessors and two or three Samoan Judges. The assessors are men of standing in the community who possess a good knowledge of Samoan custom. The Secretary of Samoan Affairs is an assessor ex officio, and he is free to participate in the work of the Court whenever he considers the circumstances of the case require it. The Samoan Judges are those who act also as Associate Judges in the High Court. In the Land and Titles Court, however, they possess more adequate legal standing. They are formally appointed by the High Commissioner under powers conferred on him by Ordinance. Both the High Court in its high jurisdiction—when presided over by the Chief Judge or by a Commissioner —and the Land and Titles Court fulfil an important role in the process of government. During 1949-50 the High Court sat under the Chief Judge or a Commissioner on 182 days to hear criminal cases and on 53 days to hear Civil actions. The Land and Titles Court sat on 57 days. Detailed statistics of cases heard and of judgments given are contained in Appendix V (a). Although Fa'amasino may not hear a large number of cases in their districts, they do in fact perform a large amount of useful work informally and are often called upon to settle disputes extra-judicially. F. ECONOMIC ADVANCEMENT General Western Samoa is almost entirely an agricultural country. The main forms of production are of foodstuffs for local consumption and of agricultural crops for export. Fishing is carried on extensively by the Samoans to satisfy their own domestic needs, but commercial fishing is negligible. The processing of export crops is confined almost entirely to the cutting and drying of copra and the fermentation and drying of cocoabeans. The one successful enterprise so far built up for the secondary processing of Samoan raw materials on a relatively large scale is that of the New Zealand Reparation Estates' desiccated-coconut factory. There are two small sawmills —one at Asau, in Savai'i, operated by the New Zealand Reparation Estates ; the other in Apia, privately owned. At present their output is absorbed almost entirely by the local market. In the agriculture of the Samoan village communities the subsistence element is still of fundamental importance. A large part of the land under cultivation by Samoans, and a large part of their working-time, is absorbed in the cultivation of taro, ta'amu, bananas, and other food crops. Pigs and poultry are raised for local consumption ; they form an essential article of diet at feasts and when important visitors are being entertained. This subsistence production has been combined for a long time past with production for the export market. Coconuts, which contribute in a multitude of ways to the domestic needs of the people, are also the source of copra, the most important export product of the Territory. In recent years Samoan production is estimated to
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have accounted for about 85 per cent, of the total copra output of the Territory. The Samoan share in the production of cocoa (the second export crop in importance) is less great, but it was estimated in 1945 at 41 per cent, of the total. Bananas —the only other major export crop —have been grown very largely by Samoans in recent years ; the proportion of the total output of bananas coming from European plantations fell from 41 per cent, in 1937 to almost nil in some of the war years, and rose again only to 12 per cent, in 1946. The improvement of road communications has greatly stimulated Samoan enthusiasm for opening up new land for banana-growing. The main impediment to further expansion is to be found in the lack of adequate shipping facilities to the New Zealand market, which is the only one open to Samoan bananas. Early expansion of these facilities is anticipated. Most of this Samoan production of export crops is carried on through the traditional organization of the people. It is production by family groups under the leadership of their Matai. Mostly it is carried on on small and often scattered plots of land and by methods of cultivation which could be much improved. An increasing number of Samoans, however, are building up larger, better-organized, and better-managed plantations, comparable with those of Europeans. A few Samoans carry on plantation enterprises in partnership with Europeans, and some have in their employment Chinese labourers to perform skilled operations such as pruning. The almost exclusively agricultural character of production in the Territory creates a corresponding dependence on external sources of supply for all kinds of manufactured goods, as well as for foodstuffs and other raw materials which cannot be produced in the Territory. Actual development during the year consisted of increased planting of cash and food crops by Samoans in areas to which access is now being given by the progress of new road-construction. This development follows automatically from the opening-up of the country by roading. Developments of more major importance will require active co-ordination and assistance by the Administering Authority in accordance with schemes which are now being carefully considered. The prime necessity is general over-all guidance, and for this purpose the Administering Authority proposes to send to Western Samoa an Economic Mission comprised of experts competent to give basic advice in the agricultural and financial fields. As a starting-point the Food and Agricultural Organization's World Census of Agriculture has been adapted and extended to meet this purpose, and a basic form has been drawn up and approved for the collating of information from villages throughout the Territory. A Rural Economist with tropical experience will visit the Territory to launch the project. The collection of accurate and up-to-date information as to existing land-utilization and the extent and nature of undeveloped areas is a necessary prerequisite for any over-all plan. Much information will be gathered from the extended Agricultural Census and from the projected aerial survey of the whole Territory, although, owing to the comparatively short length of time during the year when weather conditions are generally suitable for aerial photography, it may take three years to complete this survey. The work of the Economic Mission will, however, be carried on meantime. Arrangements have been concluded for a preliminary report on forests to be made during 1950 by Mr. Colin Marshall, now Conservator of Forests in Fiji. There are no deep-water harbours in Savai'i, where much future development could be anticipated, and the harbour at Apia is not much more than a roadstead sheltered to a certain extent. The Assistant Engineer-in-Chief of the New Zealand Ministry of Works will visit the Territory shortly to report on its provisional scheme for the improvement of Apia Harbour, while vessels of the Royal New Zealand Navy are to make a provisional rep'ort on Savai'i harbours. The supply of water for ordinary domestic as well as agricultural purposes has always been a difficult problem in the porous volcanic soils of Western Samoa. The Government is studying this whole question, and is proposing, by means of much greater governmental financial contribution, to construct water-supply schemes which would
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be far too costly to be borne by village and district finance. Government expenditure of this nature would be regarded as an investment in the future health and economic development of the Territory. In all developmental surveys and programmes the Administering Authority gives the Territory the benefit, to the fullest possible extent, of such expert services and advice as it has available. The participation of the indigenous inhabitants in such surveys is looked for as essential to, and an integral part of, their success. As the pattern of work of the South Pacific Commission in the area develops, the Territory anticipates that it will derive information and assistance of great benefit to its economic advancement. The economic equality provisions of Article 76 (d) of the Charter are incorporated in Article 4of the Trusteeship Agreement. No specific steps have been necessary during the year to give effect to these provisions, since economic equality is a principle which is firmly established in the Territory. A small group of under two hundred Chinese, released from previous indentures, work as agricultural labourers or run small businesses in the Territory. In proportion to its population and resources, Western Samoa has a highly developed commercial system concerned with external as well as internal trade. This has its centre in the Town of Apia, which is the only port of entry for the Territory. General merchandising is mainly in the hands of a number of firms, a large proportion of which are controlled by the part-European descendants of various nationalities and which have evolved on a common pattern. They deal in all classes of goods —foodstuffs, textiles and clothing, hardware and household requisites of all kinds, stationery and fancy goods, tobacco, drugs, &c. In addition, the larger firms run agencies for shipping and air services, insurance companies, motor firms, &c. They are also dealers in copra and cocoa, from which they derive a large proportion of their total turnover. The firms each have a principal office in Apia, with trading-stations scattered through the villages. A number of them run launches for the collection of produce and distribution of merchandise among their trading-stations. A large share of the total business is in the hands of four major firms, which operate 190 trading-stations Two of these are extraterritorial enterprises with head offices in Australia and Fiji respectively. The other two are local firms. There are several smaller firms with up to 12 trading-stations each, and a number of independent traders in the villages. The latter either import through commission agents in Apia or use the facilities of one of the firms. The total number of village trading-stations in the Territory is 262. Other business enterprise in Apia include a branch of the Bank of New Zealand, a subsidiary company of a large firm of building contracters in New Zealand, transport companies, a cinema company, a printing and publishing firm, and several boardinghouses. In addition, there are a considerable number of small businesses —restaurants, bakeries, butcheries, &c. —and individual tradesmen such as tailors, carpenters, and hairdressers. In the predominantly agricultural economy of the Samoans, the economic position of the indigenous inhabitants is assured by disallowing the alienation of Native land except to the Crown. The New Zealand Reparation Estates, which comprise areas of land formerly German owned, are held and operated by the Administering Authority, the policy of which is to devote the trading profits for expenditure on social and economic development schemes of the Territority. Agricultural education of Samoan children is actively carried on in the schools, and the Government of Western Samoa, realizing that future economic welfare of the people is bound up with the land and, more specifically, with the effective assuming by the inhabitants of their full economic responsibilities when the time comes, takes every opportunity, both by the example of the New Zealand Reparation Estates
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and by precept to encourage improved agricultural methods and techniques throughout the villages. Commercially, the policy of the Administering Authority is to stimulate business in every way compatible with a stable cost of living and orderly marketing. The Reparation Estates are maintained as an organization entirely separate from the Government of Western Samoa, being administered by a General Manager responsible to the Minister of Island Territories. The Estates are by far the most important individual plantation enterprise in the Territory and one of the largest taxpayers. Among their various activities they operate the only desiccated-coconut factory in the Territory. They are the only important breeders of cattle, maintaining some 9,000 head, of which about 1,200 are killed annually to provide meat for local consumption. Their sawmill at Asau, in Savai'i, is milling grained timbers for cabinetmaking and interior woodwork, most of which is used in the Territory. To maintain this organization the Estates have a staff of 1,911 permanent employees and some hundreds of casual labourers. The influence of the artificially high standard of living brought about by post-war boom prices for the Territory's staple commodities, copra and cocoa, has had little effect on stable Samoan social structure. Consequently, now that the markets for the Territory's produce are finding a more normal level, no hardship is being felt throughout the villages. The copra contract with the British Ministry of Food replaces the formerly fluctuating price-level for this product with a firm selling-price over a period of years, and encourages growers with foresight to plan ahead. Public Finance, Money, and Banking Details of the public revenues of the Territory, excluding grants from the Administering Authority, are given in statistical Appendix VI. The figures show the steadily increasing expenditure upon health and education referred to elsewhere in this report and which, while resulting from a necessary expansion of these services, indicates a financial trend which needs careful watching. The preparation of the annual Budget begins with the completion of draft estimates by the separate Departments of the Government. In the cases of Health, Public Works, and Education these draft estimates are considered by the respective Committees of the Legislative Assembly prior to submission with other draft estimates to the Secretary. Adjustments to conform with the general financial situation may be required by the Secretary after consultation with the High Commissioner. The estimates of all Departments are then submitted to the Finance Committee of the Legislative Assembly for detailed examination. They are subsequently introduced into the Assembly by the Secretary, by direction of the High Commissioner, for debate, amendment where necessary, and final approval. Expenditure is requisitioned by departmental Heads, who act where appropriate in consultation with the respective Committees. Certain items of expenditure require the formal approval of the High Commissioner, and in such cases items may be referred to the Finance Committee for advice. The Government of Western Samoa has in hand the preparation of new Treasury instructions which should clarify and simplify the procedure for the control of expenditure. During the year the Legislative Assembly, by the passage of the Public Revenues Amendment Ordinance, 1949, made legislative provision for changing the Government's financial year from one ending on 31st March in each year to one which in future will end upon the 31st December. The main reason for this change has been to ensure that the annual Budget can be dealt with by the Legislative Assembly in March each year, thus permitting full use to be made of the " dry " season (April-September) for the prosecution of the approved works programme. It will also be convenient for the financial year to coincide with the year which has been hitherto adopted for the compilation and publication of the trade and commerce statistics. To effect this change, the forthcoming financial year will be one of nine months only and will conclude on 31st December, 1950 ; thereafter the financial year will be coincident with the calendar year.
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The receipts of public revenue reaching the total of £521,859 and payments totalling £458,095, there was a surplus for the year of £63,764. The total accumulated cash surplus of the Territory at the end of the year was £706,737, of which £662,250 was invested in New Zealand Government inscribed stock. Details of the accumulated surplus at 31st March each year for the past five years are as follows :
It is the policy of the Government to hold £500,000 in general reserve and to regard the balance over that figure as being expendable upon developmental works. The Territory continued during the year to receive grants from the Administering Authority for various purposes relating to economic and social advancement. These grants represent the implementation of the policy, referred to elsewhere in this report, of using all profits from the New Zealand Separation Estates for the benefit of the people of Western Samoa. Keceipts by the Samoan Treasury during the year under the terms of such grants totalled £87,603. Details of grants expended by the Administering Authority since the present policy came into full operation are as follows
The items in the columns relating to education and broadcasting in the above table include certain sums which have been spent directly in New Zealand by the Administering Authority and which have not passed through the Samoan Treasury. The currency in circulation in Western Samoa consists of Samoan Treasury notes and New Zealand coinage. New Zealand notes are also legal tender, since the Samoa Act, 1921, provides that the currency, coinage, and legal tender of Western Samoa shall be the same as that of New Zealand. In accordance with the provisions of this Act, Samoan Treasury notes require to be backed to the full value thereof, which has to be deposited by the Samoan Treasury with the New Zealand Treasury. It is also provided that the holder of a Samoan Treasury note is entitled to receive its face value from the New Zealand Treasury on presentation at any time. In effect, therefore, Samoan currency is backed by the Administering Authority, and has the same exchange value as that of the Administering Authority.
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How Held. Year. Total. ri oc ,u Investments in Investments in oasn. Western Samoa. New Zealand. £ £ £ £ 1946 .. 314,156 23,346 14,260 276,550 1947 .. 417,758 50,001 9,207 358,550 1948 .. 607,155 34,226 28,554 544,375 1949 .. 642,973 59,527 29,396 554,050 1950 .. 706,737 23,735 16,752 666,250
Year. Rhinoceros Beetle. Education and Overseas Scholarships.* Health. Broadcasting. Roads. £ £ £ £ 1945-46 3,107 1946-47 2,351 8 * ioo 1947-48 7,552 22,475 12,985 1948-49 10,880 1,289 28,915 1949-50 ... 603 i 24,072 50,000 25,000 * Includes equipment and inspection of schools.
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During the year some consideration was given to the question as to whether the value of Samoan currency should be legally tied to that of New Zealand currency, and the Legislative Assembly passed a resolution setting up a Select Committee to examine this question and to consider whether it would be advisable to establish a Samoan pound separate from the New Zealand pound. The Committee has held several meetings, but has not as yet concluded its deliberations. The only trading bank operating in the Territory is the Bank of New Zealand, which has a branch at Apia, and which transacts all ordinary banking business. The overdraft rate charged by the bank is slightly in advance of that in New Zealand, and in accordance with its standard New Zealand practice it pays no interest on balances in current accounts. Deposits standing to clients' credits in the Apia branch of the Bank of New Zealand averaged £319,412 during the year, as compared with £322,801 during the year 1948-49. The Post Office also operates a Post Office Savings-bank and transacts money-order business. The Post Office Savings-bank allows interest at 2| per cent, on credits up to £5OO, and at 2 per cent, on amounts between £5OO and £2,000. Figures for the Post Office Savings-bank for the last three years are as follows :
It is significant that the number of savings-bank deposit accounts continues to increase steadily, as is shown by the above table. The slight excess of withdrawals over deposits noted for 1948-49 has continued over 1949-50 but this is due mainly to movements in certain large accounts and does not affect the overall picture of the increasing use by the Samoan people of this method of saving and keeping money. The figures for the money-order business also reflect the increased activity which has been noted in all branches of the Post Office business. They are as follows :
The machinery for exchange, import, and export controls remains unaltered, but there has been considerable relaxation in its application, particularly in respect of the import and export to non-dollar areas and in the establishment of general convertibility of currency with many sterling countries —the Territory following in these respects the actions of the Administering Authority with reference to its own economy. Imports from dollar areas are governed mainly by block allocations of dollar exchange to the various importers. Western Samoa is a member of the sterling pool, to which her hard-currency contributions are made mainly from earnings on the export of cocoa. The 1949 trade figures (Appendix VII) show a small net dollar surplus of receipts over expenditure.
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— 1947-48. 1948-49. 1949-50. Withdrawals £104,827 £115,059 £127,134 Deposits £118,520 £109,080 £116,014 Number of depositors at 31st March 5,175 5,823 6,428 Amount held to their credit .. £280,311 £280,188 £274,873
1947-48. 1948-49. 1949-50. £ £ £ Money-orders issued .. , 4,626 5,909 6,468 Money-orders paid 4,046 4,368 9,607
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Taxation The public revenue of the Territory is derived from a combination of direct and indirect taxes. The indirect taxes are import and export duties. These are an excellent means of obtaining revenue from a central source at a minimum cost and are thus well suited to the present stage of development of the Territory. The direct taxes are storetax, salary-tax, trade and business licences, building-tax, water rates, amusement-tax, and stamp duties. Store-tax, the principal direct tax, is a tax on the gross selling-price of goods. There are no direct taxes imposed on Samoans other than the salary-tax on incomes in excess of £2OO per annum payable in cash by individuals after deducting the normal exemptions. All taxes are paid to the Government of the Territory. Receipts of revenue for the year under the various taxation headings (exclusive of fees for services) were as follows : £ Amusement-tax .. .. .. .. 221 Building-tax .. .. .. .. 5,378 Export duties .. .. .. .. 83,057 Import duties (including port and service tax) .. 232,490 Licences and fees .. .. .. .. 7,207 Salary-tax .. .. .. .. .. 4,960 Stamp duties .. .. .. .. 807 Store-tax .. .. .. .. .. 70,276 Water rates .. .. .. .. .. 2,156 Commerce and Trade Trade during the year 1949-50 continued to be prosperous. Imports for the calendar year 1949 decreased from the 1948 figures by £80,444 to a total of £881,584, while exports increased by £236,500 to £1,344,758, a total which is only £7,012 less than the record export year 1947. Exports exceeded imports by £463,174, giving the Territory the largest favourable trade balance in its history. This, however, has been partly due to accidents of shipping. A comparison of the figures for the last two years giving details of the Territory's trade with various countries is given in Appendix VII {a). In Appendix VII (b) is an analysis showing trade figures for the Territory at five-yearly intervals from 1910 to 1945 and for each of the years from 1945 to 1949. In examining the trade figures, there must be taken into account the alteration in value of the Samoan pound consequent on the restoration in 1948 of the New Zealand pound to parity with sterling. The year 1949 was actually a record one in many respects. The quantities and values of the principal exports for the last two years are shown below :
Quantities and Values of Principal Exports
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Commodity. 1948. 1949. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Tons. £ | Tons. £ Copra 14,178 584,062 16,455 787,274 Cocoa beans 1,630 369,492 2,894 387,611 Desiccated coconut 510 71,424 691 95,142 Cases. Cases. Bananas 99,507 69,004 87,121 64,644 Tons. Tons. Dried bananas 20 4,585
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The quantity of copra exported has again increased to a satisfactory level after the fall noted in 1948. The substantial increase in the quantity of cocoa exported was partly due to the shipment during the year of some cocoa produced in 1948, while the lower comparative value of the cocoa was due to the unexplained fall of the world price of cocoa noted in the last report. The world price of cocoa, however, again recovered towards the end of the year to a high level. A further decline in the export of bananas is to be noted, which can be explained very largely by shipping difficulties, but is also particularly due to increased local consumption. The production of desiccated coconut has recovered its former level, and with the addition of further manufacturing facilities which are now planned it should substantially increase in the future. The production of dried bananas has been discontinued as uneconomic. Being so much more various, the Territory's imports cannot be profitably itemized, except at a length which is not possible in this report. The Return of the Trade, Commerce, and Shipping of the Territory of Western Samoa, which is published annually, gives a full statement of the Territory's imports and details of the Customs Tariff. Although no international agreements have been entered into by the Territory during the year, reference is made below to a copra contract with the United Kingdom to regulate external trade in this commodity over a period of nine years. The Territory is not a member of a Customs union with the metropolitan country or with neighbouring territories. During the year the Territory entered into a contract with the United Kingdom Ministry of Food for the sale of copra over a period extending to 1957. The whole copraproduction of the Territory, apart from a certain small proportion which has customarily been supplied to the New Zealand market, is now under sale to the United Kingdom at a price fixed annually in relation to the price ruling in the previous year. In December, 1949, negotiations under the provisions of this contract took place to fix the price payable by the Ministry of Food in 1950. The price was finally fixed, after careful discussion, at £4B 10s. per ton f.o.b. Apia, the price representing an advance of 10s. on that of the previous year. The Copra Board decided to pay out to the Samoan producers at the rate of £45 ss. per ton, leaving the balance to go to the credit of the Stabilization Fund. The Copra Board established at the end of 1948 has been in full operation during the year, and as at 31st March, 1950, there was a sum of £47,137 which had accumulated to the credit of the Stabilization Fund. The exportation of bananas is under the control of the Administering Authority, and the bananas continued to be sold f.o.b. Apia to the New Zealand Marketing Department at prices fixed from time to time. The domestic economy of the Territory is based principally on its agricultural industry, and the volume of trade normally rests on the producing and purchasing powers of the village communities. In Apia and its environs there is a wage-earning Samoan community whose conditions are discussed on page 43 of this report. A system of trading-stations throughout the Territory caters for the needs of the outer villages, where production of cash crops provides villagers with the means of purchasing both necessaries and luxuries. Consumer goods have increased in availability since the end of the war and the volume of trade has risen accordingly. Domestic and imported products are distributed throughout the Territory by means of the widespread trading-stations which put wares within the reach of almost every Samoan. Trading-station stocks are carried by lorry where roads are readily negotiable by vehicles, and by launch to more distant areas. The road-development scheme in progress in the Territory will ensure closer trading contacts and more rapid future distribution of these products.
