SAMOA

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 298, 10 September 1921, Page 7

SAMOA

NEW ZEALAND’S POLICY CRITICISED ■ x ADMINISTRATION OF CROWN LANDS ,By Telegraph—Pree« Association—Copyright Sydney, September 9. The “Herald’s” special commissioner, concluding his’articlo on Samoa, says: “Samoa’s troubles are mostly due to economic factors, for which the Government is in no way blamablo. The scarcity and cost of labour combined with low prices for tropical products make it problematical whether any of the plantation schemes could bo worked at a profit at present." He discusses the Chinese labour question and New Zealand’s policy towards it, and says that instead of the early policy of encouraging their repatriation, recently, owing to the acute labour shortage, they have been solicited to stay, and tho Government has made arrangements to import a thousand naw Chinese from Hong Kong. Th-s writer adds: "Serious injury will lie done the agricultural interests in Samoa if Chinese labourers are not available because it is difficult to replace them.” Referring to the Crown lands, he says the Administration had taken over thousands of acres of cultivated and uncultivated lands which belonged to deported Germans, believing that they would produce large profits and thereby reduce the cost of administration to a minimum. Tliie has proved a delusion. All the Crown estates are likely to show losses. There have been too many white officials employed, and consequently a too high salary list, preventing a profit. Even if tho markets were normal again probably the most sensible course would lie to lease these estates. —Press Assn.