41

A.—s

Port of Apia, Samoa. — Return of Exports for the Calendar Year 1919.

The following table shows the amount of revenue the Government have derived from a purely agricultural source through the export duty: —

This substantial addition to the Government revenue was collected at a time when we were labouring under great difficulties. Owing to the war the cost of provisions and labour had increased enormously, and money was tight. We were fighting with all the resources at our disposal the, dreaded rhinoceros-beetle and cocoa-canker, which were ravaging our trees and threatening our very existence. We were put to considerable expense by the Government, who in the first instance treated us with scant consideration. Our Chinese hospital, which had been erected in a central position for the convenience of the plantations, and furnished with the medicines and equipment necessary for our purpose at considerable expense, was closed by the Government, and we were forced to send our men to the Government hospital, which was not conveniently situated. Again, our labour barracks, which had previously been considered to fulfill all requirements, were found unsuitable for the accommodation of our labour force, and we were compelled to make additions or erect new buildings ; this in spite of the fact that the health of our men had been universally good, and building-material was scarce and the price inflated. To add to our difficulties, the forced repatriation of our labour at the prohibitive cost we were called upon to pay was almost the last straw. Many of us, after having at great expense rebuilt or erected new buildings in conformation with the new regulations, found, on account of the forced repatriation, it was impossible to utilize them fully. Was this the time to tax us ? To the causes we have enumerated and the labour shortage we mainly attribute the bankruptcy of some of our largest companies. And we have been requested to petition you as to the possibility of the return of at least a part of the prohibitive repatriation foes which we were called upon to pay. In support of our statement we give the following information, obtained from the manager of one of our largest companies, showing how, through these causes, they have been reduced from the employment in 1.915 of 294 labourers to 12 labourers in 1920; and an output of 69,383 lb. of rubber in 1917 to nil in 1919; and an output of 138 tons 10 owt. 12 lb. of cocoa in 1916 to 20 odd tons in 1919. Following are particulars of the Upolu Rubber and Cacao Estates, Limited : —

Upolu Rubber and Cacao Estates (Limited). — Tanumapua and Alisa Estates. — Labour Particulars and Crop Returns from 1915 to 1919. Total area of properties, 2,510 acres; area under cultivation, 1,103 acres.

6—A. 5.

Country to which exported. llate of Duty. Quantity. i Article. Value. Total Value. Duty. Cocoa Australia New Zealand United States America £2 per ton.. 401 tons 217 „ 202 „ £ 39,489 22,503 19,118 £ £ s. d. 81,110 1,040 14 2 Copra United States America. 10s. per ton 820 tons 16,356 tons 449,917 449,917 8,178 5 11 Hides Australia New Zealand Free 900 tons 250 ., 840 200 1,040 Kava 1,150 tons United States America Free 125 125 2,587 1b. Papain Canada United States America Free 332 lb. 261 „ 175 120 295 Pineapples (preserved) United States America Free 593 lb. 40 do/,. 13 13 — 532,500 532,500 9,819 0 1

1916 1917 1918 1919 Totals Year. Cocoa-beans (C2 per Ton). £ s. d. 1.466 9 10 2.413 13 1 1,589 11 2 1,640 14 2 7,110 8 3 Copra. Rubber (IDs. per Ton). (IJd. per Pound). £ s. d. £ s. d. 2,950 16 10 667 0 5 4,496 0 4 977 13 6 4,684 19 2 233 10 2 8,178 5 11 Copra. (IDs. per Ton). £ s. d. 2,950 16 10 4,496 0 I 4,684 19 2 8.178 5 11 Rubber (IJd. per Pom £ x. 667 0 977 13 233 10 Hid). (I. 5 0 2 i Totai. £ s. d. 5,084 7 1 7,887 6 11 6,508 0 6 9,819 0 1 I r 20,310 2 3 1,878 4 I 29,298 14 7

Year. Number of Coolies on the Estates. Coolie Unit Cost per Day Cost per Acre, Old (includes Uepatria- ('lean Weeding, tion Charges). ~T~ s. d. s. d. 19 2 1 2 (i{ 2 4 2 10? 2 8k .Rubber Crop. Cocoa Crop. lb Tons ewt. lb. 41 129 SO 3 87 53'496 138 10 12 09! 383 80 9 8r > Cost of Repatriation to China per Coolie. 915 . . .916 .. 917 .. .918 . . 294 206 207 140 5 5| 9 3J 34,913 43 9 2 £ s. a. (18/8/15) 9 16 6 (10/9/16) 13 2 8 (10/2/17) 16 10 0 f (22/1/18) 20 9 3 )(20/9/18) 24 0 0 Repatriation duo on 3/1/19 and 31/7/19, but postponed to 1920, when coolies had changed employers. 919 .. 920 .. 31 12 * J No clean weeding Nono 20 9 92 4 I * This docs not include repatru iation charges. itriation charges.