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The New Zealand Reparation Estates, operated by the Administering Authority, run a series of stores on its plantations to provide employees with their requirements. The estates are also responsible for most of the local trade in cattle and for the principal portion of the timber trade of the Territory. The overseas trade of the Reparation Estates comprises the exportation of desiccated coconut, copra, and cocoa. Four trading companies operate in the Territory under the provisions of the New Zealand Companies Act, 1933, as applied to Western Samoa by the Samoa Companies Order, 1935. None receive special taxation concessions or exemptions. Apart from those products which are subject to sale under the external contracts mentioned above, export marketing is carried on through the normal trading channels, Imports are sold, subject to price regulation, in accordance with standard and accepted competitive methods. On 24th June, 1949, the Legislative Assembly of Western Samoa set up a Select Committee to examine and report on the question of the Samoan Customs Tariff, particularly with reference to British preference. The Committee, after taking evidence from experts and leaders in Apia, and after examining statistics and material supplied by the Administering Authority and other Pacific countries, duly presented its report to the Legislative Assembly on 7th November, 1949. After debate, the Legislative Assembly referred the report to the Administering Authority for favourable consideration. Briefly summarized, the Committee's report is that the pattern of the trade of Western Samoa was set by geographical and transport considerations and not by preferential rates of Customs duty, that the British Preferential Tariff had had hardly any effect in specifically directing Samoan trade to British countries and away from so-called foreign countries, and that the existing Customs schedule with its varying rates of duty and surcharges should be revised and consolidated so as to abolish the so-called preferential rate of duty and to provide one over-all rate of duty for standard basic commodity items, and a higher over-all rate of duty for all other items. The present favourable markets for the exported produce of the Territory, the sales agreement entered into in respect of the staple export, copra, and the high quality of cocoa, the other principal export, offer a large but temporary degree of protection to producers' interests. For the longer term a greater measure of variety in the Territory's exports must ensure this protection, and trading experiments such as the development of the timber, desiccated-coconut, and dried-banana industries, carried out by the New Zealand Reparation Estates during recent years, have been made with this realization. The agricultural organization of the Government, which includes amongst its duties the grading and inspection of produce and advising on techniques of production, assists the Samoan grower to protect his markets by exports of a consistently high quality. Monopolies There are no monopolies nor businesses containing a monopoly element in the Territory. Land and Natural Resources No geological surveys have been carried out by the Administering Authority during the year. The expansion of the works programme and of other Governmental activities continues to result in heavy demands being made upon the services of the Lands and Survey Branch. In addition, the public continues to require surveys for boundary definition and ordinary land transactions, as well as the purposes of the Lands and
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Titles Court. There is almost a complete year's work outstanding and waiting to be done, and substantial reduction in these arrears and removal of inconvenience to the Government and the public must wait the provision of more fully qualified technical staff. An up-to-date plan of Apia and its environs has been prepared, and special work has been undertaken for this report. Special reports upon water-supply schemes have been made. Certain ground control traverse work for the forthcoming aerial survey has been done, but much more is yet required. The Department is a small one, but vitally important for the orderly progress and development of the Territory. An area of land around the low-lying Mulinu'u Spit has been reclaimed for the construction at a later date of additional official buildings. The land of Western Samoa is classified in law as Crown land, Native land, and European land. The first is land vested in the Crown free from any Native title or any estate in fee-simple. Native land is land vested in the Crown but held by Samoans by " Native title —i.e., in accordance with Samoan title and usage—and not by grant from the Crown. European land is land held from the Crown for an estate in fee-simple. The substantial increase in the Samoan population from 32,522 at the 1921 census to an estimated 71,900 as at 31st March, 1950, has led to a degree of population pressure in the most densely settled region of the Territory along the northern coast of Upolu, although at no time has the congestion reached the proportions of a serious problem. The Administering Authority is meeting the situation by granting areas of New Zealand Reparation Estates land for settlement by Samoan villages and the Government is opening up new land by a comprehensive roading programme. Native land may not be permanently alienated except to the Crown, but with the sanction of the Samoan Government areas may be leased. Alienation has taken place only for public purposes. Details of past and projected alienation are as follows Acres. Faleolo Airport .. .. .. 1,387 Yaisigano water catchment .. .. .. 1,900 Fuluasou water hydro-electric catchment .. .. 85 For roads in various parts of the Territory .. .. 100 (or less) Of the three larger alienations, only that for the airport was in a densely settled area. As compensation for the loss, 1,877 acres of New Zealand Reparation Estates land was given to the villages which had been expropriated. The amount of Native land holdings is estimated at approximately 581,370 acres. Crown lands, inclusive of the holdings of the New Zealand Reparation Estates, total about 103,630 acres. There are about 40,000 acres of European land, 35,000 acres of which are owned privately and 5,000 acres by the various missions. Much of this area, of course, is unfit for cultivation or other economic use. It is estimated that about 400,000 acres, or 55 per cent., of the land area of the Territory is waste, made up of steep mountain-sides, lava-beds, or other unproductive areas. A more exact estimation either of cultivated or of cultivable land must await the completion of the projected economic survey of the Territory. Leases of Native land are of two kinds. The first comprise leases made in German times or earlier to Europeans for terms of years which have not yet expired. The only leases of this kind are now held by the New Zealand Reparation Estates. The second are recent leases of very small areas for village trading-stations or for sites for churches. The number of such leases is approximately 250, and the area involved does not exceed 100 acres. There is no rural indebtedness in the Territory.
2—A 4
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Forests and Mines There are limited forest resources in the Territory, and milling operations are carried out by the New Zealand Reparation Estates and by a European sawmill owner. Samoan hardwoods are of good quality and are in considerable demand locally by the building trade. Large orders of these varieties, especially of Tamanu and Talie timber, have been received from New Zealand, but cannot be met while the local demand remains. Logging is carried out in the face of serious difficulties imposed by a rocky and lavastrewn terrain. The New Zealand Reparation Estates sawmill at Asau produced 450,000 superficial feet of timber during the year ended 31st March, 1950. The need for introduction of some form of reafforestation is realized, to enable continued milling to be carried on without removing forests, and, as stated elsewhere, arrangements have been made for a visit to the Territory by the Conservator of Forests, Fiji. There are no known mineral resources of commercial value in the Territory. Agriculture, Fisheries, and Animal Husbandry In November, 1949, the Government reinstituted its agricultural service after a lapse of over twenty years. The present establishment comprises an Acting-Director, who was previously the Produce Inspector, and a staff of seven Samoan Field Inspectors and Instructors. The control of the work of the fourteen Samoan District Plantation Inspectors (the Pulefa'atoaga) has been placed under the new organization, whose present duties include the normal work of produce inspection formerly carried out by the Produce Inspector, the co-ordination and instruction of the Pulefa'atoaga, the detailed control of the banana scheme, and the organization and conduct of the agricultural census which will be held in 1950. The service also assists in measures for the control of insect pests in the storage sheds. It is intended to strengthen the present establishment by appointing trained European technical personnel to direct research and developmental activities. No accurate figures of changes in acreage of principal crops nor of land devoted to non-export crops will be available until the completion of the 1950 agricultural census. The type of terrain on which export crops are grown precludes the widespread use of mechanical equipment, the soil being mixed with scoria and volcanic refuse in most areas. Domestic crops grow adequately for village requirements under present methods of cultivation, and there is no incentive to increase yields by mechanized cultivation, if, indeed, this were within the means of the Samoans. Provision to control and prevent plant-diseases is contained in the Fumigation Proclamation 1933 (issued under the Port Control Ordinance, 1932), which requires imported plant material either to be certified free from disease by the exporter, or fumigated immediately prior to export, or fumigated on arrival in the Territory. Legislation is at present being prepared to regulate the entry into the Territory of plants, animals, and insects liable to spread infectious animal or vegetable diseases. During the year consideration was given by the Administering Authority to membership in the proposed South-east Asia Phyto-sanitary Convention. It was decided that the Convention was not well adapted to the means of the Territory, and that the Territory could without membership help to achieve the objects of the Convention by the normal administration of its existing phyto-sanitary legislation. Fish and other marine produce form an essential part of the Samoan diet. Commercial fishing is not carried out on an extensive scale, and there is little prospect of its development under the limitations of the present sources of supply.
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The live-stock industries are of local importance. Pigs and poultry figure in the Samoan village economy, while cattle are raised on the New Zealand Reparation Estates and other plantations. Horses and mules are used as pack animals. The New Zealand Reparation Estates cattle, which total approximately 9,500 head, besides grazing the plantations clear of undergrowth, provide fresh beef for consumption in the Territory, and hides for export. The herds consist principally of the Hereford and Black Polled Angus varieties, and are maintained and improved in quality by rotational grazing and careful selection for breeding. During the year ended 31st March, 1949, 1,697 head of cattle were slaughtered for beef. Industry A desiccated-coconut industry, successfully launched by the New Zealand Reparation Estates eight years ago, showed record production figures for the year, approximately 700 tons of desiccated coconut being exported to the New Zealand market. It is proposed to extend this industry with the construction of a second factory. The dried-banana industry, on the other hand, which was initiated experimentally by the New Zealand Reparation Estates in 1946 and proved profitable for a short period, failed for want of a regular market, and operations were discontinued. Reference has been made elsewhere to the timber industry. There is a small local industry in Apia of island handicrafts and curios. The development of a tourist trade is dependent on air, shipping, and accommodation facilities. These at present permit of a reasonable influx of visitors during the year, particularly in the more attractive cool season from May to October, which coincides with the New Zealand winter. Numerous forms of recreation are offered to the visitor. In and around Apia are tennis-courts, a golf-course, and opportunities for riding, sailing, and fishing. Investments No figures are available of the amount of outside private capital invested in the Territory. Through the New Zealand Reparation Estates, the Administering Authority has a considerable investment in the Territory. Transport and Communication Postal and Telephone Postal and telephone services were maintained during the year by the Government. A money-order service and a savings-bank which are included in this branch of its services are described on page 29 of this report. In addition to the Post Office at Apia, there are eleven sub-post-offices in the Territory. Internal mail-services throughout both the Islands of Upolu and Savai'i function satisfactorily ; use in outlying districts is made of the police-messenger service to carry mail. The general volume of mail-matter continued to increase, a fact reflected not only in an increase of revenue from local stamp sales, but also in the growing pressure upon the existing Post Office accommodation. Plans are under consideration for enlarging this building. The telephone service, which is confined to the vicinity of Apia, is now working at its extreme capacity, having 247 subscribers. During the year an engineer from the New Zealand Post and Telegraph Department visited Apia to report upon the proposed extension to the telephone service. As a result of his recommendations, provision is now being made for the laying of new mains and the provision of further telephone facilities. 2*
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Radio The radio services of the Territory are centred on Apia Radio Station, which provides the Territory's only telegraphic communication with the outside world, and includes six out-stations within the Group (one on Upolu and five on Savai'i) which provide communication with the remote districts of the Territory. Paid traffic handled during the year increased to 22,565 messages, which produced a revenue of £4,678. The reconstruction of the radio station at Faleolo Airport proceeded during the year, and in the meantime the Apia Station transmitted weather messages and handled all air/ground/ air and point-to-point channels in connection with air services operating in the area. Village broadcast receivers were serviced and maintained during the year, and new receivers installed. This work includes routine replacement of batteries every three months, and this task is carried out by technical teams who travel regularly around the Territory. The 248 sets required 438 servicing jobs during the year. Roads Approximately thirty-five miles of new road were completed and opened for traffic during the year. Twenty miles of existing road were widened, straightened, and improved. Assistance was given to six villages in the construction of roads giving them access to main highways. The Government is steadily proceeding with its roadconstruction programme, which is a substantial factor in securing economic development. Road-maintenance is a big problem in this country of heavy tropical rainfall, and the only satisfactory solution is permanent surfacing, which is a costly process and one which, due to weather conditions, cannot be done very quickly. The programme provides, however, for steady work on the sealing of the more important sections. Road traffic continued to increase during the year, as is shown by the following table :
External Communications External services continued to function as mentioned in the last report, where the inadequacy of Western Samoa's air and sea communications with the outside world was also pointed out. The " Matua " visits Western Samoa from New Zealand every month, and carries the great proportion of overseas surface mails. Aircraft of the New Zealand National Airways Corporation visit the Territory fortnightly, and connect with New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, and the Cook Islands on the regular islands service. In addition, an air service via Pago Pago makes a weekly connection with the United States. Owing the the infrequency of shipping, however, the surface mail-service
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Type of Vehicle. 1947-48. 1948-49. 1949-50. Omnibus .. .. .. " 66 82 86 Lorry or truck 163 194 204 Van 50 61 56 Taxi 89 100 103 Private car 124 147 161 Motor-cycle 26 34 32 Total motor-vehicles Pedal-cycles 518 618 642 724 1,239 1,288
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between Western Samoa and the United States and Canada is becoming increasingly unsatisfactory. Certain projects relating to harbours in the Territory are mentioned under the " General" portion of this section of this report. A vessel to supplement the services given by the " Matua " is under construction, but is not expected to be available until late in 1951. Public Works The construction and maintenance of roads and bridges, public buildings, parks, and reserves have been included in the public-works programme carried out by the Government of Western Samoa during the year. An electricity service for the Apia area has been operated, and waterworks systems maintained in Apia and certain other parts of the Territory. The principal road-construction work of the year has already been referred to under the " Transport and Communication " portion (page 36 of this report). In addition to normal maintenance and upkeep of existing buildings, much new building-construction has taken place. The following is a brief summary : Secretariat The Secretariat building was extended to provide office accommodation for the Hon. Fautua and Treasury staff. Internal alterations were also made to give more office space for central office staff. Customs Extensive alterations and additions were carried out to the Customs building to accommodate the Public Service Commissioner and staff and the Acting Director of Agriculture and staff. Health The following capital construction was carried out on the health services of the Territory:— Apia Main Hospital. —Reconstruction of the old Chinese ward to provide a concrete warehouse in the basement and a twenty-bed ward block with services on the first floor. Reinforced-concrete Samoan nurses' quarters and recreation-room completed. Concrete two-story main kitchen block and new laundry block with services. (Completion of these two service blocks will be carried out on arrival of special equipment which is awaited from overseas.) Covered way from dispensary to ward buildings completed. Sanitary buildings and septic tanks for Samoan medical practitioners' and dressers' quarters constructed. Quarantine Station. —Septic tank, sewage system, water-closets, and addition to ablution facilities were provided at the Quarantine Station. Construction on Savai'i. —At Tuasivi a new concrete ward building 60 ft. by 22 ft. was constructed. At Fagamalo the following concrete hospital buildings have been constructed and provided with water-supply and septic-tank services:— Dispensary and dental clinic. Samoan medical practitioner's residence. Samoan nurses' quarters. Sanitary and ablution block.
