SAMOAN TRADE

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21204, 29 August 1940, Page 11

SAMOAN TRADE

DROP IN YEAR’S TOTAL COCOA CROP COMES LATE HIGHER EXPENDITURE (By Telegraph.—Special to Times) WELLINGTON, Wednesday The 20th annual report of the New Zealand Government on the administration of Western Samoa, presented to Parliament today, records a further drop in the total trade of the mandated territory. The total trade figure of £415,145 represents a reduction of 6.68 per cent from the 1938 figure of £444,877. The report says the further drop can be mainly attributed to the fact that there was no cocoa crop during the major part of the year, nearly 1000 tons less being exported, with a drop in value of £34,547. Copra exports showed an increase of 11.52 per cent over the 1938 figure, and amounted to 12,536 tons worth £108,078. The export of bananas, while still high, showed a small drop of 5810 cases for the year, with a consequent decline in the value of exported fruit of £2178. Late Cocoa Harvest The long period without a cocoa harvest put a heavy financial strain on the planters, the report continues. However, the long fallow period, coupled with favourable weather, enabled a much larger crop to be gathered from October, long past the usual period, until well into March this year. Copra prices have shown a slow but steady increase, and are now firm at about £SO a ton in London.

A deficit of £4232, after reducing loan indebtedness by £5130 under the sinking fund scheme, is shown in the accounts. As a result the accumulated surplus has been reduced to £41,873. Revenue for the year was £131,416, an increase of £7613 over the total for the previous year. Expenditure increased by £16,514 to £135,648. Serious flood damage resulted in the expenditure of over £IO,OOO on repairs. “The experiment with Niuean labour has proved unsuccessful and most of the recruited labour had to be returned to Niue,” the report adds. “They dislike cocoa work and rubber tapping, preferring to work for copra plantations near the sea.”