SAMOAN PROBLEMS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 277, 17 August 1921, Page 5

SAMOAN PROBLEMS

INDENTURED LABOUR AND BEETLES THE PRICE OF COPRA The Minister of External Affairs (Hon. E. P. Lee) made brief reference yesterday to some of the problems that he investigated during his recent visit to Samoa. He said that tho contract coolie labour was being maintained at about tho strength established last year, fchorttern# contracts had been insisted upon since the war, and some of the timeexpired Chinese labourers were to be repatriated shortly. The Administration had made arrangements for the replacement of these coolies by other labourers from China. It was significant, in view of the suggestions made in certain quarters, that coolies were found to be applying in China for a second or even a third, term of identure in Samoa. The Chinese themselves evidently considered the terms of engagement and employment to be sufficiently attractive. Tho supply of labour, added tho Minister, was sufficient to keep the good plantations,, including those in the hands of the Government, in productive condition, but there was no labour available for the development of new cultivations or for tho restoration of plantations that had been allowed to revert to jungle conditions. ' The supply of labour was a particularly difficult problem in Samoa. The natives did not care to work on tho plantations, and the sole alternative seemed to be the employment of Chinese. The Minister said that development of new plantations was not contemplated at present, since the prices of produce did not warrant a great expenditure. Both for cocoa and copra tho market 'had been very low, 'but copra was now recovering, and cocoa, the Minister considered, was bound to improve in time. Present prices were below the natural level. It was the same with tho tropical raw products as with, wool and other produce of temperate countries. Ths world markets were depressed. Under such circumstances, it was not wise to consider extending the area under production ; but it would he most unwise to allow the valuable plantations to go back for want of proper attention. S» far as the rhinoceros beetle was concerned, the Minister believed that this pest was being kept in hand. ine system adopted was that of having the Whole population engage in weekly searches to destroy, tho beetle larvae, and prevent the beetles from increasing Constant vigilance was needed to prevent the beetle from increasing its hold.