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Education With the rapid expansion of the educational programme, a large building project has been carried out at short notice, and includes the following construction : —- A concrete infant school block, 148 ft. by 35 ft., was constructed at Malifa. A concrete intermediate school, 260 ft. by 35 ft., was constructed at Leifiifi. The main Education office was extended and additional space provided for the high school. A store for stationery, 33 ft. by 20 ft., was built at Leifiifi. A concrete building for radio broadcasting classes, with a library, was erected at Malifa. Additional sanitary facilities were provided at Malifa and Leifiifi. Construction on Savai'i. —At Fagamalo outstation the Residency has been converted into a five-class-room school. At Vaipouli, extensive work has been planned, and work commenced on a boys' dormitory for 120 students, a Headmaster's residence, and a four-class-room block with sanitary services. Legislative Building An area at Mulinu'u has been reclaimed for a Legislative Assembly building with the Land and Titles Court and Samoan Affairs Office, which is planned for later construction. In addition to this programme, the Public Works Office itself was enlarged and three new offices constructed in the front portion of the old building. A timber vehicle and plant shelter, 120 ft. by 30 ft., was constructed in the Public Works yard. Five portable aluminium tool and store sheds for building foremen were constructed. These are designed to be moved readily from job to job to provide water-tight lock-up facilities for perishable stores and tools. Staff Residences A large residence was purchased and extensively reconditioned for staff housing. The residence occupied by the Director of Health was added to and reconditioned. Three new staff residences at Moto'otua were commenced. One was completed and the other two are in an advanced stage of completion. Bridges The two concrete arch bridges giving access to the Lepu lava-field in Si'umu and Falealili districts were completed and placed in service. A3O ft. concrete arch bridge was constructed at Fagafau, in Samata district, Savai'i. This gives access to plantation lands towards Falelima. Electricity The continued delay in the supply from Australia of the penstock pipes for the new hydro-electric scheme at Fuluasou has meant that the existing generating-units operate under a gross overload, with correspondingly unsatisfactory service. It is hoped that the new scheme will be in operation by the end of 1950, and in the meantime the H.T. 6,600-volt lines and extensions to existing L.T. lines have been erected in readiness for the new supply. Water-supplies Preliminary investigations and reports on all water-supply areas throughout the Territory which are suitable for immediate development have been made, but there has been no change in the existing situation as shown in the last report. There is an
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almost complete inability to obtain adequate supplies of pipes, a factor which has practically prevented any water-supply development for the last ten years. The Government of Western Samoa has placed large bulk orders for pipes overseas, but as yet none have been received. G. SOCIAL ADVANCEMENT General The objectives of the Administering Authority in regard to social advancement lie at this stage mainly in the fields of public health, nutrition, and improved infant care. Increases in trained staff, investigations of dietary conditions, the continued encouragement of the women's village committees, and improved educational facilities are the major methods by which these ends are being pursued. During the year, £70,413 was spent on education and £105,655 on health services. In addition, sums were expended for capital works in respect of both these services under the heading of Public Works. Full details are given in Appendix VI (b). The following comments were included in the last report, but are repeated because of their basic significance. Social Conditions Samoan Society Samoan society has shown itself remarkably capable of taking the strains of adaptation to the conditions of the modern world. Although the Samoan of the present day has interests and needs which did not exist for his ancestors, the structure of society and code of values which have been passed on from earlier generations remain, in their essential principles, unchanged. To-day, as in the past, the unit of Samoan social life is the family (aiga). Such a family is not merely a biological group, as Europeans understand the term, consisting of parents and children, but a wider family group of blood and marriage or even adopted connections who all acknowledge one person as the matai or head of that particular family. Such a matai is a titled person, either a chief (ali'i) or an orator (tulafale or failuaga), whose particular duty is the leadership and care of the family under his control, and who is entitled to the services and co-operation of all members of his family in return for his leadership. All members of such a family group need not necessarily live under the same roof or even in the same village, but will, when occasion requires it, assemble, generally at the residence of the matai, to discuss family affairs or any happenings affecting the interests of the family or to discharge duties associated with deaths, successions, or weddings. Such an assembly to discuss family affairs is not merely a duty on the part of the members of the family, but is a right which is jealously guarded and, if necessary, protected by the Government. It is part of the duty of the matai to administer the family land and to apportion it for the use of the members in return for services rendered to him as their head. He is the trustee of the good name of the family and responsible for the maintenance of its dignity and the adequate performance of its social obligations. There is no ceremony or formality associated with the practice of adoption, which may occur by reason of relationship or friendship, or because of a lack of young people in the family concerned. The child is taken into the family and, insensibly with the passage of years and a record of good service, comes to be regarded as one of the family. The matai bears a family name or title by which he is always addressed and which succeeds from one holder to another. There is nothing in Samoan custom to prevent him holding two or more titles, as intermarriage through many generations has united many of the leading families. A title or family name may be split or shared and there may be two or more holders concurrently in one or more branches of the family tree.
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Succession is not necessarily from father to eldest son, but all within the wide family group are eligible. It is thus correct to state that there is no definite known person or heir who is entitled as of right to succeed a matai as the head of the family on the latter's death. The whole family meet and choose one whose conduct has commended him to them, questions of blood connection and descent, service to the family, previous holders of the title, and personal suitability all being taken into consideration. Even an adopted son is eligible if he is otherwise acceptable. Thus, although there is a sharp difference of status as between titled and untitled persons, progress from untitled to titled rank is the normal aspiration sooner or later of most adult males. The higher social grades are thus not closed or exclusive, as is the case with certain other Polynesian peoples. There is a mutual interdependence and recognition of titled and untitled people. Each has its recognized and respected place in the community and the two principal elements in society are therefore complementary. The European Community The community of European status is composed predominantly of persons of partSamoan blood. A large proportion of its members belong to families which were founded by a European ancestor three or four generations back. The majority of such local Europeans live in the area of Apia, where they have a leading role in trade and provide the greatest number of skilled craftsmen and artisans. Many also have plantations or small holdings, though they are at a disadvantage in comparison with Samoans in not having access to Native land (except through a wife or other relative of Samoan status). Movement of people from Western Samoa requires a permit issued by the High Commissioner, who may in the case of emigration to New Zealand issue a permit which is recognized by the Administering Authority as being valid for a six months' stay and which can be extended, subject to good behaviour, for further periods. At present there are approximately 700 Samoans and part-Samoans in New Zealand. A permit to emigrate to other territories is issued only after a permit to land in the particular territory has been issued. The scale of movement of the population can be gauged by reference to Appendix I. As stated, there are no restrictions of movement within Western Samoa. Visitors to Western Samoa are admitted only on a temporary visitor's permit available for a period of six months. These permits may be extended at the discretion of the High Commissioner, and after five years' residence in the Territory persons on temporary permits are considered to be permanent residents. Vagrancy is a penal offence. In Western Samoa it is defined as a person (other than a Samoan born in Western Samoa) who has insufficient means of support. Standards of Living No family living studies have as yet been undertaken in the Territory, though it is hoped that the survey being conducted this year in connection with the Food and Agriculture world census of agriculture will yield some information on this point. In the absence of a full-scale money economy in the Territory it is difficult to see what purpose could be served by the compilation of cost-of-living indices. The Administering Authority is concerned to see that the cost of those items which the Samoans purchase is not subject to violent fluctuation, and for this reason a system of price control has been in operation since 1940. Some attempt is being made to establish a cost-of-living index for the European members of the Western Samoan Public Service with a view of revising, if necessary, the cost-of-living allowance at present payable to these officers. As an indication of the prevailing price-level in Apia, particulars of the prices of certain commodities are given in Appendix IX.
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Status of Women Women as organized groups have an. acknowledged and respected place in society. Individually, their position is derived from that of husband or parent, and their status in the community changes with that of their menfolk. Women in Western Samoa are far from being an under-privileged section of the community. There is no distinction in law between the rights of women and men, though women are not commonly chosen for succession to Samoan titles. Women are able to enter the Western Samoan Public Service as suitable vacancies exist. Girls have equal opportunities to compete for the award of scholarships tenable in New Zealand, and facilities exist for their training in the Territory as nurses, dental nurses, and teachers. The women's village committees continue to perform excellent work in child welfare and village health fields, as well as providing some measure of village government experience for their members. These committees are supervised by the Samoan medical practitioners and the District Nurses. Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms All elements of the population are secure in the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms without discrimination as to race, sex, language, or religion, as envisaged in Article 76 (c) of the United Nations Charter. In a society organized on a communal basis like that of Western Samoa there are occasions when public opinion tends to move against individuals in certain circumstances, and instances have been known where social pressure has been employed in derogation of certain fundamental freedoms. The rights of individuals are, however, well known, and the Government is prompt to support, in matters involving such freedoms, the opinion of one against the many in so far as it involves personal rights. So, too, the operation of the matai system from time to time requires the subordination of personal opinions to the rights or opinions of the family. Yet, even here the individual is secure from oppression or derogation of his rights. Samoan custom itself provides that where social inferiors feel dissatisfaction at treatment received they are at liberty to withdraw their support and attach themselves to some other branch of their family connections in some other part of the country, and thus a large measure of social equilibrium and socia] justice is maintained. There is no restriction on the expression of public opinion either in Samoan. or European political meetings. Clubs and political parties have been constituted in the Territory during election campaigns, and the use of the Government broadcasting system is permitted. There is at present no daily or weekly newspaper, but arrangements have been made for the publication of a weekly newspaper by a local commercial printing organization. This is deemed to be so worthy of encouragement and support that the Government of Western Samoa will undertake to guarantee the purchase of several hundreds of copies of each issue in order to help launch the project. (See, further, Section I, " Publications.") There is at present no restriction on the nature of the contents of any publication. The Government Broadcasting Service (see page 60) is the principal medium for the dissemination of local and international news. All Samoans profess Christianity, and religious observations are prominent in Samoan life. Article 9of the Trusteeship Agreement is fully observed—there is complete freedom of conscience. There are no restrictions on missionaries or on missionary activities. As noted later in this report (see page 59), mission schools are not subject to Government control, but, by exchange of views with the missions, the Director of Education aims at reaching agreement as to syllabi of both primary and secondary education. The number of
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missionaries, their nationalities, and the religious bodies they represent, together with the distribution of Samoan adherents at the time of the last census taken in September, 1945, are set out hereunder. It should not be overlooked that the following figures include staff whose principal functions are associated with teaching rather than with active missionary work in the field.
Analysis of Mission Staff
Persons may be arrested without warrant only if suspected of serious offences against the person and crimes involving violence. Persons so arrested must forthwith be brought before the Court, and if the officer hearing the charges refuses leave to file an information the prisoner is discharged from custody. There is a free right of petition ; all elements of the population are subject to the same laws as regards the safety of their persons and their property ; and, other than in times of war, there have been no instances of the imposition of restriction on the personal freedoms of the inhabitants or restrictions on the writing, transmission, or publication of information. Labour Conditions and Regulations The Crown Solicitor also acts as Commissioner of Labour, but he has no departmental organization. Few labour statistics can therefore be kept. For the same reason, the Territory is not in a position to embark on any ambitious programme of labour legislation, since it lacks the administrative facilities which would be necessary to ensure that labour laws were kept. The proportion of the population depending on wages is, however, so small that the maintenance of a special administration and the enactment of precise labour legislation is considered unnecessary. Owing to the social structure of the country, this situation has not had the practical disadvantages which it would have done in many other parts of the world. The work of fishing and tending the food gardens has always been performed by family groups under the authority of their matai. Similar family or village groups have undertaken work for the good of the community, such as the maintenance of tracks and water-supplies or the building of churches. Under present conditions, such groups are employed in many forms of relatively unskilled work for monetary payment. They are used by the Public Works Department for road-construction, by planters for agricultural work, and so on. The members of such groups are not wage workers in the ordinary sense. They do not work for an outside employer for more than a short period at a time, and their ability to do without such employment provides an assurance that they will not be exploited when they undertake it. Work done in this way by agreement with a matai or a group
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Nationality. Adherents as at Date of Last Denomination. United Census, 25th States of British. French. German. Total. September, America. 1945. London Missionary Society .. 6 6 36,661 Roman Catholic 17 11 18 6 52 11,786 Methodist 9 9 10,580 Latter Day Saints (Mormon) 14 2 16 2,337 Seventh Day Adventist 6 6 505 Samoan Congregational Church 548 Church of England 1 1 4 Presbyterian 1 Totals 31 35 18 6 90 62,422
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of matai represents a large part of the work undertaken by Samoans for direct monetary payment. The 1945 census showed that only 3 per cent, of the Samoan people were working regularly for wages. In the past the biggest groups of wage workers were the Chinese and Melanesians introduced for a limited period of employment on plantations. When New Zealand Military Forces occupied Western Samoa in 1914 there were 2,184 Chinese and 877 Melanesians in the Territory. The New Zealand Government decided to bring this system of imported labour to an end, which it did gradually. Since 1935 there has been a policy of repatriating those who remained. At the present time there are only 171 Chinese labourers still in the Territory and well under 100 Melanesians. During the year a report upon the status of Chinese inhabitants of the Territory was made by the High Commissioner to , the Legislative Assembly. The report stated that, unless fresh legislation were enacted, the remaining unrepatriated formerly indentured labour (of whom there are now only 171) would appear to have legally the position of free citizens. The resulting debate showed that members were prepared to accept this position. Regulation of the working-conditions of these imported labourers has not presented the problems which close control of Samoan labour would do. They have continued to work on plantations and their place of work has generally been known to the Commissioner of Labour. Many of them still continue to work with their employers under long-term contracts which were negotiated in the Commissioner's office. Those who work for wages are generally relatively highly paid, as their services are in keen demand. But a large number work under a share-cropping arrangement, by which they share with the cocoaplanter both the expense of preparing the beans for market and the proceeds of sale on a fifty-fifty basis. During 1948-49, as stated in the previous report at pages 37 et seq, the Government was concerned as to the wage-rates and hours of casual labour. A Commission was set up, and adjustments were then made accordingly. During the year under review there have been no complaints on the revised wage-rates. It can be said with truth that no Samoan is entirely dependent on wages for sustenance ; he also shares in the products of his family lands. In Apia, the major commercial centre of the Territory, there is some indication that this traditional way of life is being departed from to some extent, and some Samoan families whose lands are at a distance from the town are becoming increasingly dependent on wage-earning. No national-income figures for the Territory are available, but consideration is being given to the matter and current efforts in this direction in similar areas are being watched. Details of the International Labour Organization conventions applying to the Territory will be found in Appendix 111. As the economy of Western Samoa becomes more advanced there will be an increasing need for closer attention being paid to the supervision of the labour force. It is anticipated that early in the new year an inquiry will be made into the problems of establishing a system of workers' compensation in the Territory. The activities of the Administering Authority and the South Pacific Commission should result in the provision of suitable training facilities for professional and technical workers. There are no co-operative organizations in Western Samoa, though provision is made for the registration of Samoan companies, and some companies are so registered. Public Health Western Samoa is free from many of the diseases which present the most serious health problems in large areas of the tropics, such as malaria, tripanosomiasis, and schistomsomiasis. The climate is healthy even for Europeans unaccustomed to the heat and humidity ; and the general level of nutrition is more satisfactory than in a great many tropical regions. The most prevalent diseases are hookworm, yaws, and filaria,
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and diseases which result from faulty sanitation such, as typhoid, dysentry, and infantile diarrhoea. Tuberculosis is also a major problem, and chest-diseases such as pneumonia are common. Considerable illness among children is caused by faulty feeding. Epidemics of such common ailments as influenza and mumps occur from time to time, but now that the people have access to medical remedies and are in the' habit of using them they are not a major cause of death or permanently impaired health. The death-rate and infantmortality rate in Western Samoa compare favourably with those in most other parts of the Pacific, but they are still high by western standards. Medical statistics are given in Appendix X. All medical work—curative and preventive—is under the control of the Director of Health, who is the administrative head. Appendix X (e) shows the structure of the Department. Personnel The following table compares the desired establishment with the actual numbers on the staff in February, 1949, and again in March, 1950, and indicates that very little important change has taken place during the year in the total numbers.
The desired establishment sets out what the Director of Health considers necessary to provide an adequate standard of medical care in the Territory in anticipation of increasing population and extended health services. At the present stage of the development of Western Samoa it is difficult to see how the costs involved in this latter scale can be met. However, the Inspector-General of the South Pacific Health Service and the New Zealand Deputy Director-General of Health are to visit the Territory to examine the situation fully and to make their recommendations. The Administering Authority is determined that the Territory shall have the best medical service that it can reasonably afford, even although this may be extremely difficult in the face of the rapidly increasing population. Strenuous efforts have been made by the Administering Authority to obtain additional medical personnel, bonus payments and improved terms of appointment being among the methods used to make service in the Territory more attractive. It is confidently expected that with the co-operation of the Inspector-General of the South Pacific Health Service suitable appointees will be found during the coming year. Endeavours are being made to secure a qualified European Health Inspector who, in addition to his public-health duties, will be required to supervise and train Samoan Sanitary Inspectors.
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— Present Establishment. Staff, February, 1949, Staff, 31st March, 1950. Desired Establishment of Extended Service. Doctors 4 3 4 6 Dental Officers 1 1 1 2 Pharmacists 1 1 1 1 Bacteriologists 1 1 1 I Nursing Sister 11 11 9 20 Samoan medical practitioners 24 24 23 36 Samoan dental practitioners 7 7 7 18 Samoan staff nurses 58 55 105 Samoan dispensary assistants 10 10 14 Samoan laboratory assistants 4 6 11 Samoan Sanitary Inspectors 6 6 14 Samoan male dressers 11 4 30
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The Health Committee of the Legislative Assembly has continued to meet regularly throughout the year and is proving a most valuable link between the Director of Health and the Legislative Assembly and the people generally. A start has been made by the South Pacific Commission's Research Council on a project dealing with tuberculosis, and a team of experts in this field is to visit Western Samoa in 1950. The extension of the area covered by the epidemiological information service of the South Pacific Health Service in conjunction with the South Pacific Commission has rendered the information received much more valuable to Western Samoa, and it is pleasing to record that there was no instance of serious epidemics and no quarantine measures had to be instituted against any vessel or aircraft from overseas. Dr. Muriel Bell, Senior Nutrition Officer, New Zealand Medical Research Council, visited the Territory in January. The New Zealand medical research team which visited the Territory last year is still active, and during the present year visited the Cook Islands to increase its acquaintance with the medical problems of the area. It is proposed that this research be continued, and the question of appointing a full-time Medical Research Officer in the Territory and proposals for the establishment of a suitable research laboratory are being considered. Training of Personnel The Administering Authority has recently arranged for a considerable increase in the numbers of Samoan students admitted to the Central Medical School, Fiji, and it is hoped that this will enable all future requirements of Samoan medical practitioners to be filled. The South Pacific Commission has included the training of indigenous peoples in various professions and technical services as one of its research projects, and, following on this, Mr. R. A. Derrick, the Director of Technical Education in Fiji, visited the Territory recently to ascertain requirements and, if possible, to arrange for the co-ordination and centralization of training programmes. Suitable scholarship pupils in New Zealand are also being encouraged to study for New Zealand qualifications as medical and dental officers. A nurses' training-school has been continued throughout the year. Ten nurses have graduated and thirty-one new trainees have commenced training. The wastage of nurses is considerable, as is shown in the summary below, and to overcome this an increase in the number of trainee entrants was made in the class commenced in December, 1949. Until the recruitment of trained nursing Sisters from New Zealand is adequate, much of the teaching will continue to fall upon the Matron and Sub-Matron, in addition to their normal duties.
