NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 25, 24 October 1942, Page 6

NOTES AND COMMENTS

It is to be hoped that yesterday’s brief and uninformative official report of Thursday’s secret session of the House of Representatives is merely preliminary to a comprehensive statement. The House discussed the all-impor-tant question of this Dominion’s manpower, and the announced fact that some 16 speakers took part in the discussion indicates that the position was reviewed at some length. No doubt it was better in the interests of security to deal with certain aspects of the question, including proposals concerning military establishment strengths, in camera. But there is no reason whatever for secrecy to surround the question as a whole, which involves many points of burning interest to the people, particularly on the administrative side. It should be realized that the manner in which the country’s manpower and woman-power resources are handled has a considerable influence on national morale. General approval and support for the administration's policy and system of control—conditions synonymous with high and healthy morale —cannot come out of blank ignorance. 'The people must be acquainted with the broad lines of the position as it stands, and with what is afoot for the future, if their confidence is io be won. The Government owes it as a duty to the community Io provide such n survey.

.Supplies of raw rubber formerly so small-that they were of little impor-

tance to the Allies now have an added value. The Dominions contribution consists of the very limited output from Samoa, and the accounts recently presented to Parliament show that the sales of rubber have 'been largely instrumental in enabling the reparation estates there to show a trading profit. The proceeds amounted to £8970 in 1941, compared with £6900 in the preceding year, and the profits totalled £4333 as against £2950. lhe total trading profits in 1941 were only £5465, so that rubber production was the outstanding factor. Other items in the accounts also I'eflcct the changes caused by the war. Cocoa production became more profitable, for whereas in 1940 there was a loss of £5O, in the following year a profit of nearly £3OOO was recorded. On the other hand the copra trade had been linid hit. mid there was a loss of £2OOO in. 1941. The position with regard to some of these products is now more difficult than ever and if anything can lie done * to increase the output of rubber in Samoa it will be a welcome addition to very depleted stocks.