CHINESE IN SAMOA.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 778, 24 October 1922, Page 4

CHINESE IN SAMOA.

/ ATTEMPTS AT “GO SLOW/’

The number off indentured Chinese in Samoa on March 31st, 1922, was 1591 the number bejing made up as follows : Old labourers imported during the German occupation, 241: arrived by s.s. Haldus, 420 arrived by s.s. Ascj|t 922; araivd by s-s. Taiyuan “The difficulties with which owners of plantations had to contend during the past year were to a certain extent shared) by the Department,” states the annual report of the Somoan Agricultural Department. “Many plantations, owing to neglect during the war period and the shortage combined wffth the high cost of labour had been allowed to get into a bad condition, necessitating a considerable amount of heavy work to restore them. This (fact,, together with the inexperience of the new labourers and the prevalence of septic sores during the wet season, a(t times caused discontent among the labuorer,s, (resulting in some cases in atempts to initiate a ‘tgo slow” policy. “The institution of standard tasks, which wepe adopted wherever possible in order, to combat this policy, at first met with opposition, but with the (realisation that the tasks set were in no cases excessive the opposition ceased, and one constant source of friction was to a great extent removed. “The high cost of luxuries and of tobacco in particular, compared wit prices current in China Ls also an ever-present) source of complaint. |The new labourers, coming almost entirely from the Houngshan and Sanning districts of Kwangtung Province, are of a good type. The percentage of undersirables is very low. Relations between employers and labourers are generally good, and is- ggcsffions made from time to time 1 this Department in the 'imtere o' - workmen individually and 1 ively hav been well received.