Two scholarship-holders in New Zealand have commenced their training in New Zealand for registration as State registered nurses. Improved training of nurses and local post-graduate and refresher courses for nurses and medical practitioners have resulted in a greater interest being shown by them in their work and in a higher quality of the work being done. Nurses are brought into Apia after one year on district or out-station work for a six-month refresher course, and all Samoan medical practitioners have a four-month refresher course at Apia every
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— 1945. 1946. 1947. 1948. 1949. Number of nurses taken in for training 23 15 28 19 31 Number of nurses graduated in the year 14 13 10 10 10 Total number of nurses with over two years' experience after 10 14 23 25 27 graduation
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two years. This course involves one month on the medical run, one month on the surgical run, one month in general out-patient and district calls, and one month on special public-health work. Improvements in library facilities have also added to staff keenness and to the standard of their work. With the increase in the educational standard in the Territory and the availability of trained medical personnel, it is not considered that the problem of untrained indigenous practitioners reaches serious proportions. The Administering Authority co-operates with other Governments in the area to maintain a leper hospital at Makogai, Fiji. There is a special hospital at Apia to isolate and treat lepers while they are awaiting transfer to Makogai, and suitable recreational facilities are provided. Professional prostitution does not exist in the Territory and no public-health problem therefore arises from this source. Apia Hospital Apia Hospital is the central unit in the Territory's medical services. It possesses the main laboratory and x-ray diagnostic services and the most extensive facilities for major surgical work. All the European medical officers are attached to it, as is the dental officer. Improvements in transport facilities make it possible for a higher proportion of the more serious cases to be brought to Apia for treatment. The administrative offices of the Department are at the hospital, and it is the main centre from which stores and supplies are distributed to out-stations. All the Samoan staff, apart from Samoan medical practitioners, are trained there. The work of rebuilding the hospital, which has been in progress for several years, was continued during 1949-50. District Organization There are five medical districts, in addition to the central district served by the Apia Hospital. Each district is in the charge of a senior Samoan medical practitioner, and each should ultimately have a main district hospital and subsidiary dispensary hospitals as population requires. The building of these district hospitals is proceeding on a basis whereby the Samoan Government and the district each provide half of the cost of the building. The Samoan Government equips and staffs the hospitals, but in turn receives a grant from the Administering Authority to assist in the cost of equipment. A main district hospital consists of— Two wards (each twelve beds). One large consultation, out-patients', and laboratory block. One sanitary block. Staff quarters. A district dispensary hospital consists of — One ward (twelve beds). One small consultation and out-patients' building. One sanitary block. Staff quarters. Possibly the most encouraging feature of the whole year's activities has been the willingness with which the majority of districts have organized locally for improvement of their local medical institutions, and are now benefiting by improved services. There are actually thirteen district dispensary hospitals (see Appendix X (b) ) which have been in existence and full operation for some time, but the above scheme will effect a consolidation and a complete rebuilding of Samoan-type structures with modern buildings in permanent materials.
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There is also a district nursing service, referred to later under " Public Health." Buildings (а) Apia Hospital— The building programme is up to date. Finished, 1949-50 : One ward (thirty beds) with store under. Staff quarters — Dressers : One fale. Nurses : One double fale. Samoan medical practitioners : One fale. Covered ways : 400 ft. Kitchen : Building finished, waiting for equipment. Laundry : Nearly completed, awaiting arrival of equipment. (б) Out-stations — Fagamalo : Almost complete (main district hospital). Tuasivi: One ward complete (district dispensary hospital). Poutasi: £l,OOO waiting to be used (district dispensary hospital). Mobile Clinic Not all villages in Western Samoa can be visited by the mobile clinic, which has to concentrate upon those villages which are more readily accessible for a clinic based on Apia. These villages are visited weekly for four consecutive weeks once a week, and in the course of the year many of the villages have had more than one tour of four visits. Visits have also been paid to some of the main schools. In each village or at each school all the children are examined, though records are kept of only those where some treatment is performed. The qualified clinic staff consists of one Samoan medical practitioner, one Samoan dental practitioner, one Samoan staff nurse, and a driver, and is frequently strengthened by another Samoan medical practitioner who does the pre-school children and the adults in the village while the clinic staff is dealing with the school. A Sanitary Inspector and vermin- and mosquito-control teams with sprays, &c., accompany the clinic frequently and work through the village while the clinic remains there. Thus a visit to a village by the mobile clinic means that almost the whole population is seen and such treatment as is required is given. Several nights a week are usually spent out in the villages, and often picture shows are given with health films and talks over the loud-speaker system while reels are being changed. The one clinic now operating cannot do more than a small amount of the work it is called upon to do. Two new clinics are on order. A summary of work of the mobile clinic for 1949-50 is given in Appendix X (c). Treatments The number of treatments carried out in hospitals and dispensaries during each of the past five years is shown in Appendix X (b). The continued increase in purely therapeutic work is noteworthy, despite the shortages of . staff. This has been partly due to more intensive yaws control and school medical work, but mainly to a steady increase in confidence on the part of the general public in European medicine and a desire to benefit from its advantages. Mortality-rates Statistics of deaths of Samoan children and infants are given in Appendix X (d).
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Public Health {a) School Service Apart from the mobile clinic, two school clinics exist: one at the Marist Brothers' School (about 1,500 treatments per month) and one at Malifa School (about 1,700 treatments per month). Each child in these schools is examined at least once every term by the school nurse. Cases with which she cannot cope are referred to the district Samoan medical practitioner on his regular visits or are brought up to the hospital. The school nurses visit the homes of the children who need " follow up." Daily dressings and treatments are given to all cases referred by teachers, in addition to the routine class inspections. Staff shortages have prevented this service being extended in this intensive form, but all schools in the Territory are inspected by district staff. All schools in the Apia area are served by the dental clinic, and children attend regularly. Dental " malagas " are made at least once a year to each outside village. (b) Quarantine All ships and aircraft from outside the Territory are inspected for quarantine purposes on arrival in Western Samoa. During the year, 181 ships and 101 aircraft were inspected. (c) Food Inspection Regular inspection of food (meat, bread, milk, &c.) is made, but staff shortages prevented the inspection of all meat at the abattoir until January, 1950, when a Meat Inspector was appointed. Since his appointment he has condemned or partially condemned about 20 per cent, of the carcasses inspected* Routine milk-testing is done in the Government laboratory in Apia, and milk products like ice-cream and cream are tested from time to time. All trading-stores, bakeries, dairies, abattoir, &c., are inspected at least once a year, and, as far as possible, more frequently. Water-testing is done regularly, but a major engineering programme will be required to make the water-supplies satisfactory. Condemnation and destruction of damaged food constitutes an almost daily task for Sanitary Inspectors. (d) Rubbish Collection Rubbish collection in the Apia area has been brought under direct control of the Department, instead of by contract, which had proved unsatisfactory, and a general sanitary improvement is apparent. (e) Mosquito and Rodent Control Six trainees have been employed in this connection during 1949-50, but staff shortages have again interfered with their proper teaching and control. They have, however, made a marked difference in certain areas previously notorious in and about Apia. A power sprayer has been in- use during most of the year and some hundreds of dwellings, stores, and public places have been DDT sprayed. (/) Village Inspection Regular village inspections, as far as staff permits, are carried out, and almost all districts have had a Sanitary Inspector resident for some months during the year. In addition to this, a survey was made of two villages near Apia where overcrowding was known to be rather serious. As a result of these surveys, recommendations concerning the provision of more land for these and other rapidly growing villages have been made.
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(g) District Nursing Service There are 17 nurses on district duties (plus 2 on full-time school clinics, 1 on mobile clinic, and 16 on out-station hospital duties). The whole Territory is well covered by this service, and each month over 1,000 babies are seen and their mothers advised, about 500 pregnant women are seen, over 350 visits are paid to people sick in their homes, over 700 skin conditions are treated (mainly in pre-school children), and over 175 lectures and demonstrations are given to women's committees. This work is additional to that set out in Appendix X (c), which represents hospital activities. In addition to this, the senior staff nurse gave a course of lectures to the Teachers' Training College throughout the year on baby welfare, school health, and general hygiene. (h) Dental Service The following is a summary of work carried out by the Dental Department —such work includes that performed at the dental clinic, on malaga, school inspections, and mobile clinic : Number of examinations .. .. .. 13,881 Number of fillings .. .. .. .. .. 2,478 Number of extractions .. .. .. .. 4,102 Number of prophylaxis and miscellaneous operations .. 3,842 Number of dentures .. .. .. .. .. 72 The bulk of the extraction work is done for aged Samoans, and filling and prophylaxis treatment is carried out as much as possible for the younger section of the community. During the last year a denture service has been instituted, and the people of Western Samoa are now able to seek and have performed any type of work in relation to dentistry. Since coming under the direction of a full-time Dental Officer, the Samoan dental practitioners have been able to expand their knowledge both theoretically and clinically, and the time will shortly arrive when they will be sent to the various district hospitals to work, in conjunction with the Samoan medical practitioners. Sanitation The type of sewage-disposal system in use in the Territory varies with the locality. Most European-style houses in Apia are equipped with septic tanks, while many Samoan dwellings have pit latrines. Conveniences in the outer areas tend to be very primitive, with a large number of sea latrines in use, and it is hoped that the efforts of the Sanitary Inspectors, the women's committee, and the Health Committee will result in an improvement in this respect. The general question of the use and construction of latrines in the villages is one which almost for generations Public Health authorities in Western Samoa have found most intractable. On the whole, the Samoans remain unresponsive on this issue, although there is an observable but slow improvement. During the year a survey of all reticulated water-supplies was made with a view to considering extensions and improvements. Other types of water-supply are supervised, as far as possible, by the Sanitary Inspectors and the Samoan medical practitioners. The New Zealand Sale of Food and Drugs Act applies in Western Samoa and provides for the regular inspection and registration of markets, bakeries, and abattoirs. Dbugs The manufacture, sale, and distribution of drugs is controlled by the Samoa Dangerous Drugs Order 1930 and the Samoa Pharmacy Order 1924. The Geneva Opium Convention of 19th February, 1925, and the Limitation Convention of 31st July, 1931, are applicable to the Territory. The population is not addicted to the use of narcotic drugs. Several aged Chinese have been receiving a small weekly allowance of opium.
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The only dangerous drug issued during the year was opium, of which 5 J kg. was issued by the officer in charge of the dispensary at the Apia Hospital. Alcohol and Spirits During the year the advisory Liquor Board has continued to meet regularly to assist the Director of Health in the issue of permits for the consumption of liquor for medicinal purposes. The importation of liquor for medicinal purposes during 1949-50 was as follows :
Importations for sacramental purposes were 180 gallons of wine, and for industrial purposes 484 gallons of rectified spirits of wine. Revenue derived from duties on liquor was £2,628. All liquor is sold by the Government at prices approximately equal to current retail prices in New Zealand. There is no indigenous alcoholic drink. Kava, which is drunk by Samoans on ceremonial occasions, does not ferment, and becomes stale and unpalatable if allowed to stand. The illegal manufacture of non-indigenous alcoholic beverages is an object of constant vigilance by the police. However, the powers possessed by the police under the present laws are insufficient to enable them fully to exercise their task in this respect, and a certain amount of illegal manufacture continues in the Territory. The whole legal situation relating to the control of the supply, manufacture, and consumption of alcoholic beverages requires complete revision, but although the question is being carefully examined, it seems clear that no generally satisfactory solution will be easily found. During the year 1949-50 there were twenty-six convictions for drunkenness (nineteen Samoans and seven Europeans) and thirty-two convictions for illegal manufacture of liquor (twenty-six Samoans and six Europeans).
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Average Percentage Type of Liquor. of Alcohol by Weight (Approximate). Quantity Imported. Quantity Issued Under Permits. Countries of Origin. Spirits— Gallons. Gallons. Whisky 1,964 1,710 United Kingdom, Canada, United States of America. Brandy - 40-0 to 45-0 360 699 United Kingdom, Prance. Gin 814 986 United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand. Rum 200 410 Australia. Liqueurs 45-0 58 37 United Kingdom, Australia. Wines (port and sherry) .. 12-0 to 18-0 324 344 United Kingdom, Australia. Vermouth 22-0 70 Australia, Portugal, Italy, France. Beer and stout 1-51 to 2-39 20,840 21,021 United Kingdom, New Zealand, United States of America.
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Population The last census was taken in the Territory on 25th September, 1945. The census figures and the annual figures since that date up to 31st March, 1950, are shown in Appendix I. During the year 1949-50 there was a net increase in population of 2,774, representing a growth of 3-68 per cent, for the year, and continuing and even perhaps intensifying the already observed pattern of unusually high rate of increase. It is proposed in 1951 to take another census, when a more accurate estimate of population trends will be possible. The comment relating to the effect of this demographic situation upon the future welfare of the Territory and upon all the plans of the Samoan Government which was made in the last report still remains fully applicable. The change in population since the establishment of New Zealand's administration is as follows :
Social Security and Welfare There is no change to report under this heading, and with ample access to all the necessities of life the Samoan people continue to be socially secure. Certain small compassionate grants are made by the Western Samoan Government regularly every year to elderly and indigent people in the small European and partEuropean population who do not participate in the benefits of the Samoan aiga system . An examination of the possibility of introducing workers compensation insurance is being made by the Government, assisted by an expert from New Zealand. The bulk of the health services are in effect provided free, except that patients in the Apia General Hospital are required to pay a fee for their board, although they receive medical services free. Samoan patients who wish to provide their own food may do so, and there is consequently no charge made to them. The Health Department endeavours to make a small charge for medicines issued, and this is, in general, collected from those able to pay, but no medicine or treatment of any kind is ever refused to any person because of his inability to pay. The Government has been considering whether it would be possible to make the whole of the health services, including hospitalization and medicines, free to all inhabitants of the Territory. In the Samoan society, children, in particular, are fully and adequately cared for, and child delinquency is practically unknown. A special group, the aged Chinese, who are unable to support themselves, are supported from a benevolent fund to which they have previously contributed. Housing and Town-planning Outside the Town of Apia there is no housing problem in the Territory, the Samoans freely building from easily available materials their satisfactory and well-known type of dwelling.
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— 17th April, 1921 (Census). 25th September, 1945 (Census). 31st March, 1950 (Estimated). Increase or Decrease, 1921-50. Europeans 835 359 322 - 513 Part-Samoans 1,231 5,040 5,693 + 4,462 Samoans 33,336 62,422 71,900 + 38,564 Chinese 1,290 301 176 - 1,114 Melanesian s 465 75 64 - 401 Totals 37,157 68,197 78,155 +40,998
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Within the Town of Apia there is a certain shortage of European-type houses, which is being overcome to some extent by the Government plan reported on page 44 of the 1949 report for the building of additional residences for official staff. Town-planning is of interest only in so far as it affects the Town of Apia, and here it is clear that in the years to come a definite and adequate approach will have to be made to this problem. The town-planning aspect of Apia is, however, related to the general question of the establishment of a municipal government for that town, and the development of proper town services such as drainage and water-supply. (See under " Local Government " page 19.) Penal Organization The penal organization of the Territory is under the control of the Department of Police and Prisons, of which the Inspector of Police is administrative head. The Department maintains two prisons, one at Yaimea, a mile out of Apia, and the other at Tafaigata, six miles and a half out. The latter is a prison farm. They are both under the control of the gaoler, whose subordinate staff consists of a sergeant, six warders, and two wardresses at Yaimea, and a corporal and six warders at Tafaigata. In addition, five prisoners of good conduct are housed in the police barracks at Apia under the control of a constable, and a few (an average of four a day during the year under review) are kept under detention in Savai'i under the charge of the Resident Commissioner, who employs constables as warders. No Samoan can be removed outside the Territory for confinement, and the consent of the Governor-General of New Zealand in Council is necessary to so confine any other resident of the Territory. At Yaimea most prisoners are housed in a fale with strong wire-mesh walls. At Tafaigata they live in two large airy rooms. Only those guilty of breaches of prison discipline are housed in cells (where they have a minimum of 50 square feet of space each). At Vaimea each prisoner has an average of 22 square feet of sleeping-space, and between being locked up for the night and going to bed has an area of 594 square feet to move about in. At Tafaigata, prisoners have an average of 28 square feet of sleeping-space. Juvenile delinquency is uncommon in the Territory. A juvenile if convicted is not imprisoned, but sent to an approved family for care and discipline. On admission to gaol, prisoners are given an outline of prison rules and regulations by the gaoler. Breaches are punished by withdrawal of privileges (permission to have two visitors every Sunday and to write letters to relatives), loss of good-conduct time, or punishment by confinement to light or dark cells on reduced diet for a certain number of days (seldom exceeding a week). The number of prisoners who were sentenced to a period in the cells during the year was forty-seven. Recalcitrant prisoners who are completely unresponsive to discipline are housed in a block of concrete cells at Yaimea and work in an adjoining walled yard. They see no visitors, are allowed no extra food from outside in addition to their rations, and are not permitted to write letters. Escaped prisoners are dealt with by the High Court, which usually imposes a further term of imprisonment. The Governor-General of New Zealand may pardon a prisoner, or remit any part of a sentence of imprisonment or a fine, or commute a death sentence to one of imprisonment. The High Commissioner possesses similar powers in regard to sentences of imprisonment for less than a year. Where a term of imprisonment for a year or more has been awarded, he may remit up to a quarter of the sentence for good conduct and industry. Prisoners so released before the completion of their full term are subject to no restrictions. They may take up their normal civilian occupation again. In the case of Samoans, this generally represents in the fullest sense the completion of their punishment, for conviction of breaches of a still somewhat alien law carries with it much less of a moral stigma than it does for Europeans.
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A system of release on probationary licence is also provided for. It is very rarely used, except for one class of prisoners—those serving life sentences. In their case the general practice exists of having the case reviewed after about fifteen years by the Governor-General, the High Commissioner, and the Chief Judge. If the conduct and industry of the prisoner are considered satisfactory and the circumstances of the case justify it, the Governor-General may grant the prisoner a release on probation by warrant setting out the conditions of his probation. The majority of prisoners are employed on the prison farm at Tafaigata, where they grow Samoan food crops, garden vegetables, and various fruits. All ordinary Samoan food crops are grown, and, in addition, crops such as cantaloupes, pumpkins, peanuts, corn, and millet, which previously could not profitably be grown elsewhere in the Territory. The yield is sufficient to provide prison rations and leave a large surplus for sale to the Apia Hospital and other customers. The policy of planting large stands of bamboo has been continued, as it provides material for basketmaking, &c. The prisons provide their own firewood from a block of bush at Lafi Plantation. The prisoners at Tafaigata also undertake necessary carpentering and other maintenance work about the farm. At Yaimea a few prisoners are employed tending the sugar-cane plantation there, gathering sugar-cane leaves for thatch, looking after the vegetable garden, and doing general maintenance work. The recalcitrant prisoners, who are also at Vaimea, work in their walled yard making baskets, thatch, and starch (from manioc grown at Tafaigata). A number of other prisoners from Yaimea go out each day to work in Government buildings. A few of specially good conduct go to their work unescorted. Most of this work is of direct vocational help to many of the prisoners. It gives them a knowledge of modern methods of agriculture and gardening or provides them with a trade. They learn something of crop rotation, composting, the handling of cattle and milking of cows, carpentry, Samoan-house building, cement-work, basketmaking, and thatchmaking. No programme of more formal education of prisoners has been undertaken. There is opportunity, however, for the reading of suitable literature ; and most of the prisoners spend considerable time in reading their Bibles. Clergy of the various denominations visit the prisons every Sunday. A Samoan medical practitioner has visited Yaimea Prison bi-weekly during the year to deal with minor ailments or injuries which did not necessitate hospital treatment. He has also carried out a medical examination of the prisoners and given necessary injections. A dental officer visits the prison when required. Prisoners requiring hospital treatment are taken to the Apia Hospital. A general inspection of the prisons is carried out monthly by the Chief Judge and Chief Medical Officer. They have been accompanied on several occasions by an elected member of the Legislative Assembly. H. EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT General The year 1949-50 has been one of considerable educational activity as regards building, equipping of schools, staffing, and teacher-training. The educational development plan for Western Samoa is gaining momentum and will shortly show results in the raising of the general level of education. That there is a great awakening of interest in education is evidenced by the better attendance at schools, the keen desire of many villages to have new schools opened, and the active co-operation of the Samoan people in the erection of more suitable types of school buildings in the villages. In addition to this keen demand for education as a fact and as a social service, there is also developing
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an interest in the aims and objects of an education system for a community such as Western Samoa. It is interesting to record that the delegation from Western Samoa to the South Pacific Conference devoted some considerable time to the preparation of a paper upon " The Village School," and the following is an extract from this paper : In order to judge the effectiveness of the Samoan educational system and the contribution which the village schools are making to it, it seems worth while attempting to summarize the aims which we have set before us. These, we think, may be set out as follows : (1) To provide a sound system of primary education for all children of school age with the full realization that the great mass of them live, and will continue to live, in villages and be dependent on agricultural pursuits. (2) To provide for senior students' manual, technical, and agricultural training that will enable them to become more useful members of their village communities. (3) To select from the primary-school children those thought best fitted for a higher education and to provide for them a sound secondary education so as to prepare them for clerical or administrative positions, higher specialist training, or entrance to the University. (4) To provide adult education that will induce a fuller understanding of the responsibilities of citizenship, increase efficiency in work, and contribute to the more fruitful use of leisure. Building Programme Most of the extensive building programme laid down for the year was completed. Modern, open-air types of concrete buildings designed to meet local climatic conditions were erected, and these have proved admirable as schools. The new buildings are roomy, cool, bright, and airy, and, being constructed mainly of concrete, should require little in the way of maintenance. The principal buildings erected were : (a) An intermediate school building on an elevated site adjacent to the Malifa and Leifiifi Schools in Apia. (b) A new infants' school building for Malifa School. (c) A school broadcasting room and library. (d) Alterations and extensions to provide additional accommodation in the Leifiifi Post-primary School for the storage of school material and for the education staff. Further building will be undertaken during 1950 which will include the new residential school for boys at Yaipouli, on Savai'i (a complete rebuilding of the present school), and also development of the Samoa College project. For this latter purpose it has been arranged that the principal architect for the New Zealand Education Department will visit the Territory in May, 1950. During the year there has also been a notable advance in the erection by districts and villages of suitable school buildings in the outer areas. Indeed, the limiting factors in the growth of the education system appear to be, first, the severe over-all shortage of teachers, and, second, the ultimate ceiling imposed by the financial ability of the Territory to maintain such an education system. Education Committee This body, comprising the two Fautua as ex officio members and five members of the Legislative Assembly, under the Chairmanship of the Director of Education, met on numerous occasions during the year to discuss educational problems and to plan for future development. When occasions arose the Committee visited schools and conferred with village authorities. Members of the Committee have gained a considerable insight into the organization of the education system, and have made valuable contributions towards future developments. The Committee acts in an advisory capacity to the Government.
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Administrative Structure The Director of Education is aided by an Assistant Director and an Infant Specialist who are directly responsible for the organization, staffing, and supervision of the 101 village. schools. These schools are divided among seven educational districts, each of which is under the supervision of a Samoan Inspector. The Education Department co-operates with the various missions which are active in the educational field. The Government and the missions are working towards a unified educational system having the same syllabus, and both are engaged in the preparation of suitable text-books. Liaison with the Education Department of the Administering Authority is maintained through an Officer for Islands Education in New Zealand who is assisted by an Inspector of Islands Schools. This officer is responsible to the New Zealand Director of Education, who advises the Minister of Island Territories on the general policy and staffing of schools in the Territory and the supervision of scholarship pupils in New Zealand. In addition, the Officer for Islands Education assists the Government of Fiji, the Western Pacific High Commissioner, and the Government of Tonga with their staffing problems, and also advises on the educational systems of the Cook Islands and Niue. All New Zealand teachers in the Territory are inspected and graded by the Inspector of Island Schools. Government Schools and Curricula Samoan Village Schools Scattered through the Western Samoan group of islands are 101 village schools ranging in roll from 30 to over 400 pupils. They are staffed by Samoan teachers under the supervision of the district Inspectors, who are responsible to the Assistant Director of Education and the Infant Specialist. These village schools have been erected and are maintained by the village people, who must also house the teachers and supply them with food. The average village school building is a typical open-sided Samoan house having a thatched roof and a pebble floor. While these are admirably suited to the climatic conditions for the purpose of Samoan dwellinghouses, they have certain disadvantages as schoolhouses. The lighting arrangement is bad for the eyes, being too bright in fine weather and too dark when the blinds are dropped because of rain, and the thatches require constant attention. In order to encourage the village people to build more permanent structures designed to meet the needs of schoolhouses, the Department has sent out plans of a simply constructed open-sided building having a concrete floor and an iron or asbestos roof. Several villages have erected this type of building, and where this has been done the Department has supplied them with desks and forms for the standard classes. Many villages are raising money to build this type of schoolhouse. Supplies of blackboards, cupboards, maps, reference books, and school furniture have been sent out to the schools during the year. The Teachers' Monthly Guide, Tomatau, which has now expanded into junior and senior editions, is issued to all Government schools and to those mission schools who ask for it. This journal supplies teaching material, outlines the radio lessons, and prints notices and matters of educational import for teachers. Copies of each edition are also forwarded to the Tokelau Islands. The school broadcasting staff, now housed in the new building, comprises a New Zealand seconded teacher and two Samoan teachers. For an hour on each of four mornings of the week educational broadcasts are made to the village schools over the Territory's broadcasting-station. Carefully graded lessons in English, social studies, health, safety first, nature-study, and music are broadcast to senior and junior classes. The broadcasting staff also publishes the two editions of Tomatau. The radio has proved to be not only a most valuable educational medium, but also an excellent means of keeping in close touch with the teachers in all the outlying schools. At short notice
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it is possible to disseminate information or to give notices to all teachers and Inspectors. The broadcasting staff regularly records educational programmes, and then moves out among the schools in order to ascertain how the broadcasts are received and handled by the teachers and to check the effectiveness of this method of teaching. A year's experience has shown that the educational broadcasts, in conjunction with the teaching material in the Tomatau, have resulted in a very great improvement in the standard of work in the village schools. Not only is the school work better graded within each subject and from class to class, but education has come to mean more than the teaching of the three R's. These broadcast lessons do much to fill the gap until such time as text-books written in the vernacular can be supplied. At present a syllabus of handwork based on Samoan material culture is in course of preparation, and two Samoan teachers are in New Zealand gaining practical experience in the teaching of arts and crafts to undertake the establishment of the scheme in Western Samoa. Both Government and mission schools receive regular supplies of the Samoan School Journal. This New Zealand publication of twenty-four pages is well illustrated and is issued six times a year. Written in the vernacular, it supplies a fund of factual material, imaginative stories, and plays, and is gradually broadening the educational experience of the Samoan child. Text-books for Village Schools Text-books written in Samoan are in the course of preparation. Two arithmetic books and a music book are on trial in the village schools. During the next year two additional arithmetic books, a junior and senior book of health stories, and English texts will be issued. As a result of information gleaned from a year's trial, the text will be revised, and then published. For classes up to Standard 4, all texts with the exception of English will be written in Samoan. Pupils who continue their schooling beyond Standard 4 will use English texts. Visual Education Two itinerant Visual Education Instructors, equipped with projectors and educational film strips, visit the schools in the outlying districts. The projectors are operated by batteries of sufficient capacity to cater for five or six schools. One instructor toured through Savai'i and the other in Upolu. The Instructor normally arrives in a village during the day and spends some time in the school preparing the children for the films to be shown in the evening. The following morning the children of the school carry the projector and batteries on to the next village. Although some of the films are not suitably graded for showing to village people, the visit of the Visual Aid Instructor is popular and large crowds attend each showing. Teachers' Refresher Courses During the year teachers of each district were gathered at a central place and a short refresher course was conducted in specific subjects. In the May vacation all teachers and Inspectors attended a ten days' refresher course held in Malifa. The teachers, divided into groups, received instruction from New Zealand teachers in the correct use of radio lessons, social studies, music, and writing. Infant-teachers prepared reading material. These refresher courses have a decided value as a means of improving the skill of the teachers and as a source of inspiration towards greater effort.
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Schools' Day The forty schools along the north coast of Upolu assembled at Malifa for two days of social activity and inter-school competition. Each school had on display examples on handicraft, sewing, art, mapping, and writing. School teams took part in dancing, singing, marching, and athletic competitions. This gathering proved to be most successful. Similar schools' days will be organized in each of the seven educational districts during the coming year. Such competitions encourage teaching in other than the formal subjects. Beneficial results must ensue from the increased interest shown by parents, teachers, and children in the achievements of their village schools. District Schools The level of education in the village schools is being raised each year. A few years ago the top class was Standard 2 ; last year it was Standard 4. The time has now come to make provision for the brightest Standard 4 pupils to continue with their education. As a step towards this, arrangements are being made for a centrally placed school in each of the seven educational districts to provide an additional two years' education beyond the present Standard 4. The most promising Standard 4 pupils from the village schools in each district will be given the opportunity of attending these schools. In order to inaugurate the scheme, two of the best Samoan teachers were brought for three months into the European school in Apia to understudy New Zealand teachers. At the completion of the period, one was appointed Head-teacher of a district school at Poutasi, and the other Head-teacher of a district school at Fagamalo. This experiment will be carefully watched, and as suitable men are trained more schools of this type will be opened. Eventually, as the standard of education improves, all village schools will be raised to this level, but until such time as this is possible these district schools will function. Samoan Middle Primary Schools There are now two of these, Avele Boys' School and Vaipouli Boys' School. Both are residential schools catering for Samoan pupils from Standard 2to Standard 6. Each year a selection is made of the most promising pupils from the village schools, and these are enrolled in the middle schools. Avele School, situated in Upolu, has a roll of 130 students. The Headmaster, a New Zealand seconded teacher, has another New Zealand teacher and four Samoan tutors on his staff. The boys grow and prepare all their own food. They pay a small annual feg which covers the cost of medical treatment, sports equipment and extra food such as meat and flour. Avele School has had a very successful year, winning four scholarships to New Zealand and one scholarship to the Suva Medical School; in addition, eight students gained entry to the Teachers' Training College and one student entered Leifiifi High School. The school also won both the Senior and Junior Banners at the inter-school sports. The boys' residential school at Vaipouli, in Savai'i, is in the process of being rebuilt. It has a roll of 70 boys under the tuition of Samoan teachers. The school normally follows the same curriculum as that at Avele. Upon the completion of a European residence, modern dormitories, and classrooms, two New Zealand teachers will be appointed to the staff. The school will then fill an important place in the education of the boys of Savai'i. Formerly in the middle schools most of the teaching was done in English, the curriculum approximating that of a New Zealand school. The standard of education has, however, fallen far short of that of a similar New Zealand school because they were not fully staffed with trained teachers, and also because much of the boys' time and efforts have been towards the growing and preparation of food.
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In future the boys from Avele and Yaipouli will not be trained primarily to enter Government positions, but rather be encouraged to return to their villages, there to engender the people with the idea of greater food-production and deeper understanding of the value of their land and natural amenities. The Malifa Girls' School, a day school, was, during the year, absorbed by the new intermediate and accelerate schools. The Samoan girls from Malifa now have a greater educational opportunity than was possible formerly. Samoan Accelerate School As a preliminary academic training for the most promising Samoan pupils, an accelerate school for boys and girls was opened at Malifa. The school has enrolled 90 young pupils, many of whom are from the outlying villages. The staff comprises a New Zealand Head Teacher, a certificated Samoan teacher, and two locally-born European teachers. The instruction is all in English and the syllabus follows the general lines of a New Zealand school. The best of these pupils will later form the student nucleus of the projected Samoa College. When the college is started, unlike the pupils of Avele and Vaipouli, these students will not be required to grow their food, and so will have adequate time for study in a well-equipped, modern school staffed by fully-qualified teachers. The bright young Samoans in the accelerate school have already made excellent progress. European Primary Schools There are two of these. The Leifiifi School serves the Apia area and has a roll of 500. The school is staffed by both New Zealand and locally-born European teachers. The syllabus approximates that of a New Zealand school. This year the Standard 5 and 6 classes were transferred to the new intermediate school, and although this freed two class-rooms and thus enabled 80 children to be enrolled in the infant department, there were still 60 children of European status unable to gain admittance. The Aleisa School, which serves the European children in the Aleisa Settlement, has a roll of 130 pupils and is staffed by locally-born European teachers. The school follows much the same syllabus as that of the Leifiifi Primary School and, as a result of now being better housed and equipped, has shown a marked improvement in its standard of education. The lack of facilities for educating all European children, however, still remains a problem. The Intermediate School This school was established to meet the growing need of both European and Samoan children for a higher standard of education than was possible in the upper classes of Leifiifi and Malifa Schools. The school is well equipped and staffed by fully-qualified teachers. This year it enrolled 130 students from Standards 5 and 6in the Leifiifi and Malifa Schools, and these Samoan and European children receive the same tuition under the same teachers. A more specialized type of education is possible in an intermediate school, which is normally staffed by teachers who are specialists in certain subjects. With the addition of a manual training, domestic science, and handicraft block, the intermediate school will make a valuable contribution towards Samoan education. The school has been built to accommodate 250 students. Leifiifi Post-jprimary School This school, with a roll of 40 European and Samoan students, is staffed by two New Zealand teachers. The curriculum, which is based on that of a New Zealand district high school, enables students to take an academic or commercial course to New Zealand School Certificate level.
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The school is now adequately staffed and reasonably well equipped with typewriters, a library, and science apparatus. There is a marked improvement in the standard of the work. This school may ultimately be incorporated in the secondary department of Samoa College. Mission Schools The London Missionary Society, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Latter Day Saints, and Seventh Day Adventist missions all maintain schools of various types ranging from the very elementary pastor's or catechist's school to those of secondary status. Although these schools are not subject to Government control, there is increasing evidence of the wish on the part of the mission authorities to move with the Government in the field of education. The missions have shown increasing activity in the field of education. The L.M.S. has completed a large building for boys in the Apia area, and the Marist Brothers have almost completed a high school. The Latter Day Saints are planning to erect a large educational block in the coming year. This enterprise on the part of the missions is welcomed, as it will help to ensure that education facilities keep pace with the increasing population. Scholarships Since the inception of the scheme by the New Zealand Government in 1945, sixty-one scholarships have been awarded. These have enabled Samoan and part-Samoan students from both Government and mission schools to continue their education in New Zealand boarding-schools. Almost without exception the reports concerning the diligence and conduct of these students have been good, while in some cases the results have been excellent. Some students have been academically outstanding, and most have proved above average in sports. Of the first students to win scholarships, two are now back in Western Samoa serving the Government in clerical positions and one has returned because of ill health. The fifteen now in training in New Zealand comprise one medical student, one dental student, one pharmicist's apprentice, one radio technician, two fitters and turners, two teachers' training college (female), two nurse trainees, one survey cadet (Public Service), and four clerical cadets. Ultimately they will all return for service in the Samoan Government. The establishment of Samoa College will result in a gradual tapering off of the provision of New Zealand scholarships for secondary education in New Zealand, leaving the scholarships available for higher education as may be required. Ten students entered the Suva Medical School this year under medical.scholarships, making a total of sixteen Samoan students now training in medicine in Suva. Teachers : The Training College This college, which supplies the life-blood of the Samoan education system, continues to expand. Four hundred and fifty applicants sat the entrance examination, thus allowing of a careful selection. Sixty new trainees were admitted, bringing the total roll up to 123. The educational standard of the entrants is higher each year. The better staffing and equipment of the college, together with a longer period of training for the students, is having a marked effect upon the teaching qualifications of the graduates. Twenty third-year students graduated from the college this year at a much higher level than has been attained in the past. A very thorough and systematic course of training is followed. First-year students spend most of their time having their general
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education broadened. Second-year students spend half their time in the lecture hall, and the other half in practical observation and teaching. Third-year students spend one-third of their time in the lecture hall and two-thirds in practical teaching under qualified teachers in Malifa, the accelerate school, Le,ifii.fi School, intermediate school, and Avele School. The Malifa Primary School of 800 pupils and the Model School of 65 pupils are attached as practising schools to the Training College and are under the direct control of the Principal of the Training College. This ensures continuity and uniformity of teaching practice, as the methods taught in the Training College are exactingly carried out in the practising schools. Lessons are carefully drawn up for all subjects in all classes; the students are carefully briefed with lesson material and method of presentation, and they are supervised throughout each lesson. This method may be thought stilted and undesirable in modern education, but until such time as student trainees have a sufficient educational background to be able to appreciate the merits of several different methods of teaching it is the most successful way. There is no doubt that this thorough method of training teachers must soon be beneficial in raising the standard of village education. Details of salaries payable are set out in page 17 of the report for 1948-49. Education Visits During the year visits were made to Western Samoa by Mr. F. R. J. Davies, Officer for Islands Education; Mr. G. Tovey, Director of School Art in New Zealand; and Mr. A. L. Moore, who was investigating methods of visual education, under the auspices of the South Pacific Commission. Miss M. P. Dennehy also spent some time in the Territory before taking charge of the publication of the School Journal. The Director of Education visited the Tokelau Islands and arranged to have educational supplies sent to the mission schools there. At the request of the Administering Authority he also attended the meeting of the Research Council of the South Pacific Commission in Noumea. Early in the New Year he was called to New Zealand for a conference in connection with the development of education in Western Samoa. Adult and Community Education The special classes referred to in the previous report are continuing, but there has been a marked falling off in attendance, indicating that many have found themselves unable to keep up the steady effort required for after-hours study. General developments in adult education are referred to under " Radio Broadcasting " below. jßadio Broadcasting The radio station 2AP provided by the Administering Authority, transmitting on a frequency of 1,420 kc. with a power of 2 kW., operated by the Broadcasting Department of the Government, has continued to increase its activities during the year. The first officer in charge of the station, Mr. E. E. Lloyd, unfortunately died suddenly in May, 1949, at a time when his efforts were beginning to bear fruit. There are now 248 Government supplied, installed, and maintained receiving-sets in the villages, and over 350 licensed privately-owned sets. The normal broadcasting-hours have been increased from 17 to 23| per week, partly by the inauguration of a morning session. The station has also broadcast special events, and perhaps the most notable advance has been the contemporaneous and continuous broadcast of the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly for its September session. This was carried out as an experiment, but has proved so acceptable and so popular
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with all listeners that it is intended to broadcast all Legislative Assembly proceedings as a matter of course in future. The cumulative effect of these broadcasts upon the political education of the Samoan people may well be of major importance in the future. As was originally intended when the station was established, definite emphasis is now being given to adult education, and the use of the radio for this purpose may go far to fill the gap created by the comparative absence of suitable periodicals and literature for the Samoan people to read. Developments in this field are as follows : {a) A Mothers' Session. —This is designed to serve the interests of women throughout the Samoan community. The programmes have varied between some provided entirely by the 2AP staff and others provided in collaboration with members of village women's committees. They consist of a balanced co-ordination of music (usually specially composed Samoan songs) and talks or notes on hygiene, diet, care of children, and other topics generally of interest to women. Several talks in conjunction with the Department of Health, and delivered by S.M.P.s, have been included in this session. (b) Information Session.—ln this session 2AP undertakes to answer questions on any topic, and the session is proving very popular. Questions received are indexed and recorded, and it is interesting to note that they can be classified in the following order of popularity : General information, working of the Government, popular science, religion, agriculture, and Samoan history, and custom. (c) Talks. —A series of talks by members of the various Government services has been broadcast, and the series will continue with farther talks of this kind, and with others designed to explain in detail the working of the various organs of the Government such as the Council of State, the Legislative Assembly, the Fono of Faipule, and the executive branches. Indeed, useful possibilities for expansion of the radio service in the general field of adult education are limited only by finance. A radio broadcasting organization is comparatively expensive for any Government to operate as a social service and, while the Samoan Government would like to do much more in this field, progress must be gradual. Inquiries are now being made with the object of obtaining a much cheaper receiving-set which could be sold at a cost within the pocket of most of the Samoan families. If such can be found, Samoan listening need not be confined to the Governmentprovided receivers. The regular school broadcasts carried out by the Education Department have continued four mornings per week, and in addition a Samoan children's session is held on one evening a week and has proved very successful. Libraries There are still no public libraries in the Territory, although many of the major schools have growing collections of books available for the students. There is no archaeological research being carried on in the Territory. It is hoped that, with the development of the Agriculture Department and forestry investigations during the coming year, increasing interest will be taken in the fauna and flora of the Territory. Theatres There is a picture-theatre in Apia and a travelling projector makes films available in some of the outer districts.
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I. PUBLICATIONS The only regular official publications circulating in the Territory are —- Western Samoa Gazette (in English). Savali (published monthly in Samoan and containing official announcements). Tomatau (Teachers' Monthly Guide). Samoan School Journal. Daily Press News (a cyclostyled sheet issued daily in English). There is no newspaper or other news periodical and no Government press. Several of the missionary organizations publish journals devoted to their own work. Apart from the small missionary presses, there is only one commercial printing press, which is quite inadequate to handle the desired printing work, and the Samoan Government finds it impossible to print and publish the material it wishes to. The commercial press is to be greatly enlarged in capacity in 1950, and it is hoped that it will better be able to handle Government work and also print and publish a weekly newspaper. One important regular statistical document —the Annual Trade Summary— is printed in English in New Zealand, but due to printing delays publication is somewhat in arrears. The Ordinances of the Legislative Assembly, the Savali, and the Western Samoa Gazette continue to be printed and published locally. J. RESEARCH The Territory must rely largely upon outside assistance, and in this respect profits fully from the research work done by the various New Zealand Government Departments, whose conclusions and recommendations are freely available to the Samoan Government. The South Pacific Commission and the South Pacific Health Service are also organizations whose research work will benefit the Territory. There are two important exceptions to this general comment; first, that with the establishment of the Department of Agriculture it is intended, when suitable staff becomes available, to carry out in Western Samoa research into local problems of tropical agriculture ; and second, that many of the activities of the Education and Health Departments themselves comprise continuous research and experimentation in the adaptation of accepted methods and techniques to local conditions and in the development of new and more locally suitable methods and techniques. An example of this is the experimental method being adopted in the preparation of text-books for Samoan schools. Experience in this latter work has already emphasized the necessity for some attempt to be made to standardize the Samoan language, a project which will clearly have to be undertaken sooner or later. A certain amount of planting of new coconut palms has been done in many areas by Samoans, but there is little evidence of this type of activity on the part of European plantation owners. This reluctance is partly due to fears that the activities of the rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros) will render such planting uneconomic. It is pleasing to record a marked improvement in this situation. During the year a visit was paid to the Territory by Mr. H. W. Simmonds, 0.8. E., who several years ago was responsible for the research investigations and the actual work involved in bringing to Western Samoa a colony of Scolia ruficornis, a large wasp which is parasitic on the rhinoceros beetle. He was able to report that these wasps, which had for some time been thought to have died out, were now definitely established, although in quite small numbers. An inspection of the situation was also made by Mr. L. J. Dumbleton, of the Entomological
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Research Station of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. These gentlemen confirmed the current opinion that beetle damage amongst the coconut palms was less than in former years. Further investigation is required to ascertain the cause of this, and during the coming year further moneys from the annual grant from the Administering Authority for beetle control will be expended in technical research. It is believed that at least a contributing factor to the reduction in beetle damage has been the increased co-operation of the Samoan villagers in the collection and destruction of beetles and larvse. The existing Beetle Control Ordinance, which now contains many obsolete provisions, has been re-examined, and it is hoped to re-enact it in more suitable form in 1950. The Secretary of Samoan Affairs is a graduate of the Cambridge School of Anthropology and is the author of " An Introduction to Samoan Custom," which has received very favourable comment. It is difficult with such a small staff to maintain a number of specialist officers, but attempts are being made to interest suitable qualified graduates in appointments in the Territory. As has been mentioned, Dr. J. W. Davidson is at present employed in the Territory to assist with the problems of political advancement. Other specialist officers are obtained as required from the various Departments in the Administering Authority. The Apia Observatory The Observatory, which was established during the German regime, is now operated as a branch of the Christchurch Geophysical Observatory of the New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Work is carried on in the following fields : Terrestrial Magnetism Continuous recordings are made of the three components of the earth's magnetic field. From the records, hourly values of declination, horizontal force, and vertical force are deduced and forwarded to interested institutions throughout the world. In addition, data pertaining to magnetic storms and their effects on radio propagation conditions is also distributed. Seismology Continuous recordings of seismic disturbances have been kept since the Observatory was established. It is particularly well placed to record shocks from Tonga, Fiji, the Kermadecs, and the Solomon Islands, all centres of great activity. The main instruments are of an old mechanical type which are still in good working-order. A modern shortdistance instrument is also in operation. The records from these are analysed and the results are sent to other stations throughout the world. Meteorology All synoptic and climatological work is produced by a complete meteorological station, which is maintained and staffed by the New Zealand Air Department. This station is included in the New Zealand Pacific network which supplies information to Nadi (Fiji) for the purpose of forecasting. Oceanography The Observatory records the heights and times of tides, and daily observations are made of sea temperature and density. The results are forwarded to the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey.
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K. SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS In addition to the information supplied "in the body of the report, the following details are given regarding the implementation of the recommendations of the Trusteeship Council and the General Assembly. Political Advancement A substantial measure of self-government is being exercised in the Territory. The operation of the legislative bodies established by the Samoa Amendment Act, 1947, has proved in the main both satisfactory and suitable and there has been increasing evidence during the year of a growing political awareness among an ever-widening section of the community. The experience gained by Samoans and Europeans on the standing Committees of the Legislative Assembly and the special Committees appointed to examine specific problems, coupled with the use of the broadcasting service, have all contributed to this result. The policy of the Administering Authority has been to give advice where asked, but to allow the Legislature complete freedom in forming its own opinions within the limits imposed by the Samoa Amendment Act, 1947. The setting-up of a Commission to inquire into local government in Western Samoa is in line with the recommendations of the visiting Mission of 1947. Social Advancement The Administering Authority has continued its programme of social development throughout the year under review and the resolution of the General Assembly (Document A/1096) dated 16th November, 1949, has been carefully considered. As stated in the report at pages 13-15, there are few instances of discrimination in the Territory. Those that do exist, it is felt, will require some time to be finally removed, and must, it would appear, await the solution of other problems. Educational Advancement The resolution of the General Assembly (A/1097) dated 16th November, 1949, has been given effect to by the Administering Authority. During the year information material was obtained from the Trusteeship Council and distributed in the Territory. General items regarding the United Nations are being included in the School Journal published in the vernacular. Full details of educational policy and efforts made to increase the scope of education in the Territory are included in the report at pages 24 et seq. The scholarship scheme at present furnishes a post-primary education for students selected solely on the basis of a competitive examination, and details of the numbers of students to whom scholarships have been awarded are as follows :
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Year of Commencement. Male. Female. Total. 1945 11 3 14 1946 9 4 13 1947 5 2 7 1948 4 3 7 1949 7 3 10 1950 6 4 10 42 19 61
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Table showing—
Cost of Scholarship Scheme
In addition, the Administering Authority is co-operating fully with the South Pacific Commission's Research Council's project on the professional and technical training of indigenous peoples of the area. Economic Development The Administering Authority noted the resolution of the General Assembly (A/1095) dated 16th November, 1949. The financial situation in the Territory has remained very satisfactory again this year and the Administering Authority is giving every possible assistance to the Government of Western Samoa in an endeavour to broaden the base of the Territory's economy. It is hoped that the efforts which it is making which are referred to in the report and the efforts of the South Pacific Commission Research Council will assist with this problem. In summary, these efforts this year have been : (a) The establishment of the Agriculture Department. (b) The visits of Mr. W. H. Simmonds and Mr. ,T. L. Dumbleton to report on the entomological control of the rhinoceros beetle. (c) The preparatory work undertaken for the expanded Food and Agriculture Organization world census of agriculture, terminating with a visit to the Territory after the end of the financial year of Dr. Ojala, the Rural Economist of the Agriculture Department. (d) The expansion of the New Zealand Reparation Estates sawmill in Savai'i, and arrangements for a visit of a forestry expert during 1950 to advise the • Government of Western Samoa on matters of development and conservation. (e) The concluding of a nine-year agreement with the United Kingdom Ministry of Food for the sale and purchase of copra. (/) The visit to the Territory of Dr. Muriel Bell, the Senior Nutrition Officer of the Medical Research Council.
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Male. Female. Total. (a) Employment in New Zealand— Medical student 1 1 Dental student 1 1 Pharmacist apprentice 1 1 Radio technician 1 1 Fitters and turners 2 2 Teachers' Training College 2 Nurse trainees 2 Survey cadet 1 1 Clerical cadets 4 4 (b) Returns to Western Samoa— After twelve months' as clerical 1 1 2 cadet Direct from School for Medical 1 1 Reasons 13 5 18
Year. Western Samoa. 1945-46 1946-47 1947-48 1948-49 £ 3,103* 2,354* 7,553* 8,580* 21,590* * Cost borne by the Administering Authority.
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L. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION A perusal of the principal events of tlie year as described in this report should indicate that the Administering Authority is sparing no effort to comply with the basic objectives of the United Nations Charter. Economic progress in a country like Western Samoa is necessarily fairly slow and the greatest hope for an improvement lies in extensive research programmes such as are envisaged by the South Pacific Commission and by the education of the people themselves. Experiments elsewhere are being closely watched for their applicability to Western Samoa, and the aerial survey will be a valuable adjunct to a detailed survey of the available resources. Some progress can be recorded this year in regard to agriculture and forestry and the opening-up of the Territory by means of roads to outer districts. In the political field progress has been much more rapid. The Commission on Local Government will, it is hoped, provide a solution of this problem and so free the Government of Western Samoa from the mass of minor detail usually dealt with by a municipal authority. The continued use of the broadcasting service and the establishment of a weekly paper as mentioned in this report will assist in making the people of the Territory more aware of international events. The South Pacific Conference (a gathering of direct representatives of the territories in the region), held shortly after the end of the period covered by this report, has had the effect of increasing the indigenous people's realization that they are not alone in their problems and that the combined resources of other countries interested in the area are being directed to the solution of them. Advances have been made in the educational field and the School Journal published in the vernacular has been well received ; the use of broadcasting in association with other educational aids is attracting much attention. Advice on visual-aid methods is being given by the South Pacific Commission. The training of teachers has been concentrated on during the year and the number of teacher trainees increased. The Administering Authority realizes that the problem of providing trained teachers is a serious one and one which can only be met by training Samoans to increasingly higher standards. In the health field the acute shortage of European Medical Officers has hampered progress, but this is now being overcome, and it is expected that a marked improvement will be reflected in further reports.
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(Correcting Map published with Annual Report for Year Ending 31st March, 1949.)
TRUST TERRITORY OF WESTERN SAMOA
APPENDICES APPENDIX I—POPULATION OF THE TERRITORY, 1945-50
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Further statistics relating to the population of Western Samoa are published in " The Population of Western Samoa," issued by the United Nations, Department of Social Affairs, Population Division, 1948, and in Volume II of the Population Census—Island Territories, issued by the Census and Statistics Department, Wellington, New Zealand, 1947.
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Europeans. Part-Samoans. Samoans. Chinese. Melanesians. Totals. Grand Total. M. F. Total M. F. Total. M. F. Total. M. F. Total M. F. Total M. F. 31st March, 1945 231 176 407 1,671 1,502 3,173 31,898 30,905 62,803 301 2 303 74 1 75 34,175 32,586 66,761 Births 4 1 5 68 68 136 1,114 944 2,058 1,186 1,013 2,199 Deaths 2 1 3 6 10 16 291 214 505 4 4 303 .225 528 Arrivals 126 78 204 233 260 493 1,536 1,114 2,650 1 i 2 1,896 1,453 3,349 Departures 106 77 183 258 324 582 1,418 1,084 2,502 1,782 1,485 3,267 31st, March, 1946, as adjusted to census of 217 149 366 2,712 2,333 5,045 32,310 30,933 62,243 298 3 301 74 1 1 75 35,611 33,419 69,030 25th September, 1945 1 Births 3 1 4 55 43 98 1,536 1,363 2.899 1,594 1,407 3,001 Deaths 1 1 2 8 3 11 356 282 638 4 4 12 12 381 286 667 Arrivals 225 131 356 268 298 566 1,286 1,011 2,297 1,779 1,440 3,219 Departures 231 121 352 329 335 664 1,203 903 2,106 1 1 1,764 1,359 3,123 31st March, 1947 213 159 372 2,698 2,336 5,034 33.573 32,122 65,675 293 3 296 62 1 63 38,839 34,621 71,460 Births 7 1 8 56 61 117 1,274 1,122 2,396 1,337 1,184 2,521 Deaths 2 1 3 8 9 17 365 302 667 5 5 380 312 692 Arrivals 258 127 385 162 201 363 1,063 784 1,847 1 1 '9* 9 1.493 1,112 2,605 Departures 268 178 446 185 203 388 1,251 871 2,122 1 'i 2 1,705 1,253 2,958 31st March, 1948 208 108 316 2,723 2,386 5,109 34,294 32,855 67,149 288 2 290 71 1 72 37,584 35,352 72,936 Births 1 1 2 140 123 263 1,582 1,446 3,028 1,723 1,570 3,293 Deaths 3 3 3 4 7 356 318 674 6 6 368 322 690 Arrivals 232 123 355 245 265 510 1,691 1,096 2,787 1 1 2,169 1,484 3,653 Departures 229 144 373 221 248 469 1,749 1,115 2,864 105 105 2,304 1,507 3,811 31st March, 1949 209 88 297 2,884 2,522 5,406 35,462 33,964 69,426 178 2 180 71 72 38,804 36,577 75,381 Births 1 1 2 190 175 365 1,653 1,476 3,129 1,844 1,652 3,496 Deaths 1 2 3 1 7 8 333 305 638 4 4 8 8 347 314 661 Arrivals 319 168 487 248 225 473 1,691 1,306 29,997 1 1 2,259 1,699 3,958 Departures 292 169 461 268 275 543 1,754 1,260 3,014 1 1 2,315 1,704 4.019 31st March, 1950 236 86 322 3,053 2,640 5,693 36,719 35,181 71,900 174 2 176 63 1 64 40,245 37,910 78,155 * Adjustment only. 1
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APPENDIX II—ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT
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APPENDIX lII—INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS The following is a list of international agreements, both multilateral and bilateral, which have been applied to Western Samoa : A. Multilateral Air—--12 October 1929, Warsaw. Convention and additional protocol re unification of rules relative to international aerial transport. New Zealand acceded 6 April 1937. Commerce, Navigation, and Customs — 24 September 1923, Geneva. Protocol on arbitration clauses in commercial matters. New Zealand acceded 9 June 1926. 3 November 1923, Geneva. International convention relating to the simplification of customs formalities and protocol of signature. New Zealand acceded 29 August 1924. 9 December 1923, Geneva. Convention and statute on the international regime of maritime ports and protocol of signature. New Zealand acceded 1 April 1925. 5 July 1930, London. International load-line convention. New Zealand acceded 1 October, 1932. Economic—--6 November 1925, The Hague. International convention for the protection of industrial property. New Zealand acceded 29 July 1931. Revised by convention of 2 June 1934. 26 September 1927, Geneva. Convention on the execution of foreign arbitral awards. New Zealand acceded 9 April 1929. Labour — 17 November 1921, Geneva. Convention re application of weekly rest in industrial undertakings. (ILO.) Ratified by New Zealand 29 March 1938. 28th June 1930, Geneva. International convention concerning forced or compulsory labour. (ILO.) Ratified by New Zealand 29 March 1938. 20 June 1936, Geneva. Convention concerning the regulation of certain special systems of recruiting workers. (ILO.) Ratified by New Zealand 8 July 1947. 27 June 1939, Geneva. Convention concerning the regulation of written contracts of employment of indigenous workers. (ILO.) Ratified by New Zealand 8 July 1947. 27 June 1939, Geneva. Convention concerning penal sanctions for breach of contracts by indigenous workers. . (ILO.) Ratified by New Zealand 8 July 1947. Narcotic Drugs—--19 February 1925, Geneva. International convention relating to dangerous drugs with protocol. New Zealand acceded 17 February 1926. Convention supplemented by Geneva convention of 13 July 1931 and amended by protocol of 11 December 1946. 13 July 1931, Geneva. International convention and protocol for limiting the manufacture and regulating the distribution of narcotic drugs. New Zealand acceded 17 June 1935. Amended by protocol of 11 December 1946. 19 November 1948, Paris. Protocol to bring under control drugs outside the scope of 1931 convention. Accepted by New Zealand 19 November 1948. Patents — 27 July 1946, London. Accord on the treatment of German patents. Peace — 28 June 1919, Versailles. Treaty of peace Jbetween the Allied and Associated Powers and Germany. Political — 13 December 1921, Washington. Treaty between the British Empire, Japan, and the United States of America relating to then- insular possessions and insular dominions in the Pacific Ocean, and accompanying declaration. Ratified 17 August 1923 ; effective from date of ratification. 6 February 1922, Washington. Supplementary treaty to treaty of 13 December 1921, between the British Empire, Japan, and the United States of America relating to their insular possessions and insular dominions in the Pacific Ocean. Ratified 17 August 1923 ; effective from date of ratification. Postal — 23 May 1939, Buenos Aires. Universal postal convention with final protocol, regulations of execution and provisions, &c. Ratified 5 October 1940. 23 May 1939, Buenos Aires. Agreement and final protocol concerning insured letters and boxes. Effective 1 July 1940.
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Residence — 24 July 1923, Lausanne. Convention with Turkey respecting conditions of residence and business and jurisdiction. Ratified in respect of British Empire 6 August 1924. Sanitary—--21 June 1926, Paris. International sanitary convention with protocol of signature. New Zealand acceded 10 March 1928. 15 January 1945, Washington. International sanitary convention modifying the international sanitary convention of 21 June 1926. New Zealand acceded 21 May 1945. 15 January 1945, Washington. International sanitary convention for aerial navigation,, modifying the international sanitary convention for aerial navigation of 12 Apri1,1933, New Zealand acceded 21 May 1945, with reservations respecting Western Samoa. Convention of 1933 signed on behalf of New Zealand but not ratified. 23 April 1946, Washington. Protocol to prolong the international sanitary convention 1945, Continues 1945 convention in force until date parties become bound by a further convention amending or superseding the 1945 and the 1926 conventions. Social — 12 September 1923, Geneva. Convention for the suppression of the circulation of, and traffic in obscene publications. New Zealand acceded 11 December, 1925. 25 September 1926, Geneva. International convention with the object of securing theabolition of slavery and the slave trade. New Zealand acceded 18 June 1927. 2 June 1928, Rome. International convention for the protection of literary and artistic works. New Zealand acceded 4 December 1947. Telecommunications — 9 December 1932, Madrid. International telecommunication convention. Ratified by New Zealand 5 March 1934. 4 April 1938, Cairo. Traffic regulations annexed to the international telecommunicationconvention (Madrid 1932) and final protocol. Effective 1 January 1939. 4 December 1945, Bermuda. Agreements by the Governments represented at the Bermuda telecommunications conference. 12 August 1949, London. United States - British Commonwealth Telecommunications conference. New Zealand acceded on 13 February 1950. Transit—--9 December 1923, Geneva. Convention relating to the transmission in transit of electric power and protocol of signature. New Zealand acceded 1 April 1925 ; effective 26 July 1926. 9 December 1923, Geneva. Convention relating to the development of hydraulic power affecting more than one State, and protocol of signature. New Zealand acceded 1 April. 1925 ; effective 30 June 1925. 9 December 1923, Geneva. Convention and statute on the international regime of railways,, and protocol of signature. New Zealand acceded 1 April 1925 ; effective 23 March 1926. 12 October 1929, Warsaw. Convention and additional protocol re unification of rules relative to international aerial transport. New Zealand acceded 6 April 1937. Trusteeship—--13 December 1946, New York. Trusteeship agreement for the Territory of Western Samoa.. B. Bilateral The following bilateral agreements have been extended to the Territory : Abolition of Visas— Austria. 18 July 1927, London. Exchange of notes relating to the abolition of passport visas. New Zealand acceded 24 January 1928. Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland. Exemption from the requirements of a visa has been provided for the nationals of these countries. United States of America. 14 March 1949, Wellington. Exchange of notes relating toreduction of visa fees. Air — Notes regarding documents of identity for aircraft personnel were exchanged with— Belgium (29 April 1938, Brussels). Netherlands (21 August 1939, The Hague). Norway (11 October 1937, Oslo). Sweden (30 May 1938, Stockholm). Switzerland (17 May 1938, Berne). Exchange of notes between New Zealand and France concerning air traffic rights in the South Pacific. (15 November 1949, Wellington.) Commerce— Egypt. 18 and 22 June 1930. Exchange of notes establishing a commercial modus vivendi, Persia. 21 March 1920, Teheran. Commercial agreement modifying commercial convention of 1903. Soviet Union. 16 April 1930, London. Temporary commercial agreement.
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Customs— Canada. 23 April 1932, Ottawa and Wellington. Tariff agreement. Effective May 24, 1932. Extradition— Extradition treaties have been signed on behalf of Western Samoa or extended to the Territory by exchange of notes with the following countries : Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Ecquador, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Hungary, Iraq, Latvia, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Roumania, San Marino, San Salvador, Siam, Spain, Switzerland, and Yugoslavia. Legal Proceedings in Civil and Commercial Matters — Belgium. 2 and 17 February 1938, Brussels. Convention for the reciprocal enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters with annex and protocol. Acceded to by New Zealand by exchange of notes. France. 24 August and 27 September 1927, London. Convention respecting legal proceedings in civil and commercial matters, acceded to by exchange of notes. 23 February, 11 March, 1 and 27 April 1937, Paris. Convention and protocol providing for the reciprocal enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters. Acceded to by New Zealand under article 13 (i) of the Convention. Germany. 1 and 31 August 1929, Berlin. Convention regarding legal proceedings in civil and commercial matters, acceded to by exchange of notes with effect from 1 January 1930. Narcotic Drugs— Japan. 30 March 1936, Tokyo. Exchange of notes regarding co-operation in control of illicit traffic in drugs. Real and Personal Property— U.S.A. 27 May 1938, Washington. Convention relative to disposal of real and personal property (supplementary to convention of 1899). Effective 10 March 1941. Trade— Australia. 5 September 1933. Trade agreement. Effective 1 December 1933. Applies only in part to the Territory. APPENDIX IV—LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY A. Ist Samoa The following Ordinances were passed by the Legislative Assembly of Western Samoa during 1949. They were all assented to by the High Commissioner : Public Revenues Amendment (1949, No. 1). Samoa Act Amendment (1949, No. 2). Flags of Western Samoa (1949, No. 3). Copra Board Amendment (1949, No. 4). Road Traffic Amendment (1949, No. 5). Imprest Supply (1949, No. 6). Fuluasou Land for Public Purposes (1949, No. 7). Public Revenues Amendment (1949, No. 8). Appropriation (1949, No. 9). Legislative Assembly Privileges (1949, No. 10). The following Bills were withdrawn Beach Road (in part) Closing. Penal Sanctions (Indigenous Workers). Contracts of Employment (Indigenous Workers). The Assembly also considered, discussed, amended, and approved the main estimates and the supplementary estimates for 1949-50. Other business transacted by the Assembly comprised discussion and passing of the following resolutions : (1) That the report of the Fact Finding Committee on Road Developments, together with the records of the discussion, be referred to the Government for favourable consideration. (2) That a Select Committee be appointed, consisting of the Hon. Fautua, the Hon. Tualaulelei, Hon. Fonoti, Hon. Tofa, Hon. J. Helg, Hon. Secretary-Treasurer, Hon. G. F. D Betham, Hon. Trusteeship Officer, with the following duties and functions : (a) To consider, in view of the statements and discussions at the fourth session of the United Nations Trusteeship Council, whether the existing British Preferential Tariff should be maintained, or, if not, what principle in this respect should be adopted in determining rates of Customs duties in future : (b) To take evidence on oath or otherwise in the discretion of the Select Committee, and ascertain the opinions of representatives of the various sections of the community, U pon the existing Preferential Tariff and upon any desirable modifications thereto :
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(c) To report to this Assembly upon the completion of its deliberations. (3) That suitable arrangements be made for broadcasting the proceedings of this Assembly. (4) That the reply of the New Zealand Government to the copra petition be received. (5) That the Government be recommended to make adequate arrangements for the censoring of films before their public screening. (6) That a Select Committee be appointed, consisting of Hon. Fautua, Hon. Fonoti, Hon. Tualaulelei, Hon. E. F. Paul, Hon. Secretary-Treasurer, Hon. Trusteeship Officer, to examine the advisability of a Samoan pound (£) independent from the New Zealand pound (£), and if found practical and beneficial to Samoa, to recommend accordingly to the Legislative Assembly, (7) That the report on the status of Chinese inhabitants of Western Samoa be received. (8) That the Government give consideration to the conclusions reached by the Select Committee on the Preferential Tariff with a view to taking appropriate action in regard to them. (9) That the Government give consideration to the desirability of increasing the remuneration of members of the Legislative Assembly in view of the rising cost of living and the upkeep of the dignity involved in this position. (10) That the report upon the reception of 2AP broadcasts in the villages be received. (11) That the Government be asked to consider the question of setting up a Commission of Inquiry to investigate and report upon village and district organization and control in Western Samoa. B. In New Zealand Acts .. .. .. Samoa Amendment Act, 1949. Regulations .. .. Western Samoa Customs (Aircraft) Regulations 1949. Samoa Dangerous Drugs Amendment Order 1949. Western Samoa Stamp Demonetization Regulations 1949. APPENDIX V—JUSTICE AND PENAL ADMINISTRATION (a) Court Statistics High Court Civil Actions [ Criminal Prosecutions Court sittings (days) .. .. 53 | Court sittings (days) .. .. 182 Actions heard (including divorce cases) .. 125 | Persons charged .. .. .. 1,672 Judgments given .. .. .. 91 j Convictions recorded .. .. 1,463 Actions struck out .. .. .. 34 Cases dismissed on merits .. .. 55 Total amount for which judgments were Charges withdrawn or struck out .. 154 given .. .. .. .. £1,597 Native Land and Titles Court Number of sessions .. . . .. 1 Number of sitting-days .. .. .. 57 Petitions dealt with .. .. .. 60 Number of persons attending .. .. 3,115
(b) Prisoners in Vaimea and Tafa'igata Prisons
Daily averages — | Greatest number of prisoners in custody .. 126 Prisoners in custody .. .. 103 •21 | Smallest number of prisoners in custody .. - 84 Prisoners sick in prison .. .. 1• 06 | Escapes Prisoners sick in hospital .. .. 1- 63 j Deaths
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In Custody, In Custody, 31st March, Admitted. Discharged. 31st March, 1949. 1950. Samoans, male 104 203 219 88 Samoans, female 1 4 2 3 Europeans, male 6 8 8 6 Niueans, male 5 1 2 4 Other Polynesians, male 1 1 Chinese Totals 117 216 232 101
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APPENDIX VI—PUBLIC FINANCE (a) Receipts and Payments, 1925-26 to 1949-50
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Year. Receipts of Public Revenue of the Territory. Payments. Deficit or Surplus. Subsidy from New Zealand. Final Surplus or Deficit. £ £ £ £ £ J925-26 128,638 145,687 - 17,049 21,400 + 4,351 1926-27 113,812 141,710 - 27,898 20,000 — 7,898 1927-28 106,038 143,421 — 37,383 20,000 - 17,383 1928-29 121,904 157,829 - 35,829 47,374* + 11,449 1929-30 131,416 150,728* - 19,312* 39,448* + 20,136 1930-31 130,385 140,288* - 9,903* 21,000 + 11,097 1931-32 109,040 128,936* - 19,896 - 19,896* 1932-33 105,920 98,166 + 7,754 + 7,754 1933-34 90,613 89,955 + 658 + 658 1934-35 .. 78,808 76,505 + 2,303 + 2,303 1935-36 111,867 100,736 + 11,131 + 11,131 1936-37 117,909 116,613 + 1,296 + 1,296 1937-38 139,450 139,070 + 380 + 380 1938-39 123,803 119,233 + 4,570 + 4,570 1939-40 .. 131,416 135,648 - 4,232 - 4,232 1940-41 107,708 110,000 - 2,292 — 2 292 1941-42 .. 100,883 101,492 - 609 - '609 J .. 212,996 203,492 + 9,504 + 9,504 1943-44 278,092 227,220 + 50,872 + 50,872 1944-45 281,033 225,879 + 55,154 + 55,154 1945-46 .. 284,292 231,527 + 52,765 t + 52,765 1948-47 .. 334,838 231,236 + 103,602 t + 103,602 ]947-48 548,682 359,285 + 189,397 t + 189,397 1948-49 .. 500,338 464,520 + 35,818 f + 35,818 1949-50 521,829 458,095 + 63,764 t + 63,764 * Includes expenditure on extra police: £27,374 in 1928-29, £19,448 in 1929-30, £16,561 in 1930-31, and £10,412 In 1931-32. t Does not include subsidies for specific purposes received from New Zealand from 1945-46 onwards, are shown in the body of the report.
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(b) Receipts and Payments, 1920-21 to 1949-50
Note. —Expenditure on buildings for the Education, Medical, and Samoan Affairs Departments included under correct headings from 1945-46 ; previous to 1945-46 included under " Public Works.''
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Year. Receipts from External Sources. Receipts from Internal Sources. Repayment of Loans. Amounts spent on Loans and Advances. Nonrecoverable Grants. Education. Samoan Affairs. Public Health. Public Works. £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 1920-21 44,336 149,027 3,176 15,196 15,840 13,796 1921-22 .. 49,229 16,000 119,569 5,237 17,232 22,690 15,418 1922-23 .. 20,777 16,000 115,250 6,846 15,481 25,715 12,549 1923-24 .. 5,658 24,000 109,917 6,556 15,856 23,995 21,191 1924-25 .. 19,140 111,774 7,609 16,425 24,425 24,737 1925-26 .. 5 j 000 21,400 128,638 9,131 16,740 25,761 26,555 1926-27 .. 31,000 20,000 113,812 9,688 15,927 25,911 20,016 1927-28 .. 16,500 20,000 106,038 10,222 15,788 25,597 16,842 1928-29 .. 25,700 47,374 121,904 8*000 7,738 12,278 24,367 13,606 1929-30 .. 39,448 131,416 6,955 9,882 18,016 17,005 1930-31 21,000 130,385 7,439 9,698 18,224 15,726 1931-32 6^000 109,040 6^000 6,794 8,465 17,824 15,797 1932-33 .. 105,920 26,155 5,459 6,965 21,819 11,908 1933-34 .. 90,613 3,000 5,097 7,010 17,150 10,632' 1934-35 .. 78,808 4,335 4,910 5,385 13,937 9,111 1935-36 .. 111,867 4,877 5,539 17,797 20,222 1936-37 .. 117,909 9*770 5,619 6,810 19,636 28,030 1937-38 .. 139,450 9,745 7,539 7,820 22,579 31,436 1938-39 .. 123,803 4,855 8,553 8,433 25,904 25,556 1939-40 .. 131,416 5,130 9,526 8,928 29,147 29,757 1940-41 .. 107,708 5,370 9,954 10,121 27,815 14,795 1941-42 .. 100,883 5,625 9,381 8,517 26,844 11,937 1942-43 .. 212,996 10,890 9,657 8,176 25,153 18,099 1943-44 .. 278,092 71,081 10,099 9,165 29,814 54,749 1944-45 .. 281,033 9,242 15,921 10,086 36,036 59,787 1945-46 .. 284,292 18,549 15,666 50,699 72,440 1946-47 .. 334,838 28,610 18,327 65,492 50,134 1947-48 .. 548,682 39,681 19,681 78,426 138,958 1948-49 .. 500,338 46,855 20,555 89,707 165,987 1949-50 .. 521,859 70,413 23,889 105,655 129,386
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(c) Revenue and Expenditure: Detailed Statement for Last Five Years
Expenditure under the heading " Services not provided for " for 1949-50 was made up as follows : £ Education .. .. .. .. .. .. 225 Samoan Affairs .. .. .. .. .. .. 29 Public Works .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,447 Treasury, Customs .. .. ~ .. .. .. 29 A proportion of the gross expenditure on Education, Health, and Public Works was met by payments from the grants of the Administering Authority itemized on page 28. Inclusive of these sums, the expenditure on these items was : £ Education .. .. .. .. .. .. 94,260 Health .. , „ .. .. .. .. .. 114,530 Public Works .. .. .. .. .. .. 152,939
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(Values in £(N.Z.)) —- 1945-46. 1946-47. 1947-48. 1948-49. 1949-50. Heads of Revenue Education Health Justice Lands and Survey Samoan Affairs Police and Prisons Postal and Radio Public Works Treasury, Customs, &c. £ 3,733 14,327 1,523 445 808 3,756 22,327 10,205 230,275 £ 655 14,934 1,876 552 706 4,948 35,769 10,471 264,927 £ 673 15,267 2,335 1,360 825 6,059 35,569 10,935 475,659 £ 859 19,803 1,973 1,713 1,129 7,926 24,187 12,977 429,771 £ 1,272 24,990 2,763 1,518 1,193 8,564 26,043 15,061 440,455 287,399 334,838 548,682 500,338 521,859 Heads of Expenditure High Commissioner and Government House Agriculture Education Health :. Justice Lands and Survey Police and Prisons Postal, Radio, and Broadcasting .. Public Works Samoan Affairs Secretariat and Legislative Assembly Treasury, Customs, See. Services not provided for £ 3,218 21,656 50,699 3,387 3,108 13,584 19,492 72,420 15,666 14,315 17,624 £ 5,433 23 j 823 49,312 3,140 3,134 15,923 14,995 70,892 16,620 14,087 14,519 £ 5,446 31,002 66,474 4,541 5,289 16,504 16,828 163,349 15,744 12,170 22,638 £ 8,595 46,855 89,707 4,837 5,725 20,797 24,803 165,987 20,555 17,676 55,090 4,683 £ 7,679 884 70,188 105,655 5,427 6,266 24,571 34.309 127,939 23,889 28,805 21,495 1,730 Less recoveries, Labour and Public Trust 235,169 535 231.878 642 359,985 700 465,310 790 458,837 742 234,634 231,236 359,285 464,520 458,095
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APPENDIX VII—TRADE AND COMMERCE (a) Imports and Exports (Including Specie and Re-exports), Calendar Years 1948 and 1949, Showing Countries of Origin and Destination Imports
Exports
(6) Exports, Imports, and Total Trade, 1919 to 1949 The following table shows trade figures at five-yearly intervals from 1910 to 1945 and for each of the last four years :
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— 1948.* 1949. New Zealand 301,544 321,302 Australia 154,749 132,760 United Kingdom 146,733 132,205 Fiji 31,339 33,740 Canada 68,874 43,672 United States 180,368 193,417 Other .. .. .. 70,421 24,488 Total 962,028 881,584 * Figures amendment from last report.
1948. 1949. Exports. Re-exports. Total. Exports. Re-exports. Total. INTew Zealand Australia United Kingdom . . Fiji Canada United States Other .. v .. 248,476 34,360 597,185 108 51,638 167,067 1,922 7,074 151 32 ' 245 255,550 34,511 597,185 140 51,638 167,067 2,167 273,968 43,067 713,619 362 102,165 194,994 9,432 4,556 26 i i 290 U279 278,524 43,093 713,619 1,652 102,165 194,994 10,711 Total 1,100,756 7,502 1,108,258 1,337,607 7,151 1,344,758 Further more detailed information available in Return of Trade, Shipping, and Commerce of Western Samoa, 1948 and 1949, at present being printed.
Year. Value of Exports. Value of Imports. Total Trade. £ £ ' £ 1910 176,688 173,118 349,806 1915 262,389 267,091 529,480 1920 386,587 561,153 947,740 1925 379,388 345,989 725,377 1930 284,515 275,355 595,870 1935 189,298 135,757 325,055 1940 221,733 165,453 387,186 1945 636,300 398,760 1,035,060 1946 719,050 478,695 1,197,745 1947 1,351,770 923,773 2,275,543 1948 1,108,258 962,028 2,070,286 1949 1,344,758 881,584 2,226,342
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APPENDIX VIII—PRODUCTION (Exports only)
APPENDIX IX—COST OF LIVING The prices in Apia during 1949 of some of the more important groceries, &c., are shown below : Flour . . . . . . .. -. B§d. per lb. Butter (New Zealand), tinned .. .. .. 2s. 9d. per lb. Butter (New Zealand), pats .. .. . . 2s. 2d. per lb. Bacon (New Zealand) .. .. .. .. 2s. 2d. per lb. Eggs (local, small, when procurable) .. .. ss. per dozen (October, 1947). Sugar .. .. .. .. .. 7Jd. per lb. Bread .. .. .. .. .. 9d. per lb. Fresh milk (good quality) .. .. 7d. per pint undelivered. Cheese, processed .. .. .. 2s. 9d. per 12 oz. tin. Cheese, loaf .. .. .. .. 3s. to 3s. 2d. per lb. Imported mutton .. .. .. Is. lOd. per lb. (October, 1947). Imported chops .. .. .. .. 2s. per lb. (October, 1947). Cigarettes .. .. .. .. Is. sd. for 20. Imported sausages, tinned .. .. 2s. 3d. to 2s. 4d. per 16 oz. tin. Tea (good brands) .. .. .. .. 6s. per lb. Petrol .. .. .. .. .. 3s. Bd. per gallon. Potatoes .. .. .. .. .. 7d. per lb. Onions .. .. .. .. .. 7d. per lb.
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(Calendar Years) (Values in £(N.Z.)) Calendar Tear. Cocoa. Copra. Bananas. Desiccated Coconut. Tons. Value. Tons. Value. Cases. Value. Tons. Value. 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1,965 1,885 2,378 1,630 2,894 £ 175,451 207,109 448,794 369,492 387,611 15,057 13,795 18,181 14,178 16,455 £ 339,842 340,669 722,272 584,062 787,274 109,838 127,821 101,754 99,507 87,121 £ 67,472 86,421 70,317 69,004 64,644 376 568 615J 509 691-| £ 30,114 50,462 79,249 71,424 95,142 More complete details are published in the Return of Trade, Shipping, and Commerce for the Territory of Western Samoa, which is published annually.
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APPENDIX X—PUBLIC HEALTH (a) Infectious Diseases Reported
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— 1945-46. 1946-47. 1947-48. 1948-49. 1949-50. Meningitis— Meningococcal 25 15 13 12 Pneumonoccal 1 Tuberculosis (all forms) 103 48 174 167 80 Enteric fever 130 37 97 76 Paratyphoid fever 3 9 12 Malignant jaundice 48 7i * * * Catarrhal jaundice 64 93 * * * Infective hepatitis 145 154 73 Pneumonia 184 244 170 110 130 Chicken-pox 19 9 64 24 27 Gonorrhoea 21 9 20 27 18 Dengue fever 1 7 11 6 Tetanus i 4 13 10 13 Puerperal fever 9 8 16 19 26 Gas gangrene 1 Broncho-pneumonia 73 150 165 165 Leprosy io 5 6 18 17 Dysentery (all forms) I 1 10 12 8 Conjunctivitis 154 190 42 Erysipelas i 3 3 3 Infantile diarrhoea 55 197 123 Mumps 1 Trachoma 7 Typhoid • 47 Lobar pneumonia 10 Whooping-cough ., 19 Influenza .. .. .. 949 * After 1946-47, infective forms of jaundice were notified as infective hepatitis.
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(b) Hospital and Dispensary Statistics, 1945-46 to 1949-50
In addition to the above, the following statistics of work carried out by the medical staff during 1949-50 are of interest:— Visits by Medical Officer and Samoan medical practitioners .. .. 4,603 Hookworm treatments .. .. .. .. .. 8,589 Operations— Apia Hospital— Major .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 130 Minor .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,044 Out-stations— Major .. .. .. . . .. .. .. 231 Minor .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3,088 N.A.B. and yaws injections .. .. .. .. .. 127,013 Inductothermy treatments .. .. .. .. .. .. 191 Laboratory examinations .. .. .. .. .. 8,508 Electro-cardiograms .. .. .. .. .. .. 29 X-ray examinations .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,034 (c) Summary of Work op Mobile Clinic, 1949-50 Number of villages visited .. .. .. .. .. .. 60 Number of school treatments .. .. .. .. .. 10,788 Number of yaws injections .. .. .. .. .. .. 23,817 Number of typhoid innoculations .. .. .. .. .. 2,655 Number of minor operations and consultations .. .. .. 267 Number of picture shows .. .. .. .. .. .. 23
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Admissions to Hospitals. 1945-46. 1946-47. 1947-48. 1948-49. 1949-50. Apia Government Hospital— 1 Europeans 632 573 713 882 847 Samoans 910 1,016 978 1,046 1,080 Chinese 86 106 27 34 13 Melanesians 7 3 3 3 7 Tokelaus and Niueans 31 25 36 26 19 Totals 1,666 1,723 1,757 1,991 1,966 Tuasivi Hospital (Samoans) 100 171 173 198 296 Aleipata Hospital (Samoans) .. 151 127 171 236 202 Fagamalo Hospital (Samoans) .. 141 174 135 113 151 Sataua Hospital (Samoans) 99 125 46 175 140 Mulifanua Hospital (Samoans) 75 61 91 95 149 Poutasi Hospital (Samoans) • 238 115 168 114 163 Leulumoega Hospital (Samoans) 208 248 253 434 457 •Sa'anapu Hospital (Samoans) . . 41 68 20 104 114 Fagaloa Hospital (Samoans) 83 52 100 89 164 ■Salailua Hospital (Samoans) 104 104 151 139 207 Satupaitea Hospital (Samoans) 59 95 189 . 196 218 .Safotu Hospital (Samoans) 182 284 205 277 150 Lufilufi Hospital (Samoans) 207 284 412 378 340 Total in-patients 3,354 3,631 3,871 4,539 4,717 'Out-patients at hospitals and dispensaries 77,214 99,104 98,744 115,991 136,611 Grand totals 80,568 102,735 102,615 120,530 141,328 Deaths in hospitals 153 142 183 226 201
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(d) Deaths of Samoans at Different Ages, 1945 to 1949
The Samoan infant-mortality rate (death under one year) was 61-34 per 1,000 births during 1949, Infant-mortality rates during the preceding twenty-two years are shown below:— 1927 .. 101 1935 .. 97-0 1942 .. .. 72-69 1928 .. 58 1936 .. 291-77* 1943 .. .. 124-42 1929 .. 70 1937 .. 89-30 1944 .. .. 75-8 1930 .. 61 1938 .. 73-79 1945 .. 53-8 1931 .. 11l 1939 .. 83-56 1946 .. .. 64-05 1932 .. 121 1940 .. 73-80 1947 .. .. 56-94 1933 .. 114 1941 .. 65-59 1948 .. .. 58-04 1934 .. 104-8
* Due to epidemics of whooping-cough and measles ; see report for 1936-37 .page 22.
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(Calendar Years) Number of Deaths. Percentage of Total Deaths. 1945. 1946. 1947. 1948. 1949. 1945. 1946. 1947. 1948. 1949.. Under 1 week 12 47 26 31 24 2-35 7-17 4-24 4-80 3-46 1 week to 1 month 4 23 17 14 12 0-77 3-50 2-77 2-17 1-72 1 month to 3 months 17 25 9 14 19 3-33 3-81 1-47 2-17 2-74 3 months to 8 months 11 25 20 27 48 2-15 3-81 3-26 4-19 6-91 6 months to 12 months 65 56 67 79 89 12-72 8-54 10-92 12-25 12-82 1 year to 2 years 70 66 74 93 69 13-70 10-06 12-07 14-42 9-65 2 years to 3 years 24 32 24 36 38 4-70 4-88 3-92 5-58 4-90 3 years to 4 years 16 18 12 15 17 3-13 2-75 1-96 2-33 2-44 4 years to 5 years 5 16 7 8 12 0-98 2-44 1-14 1-24 1-72 5 years to 10 years 31 40 33 30 34 6-07 6-09 5-39 4-65 4-90 Over 10 years 256 308 324 298 332 50-10 46-95 52-86 46-20 47-74 Totals | 511 1 656 613 645 694 100-00 100-00 100-00 100-00 100-Oft
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(e) Medical Organization
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APPENDIX XI—EDUCATION (a) Government Schools : General Personnel of Education Department— Director of Education .. .. .. .. . . . . 1 Assistant to the Director of Education .. .. .. . . 1 Supervisor of Infant Classes .. . . . . .. . . 1 Office staff .. . . .. .. .. .. .. 5 Broadcasting staff . . . . .. .. .. . . 4 Miscellaneous .. . . .. .. .. .. .. 4 Teaching staff— New Zealand teachers . . . . .. . . .. 19 Certificate European teachers engaged locally .. .. .. 2 Uncertificated European teachers .. . . .. .. 22 iSamoan Inspectors .. .. . . .. .. .. 8 Samoan teachers .. .. .. .. .. .. 304 Trainees . . .. . . .. .. .. .. 119
(b) Government Primary Schools
Distribution of Village Primary Schools and Pupils
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Number. Number Roll Numbers Type of School. of of Schools. Teachers. Boys. Girls. Totals. Village primary schools Boys' resident primary schools 103 304 6,491 6,421 12,912 2 6 180 180 European primary schools 2 27 271 *229 500 Post-primary school 1 2 25 10 35 Intermediate school 1 3 38 89 127 Teachers' Training College 1 6 58 61 119 Adult night school 6 76 76 Accelerate school 4 34 *63 97 Totals 112 358 7,173 6,873 14,046
Number of Schools. Number of Pupils. Boys. Girls. Total. Upolu 66 3,920 3,971 7,891 Savai'i 35 2,462 2,344 4,806 Apolima 1 43 31 74 Manono 1 66 75 141 Territory 103 6,491 6,421 12,912
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(c) Denominational Mission Schools
APPENDIX XII —CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA FOR APIA, 1945-49
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Type of School. London Missionary Society. Roman Catholic. Methodist. latter Day I Saints. Seventh Day Adventist. 1 Total. Pastor/cateehist schools Theological colleges Boys' primary schools Girls' primary schools Mixed primary schools Boys' secondary schools Girls' secondary schools Mixed secondary schools 178 1 5 1 i 90 1 3 12 7 1 1 74 1 2 1 * 1 4 *3 3 1 2 349 4 10 14 12 3 1 Name of Mission. Total Schools. European Teachers. Pastor Teachers. Samoan Teachers. Total Teachers. Total Rolls. Slot Attending Government Schools. London Missionary Society Roman Catholic 186 115 5 67 194 94 487 21 643 182 12,768 5,183 7,377 5,082 Methodist 79* 5 74 15 94 4,073 1,383 Latter Day Saints 7 8 3 30 48 820 500 Seventh Day Adventist .. 6 1 4 4 9 206 206 Totals 393 86 369 557 976 23,050 14,548 * In addition, there are 12 Methodist village schools staffed with 27 Methodist teachers all under the control of the Education Department and therefore included in the Government primary-school figures.
1945. 1946. 1947. 1948. 1949. Total rainfall 127-46 in. 121-98 in. 127-79 in. 141-48 in. 114-66 in. Number of rain days 228 198 222 238 238 Maximum daily rainfall 4-30 in. 6-02 in. 8-64 in. 4-98 in. 4-31 in. Date .. .. 15th March 18th May 6th Jan. 4th Dec. 30th Dec. Extreme maximum temperature .. 89-6° F. 90-0° F. 91-0° F. 92-9° F. 89-9° F. Date 6th April 12 th April 19th March 17th Jan. 25th March Extreme minimum temperature 68-0 d F. 66 • 5° F. 67-1° F. 66-5° F. 65-9° F. Date 16th Aug. 19th July 25th Aug. 23rd Aug. 23rd July Mean daily maximum temperature 85-31° F. 86-57° F. 86-7° F. 86-5° f. 85-7° F. Mean daily minimum temperature 74-8° F. 74-04° F. 74-2° F. 73-7° F. 73-7° F.
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APPENDIX XII—WARRANT OF APPOINTMENT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION GOVERNMENT OF WESTERN SAMOA Commission to Inquire Into and Report Upon the Organization op District and Village Government in Western Samoa To Jambs Wightman Davidson, of Apia, Member of the Legislative Assembly, Fa'amatua Inu Tulieatt, of Lufilufii, Matai'a Si'xj, of Vailoa, Namtjlatj'tjlxj Siaosi, of Fogapoa, Faipule, Tofa Tomasi, of Faleasi'u, Member of the Legislative Assembly, Tofilau Siose, of Iva, and Ttjala Tttlo, of Leauva'a, Member of the Legislative Assembly : Greeting : Whereas it is provided by the Commissions of Enquiry Ordinance, 1921, that the High Commissioner may appoint any person to be a Commission to inquire into and report, inter alia, upon any matter or thing affecting the Territory or the inhabitants thereof, upon the working of any existing law, or regarding the necessity or expediency of any proposed legislation. And whereas it is deemed expedient and in the interest of the Territory and its inhabitants that a Commission be set up to inquire into and report upon the organization of district and village government in Western Samoa. Now know ye that I, Gtty Richardson Powles, High Commissioner of Western Samoa, reposing trust and confidence in your impartiality, knowledge, and ability, do hereby nominate, constitute, and appoint you, the said James Wightman Davidson, Fa'amatua Inu Tulifau, Matai'a Si'u, Namulau'ulu Siaosi (see note) Tofa Tomasi Tofilau Siose, and Tuala Tulo, to be a Commission to inquire into and report upon the present administration of district and village affairs, whether by Government officers or otherwise, and to recommend such changes therein as may appear desirable, and, in particular, but without limiting the generality of the foregoing authority,— 1. To inquire into the present structure and mode of operation of village and district fono and of any other traditional authorities which may be exercising legislative, executive, or judicial functions in any part of Western Samoa ; 2. To inquire into the present structure and mode of operation of district health committees, women's committees, water supply inspection committees and any other non-traditional bodies exercising legislative, executive or judicial functions, or acting in an advisory capacity in relation thereto, in any part of Western Samoa ; 3. To inquire into the manner in which Fa'amasino Samoa Itumalo, Pulefa'atoaga, and Pulenu'u are at present performing their duties and to consider the adequacy of the status and powers possessed by these officers ; 4. To inquire, so far as may be possible in Western Samoa, into the structure and mode of operation of district and village councils, or other similar institutions of local government, in any part of world where, in the opinion of the Commission, conditions resemble those in Western Samoa ; 5. To recommend what types of district and village councils, or other institutions of district or village government, the Government should consider establishing in Western Samoa ; 6. To recommend what powers exercised and duties performed at present by the various traditional authorities and non-traditional bodies, or by Government officers, might be transferred to any institutions of district or village government constituted in accordance with recommendations under the preceding section ; 7. To indicate any other functions which might, now or in future, be performed by such institutions of district or village government; 8. To indicate any functions at present performed by the various traditional authorities and non-traditional bodies which might, now or in future, be transferred to any person or body corporate, other than any institution of district or village government; 9. To indicate, generally, any other matters which should be taken into account by the Government in determining policy in relation to district and village government: And I do hereby appoint you, the said James Wightman Davidson to be Chairman of the said Commission : And for the better enabling you to carry these presents into effect you are hereby authorized and empowered to make and conduct any inquiry under these presents at such time and place as you deem expedient, with power to adjourn from time to time and place to place as you think fit, and so that these presents shall continue in force, and the inquiry may at any time and place be resumed although not regularly adjourned from time to time or from place to place :
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And for a like purpose you are hereby authorized to consult Tupua Tamasese, Fautua Member of the Council of State Malietoa Tanumafili, Fautua, Member of the Council of State Frederick James Henry Grattan, Member of the Legislative Assembly, Secretary of Samoan Affairs Thomas Robson, Resident Commissioner of Savai'i and such other persons as may, by their knowledge of any matter relevant to your inquiry, be able to assist you : And you are hereby strictly charged and directed that you shall not at any time publish or otherwise disclose save to the High Commissioner, in pursuance of these presents, or by the High •Commissioner's direction, the contents of any report so made or to be made by you, or any evidence or information obtained by you in the exercise of the powers hereby conferred upon you, except such evidence or information as is received in the course of a sitting open to the public : And it is hereby declared that the whole of the powers hereby conferred shall be exercisable notwithstanding the absence at any time of any one or more of the members hereby appointed so long as the Chairman, or a member deputed by the Chairman to act in his stead, and two other members be present and concur in the exercise of such powers : And it is hereby further declared that, in any case where it is deemed expedient so to do, the •Commission may resolve itself into two or more Committees presided over by the Chairman or his nominee or nominees to sit independently of each other for the purpose of receiving evidence; and, subject thereto, any such committee shall as soon as may be convenient present a record of the evidence so received by it to a sitting of the Commission presided over by the Chairman or a member deputed by the Chairman to act in his stead : And, using all due diligence, you are required to present your final report to the High Commissioner in writing under your hands not later than the-thirty-first day of August, one thousand nine hundred and fifty, embodying your findings and opinions on the matter aforesaid, together with such recommendations as you think fit to make in respect thereof; And, lastly, it is hereby declared that these presents are issued under the authority of and subject to the provisions of the Commissions of Enquiry Ordinance, 1921. In witness whereof I have caused this Commission to be issued under my hand and the seal of Western Samoa at Apia this twenty-seventh day of March one thousand nine hundred and fifty. G. R. POWLES, High Commissioner. [L-S.J Note.—-Namulau'ulu Siaosi unfortunately died soon after the Commission had commenced its "work, and Tuilangi Fetu was appointed in his stead on Ist May, 1950. Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given ; printing (1,466 copies), £275.
By Authority: R. E. Owen, Government Printer, Wellington.—1950. Price Is. 9d.~\
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DEPARTMENT OF ISLAND TERRITORIES WESTERN SAMOA ADMINISTERED UNDER TRUSTEESHIP AGREEMENT DATED 13th DECEMBER, 1946 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1950, Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1950 Session I, A-04
Word Count
41,123DEPARTMENT OF ISLAND TERRITORIES WESTERN SAMOA ADMINISTERED UNDER TRUSTEESHIP AGREEMENT DATED 13th DECEMBER, 1946 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1950 Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1950 Session I, A-04
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