A.—4a,

22

Advice to Expectant Mothers at the time of childbirth, and at the puerperium, enters largely into the work. The Samoan women work very hard, doing a large proportion of the work on the plantations with, its consequent stooping and weeding in the hot sun, and carrying heavy loads of food and firewood. They also do a lot of fishing, being in the water for hours at a time, coming home wet and chilled. These conditions of life often bring on abortions and miscarriages, and it is endeavoured to prevent this as much as possible. The women are given a few simple rules of living during pregnancy : (1) Good plain Samoan food, regularly taken ; (2) plenty of fluid to drink —water and coconut-milk; (3) care of the bowels ; (4) leave off fishing and heavy work on the plantations. The Samoan women attend to their own women at childbirth. It is very rare indeed to call in a doctor ; though, if they can be taught that there are times when a white doctor is absolutely necessary, it will go a long way in saving many mothers from bad after-effects. A Samoan maternity ward in connection with the Government hospital has just been opened, and will prove of great benefit to the Samoan mothers, especially in any case with complications. The women all over Samoa seem very anxious for advice and help at the time of labour, and, although advice has been given, it is the aim in next year's programme of work in connection with child welfare to lay particular stress on this branch of the work. The interest shown by the Samoan women in this work of child welfare, and the willingness with which they have done all that has been asked of them, has been very encouraging indeed, and even in the short time the work has been in progress the women and children look cleaner, healthier, and happier ; and not only has it given the women a big interest, but it has raised their status in the community. The women of Samoa and their work is going to be one of the biggest factors in the moral, mental, and physical progress of the Samoan people. APPENDIX D. NOTES ON THE SAMOAN CENSUS OF Ist JANUARY, 1926. Introductory Notes. The Rev. J. B. Stair, who resided in Samoa from 1838 to 1845, says, in " Old Samoa " : " The population of Samoa, when compared with that of other groups, is large, but there are good reasons for thinking that it was much larger formerly, before Europeans first settled amongst them. For many years before the introduction of Christianity it had been steadily decreasing, principally in consequence of the ferocious and bloody wars in which the Natives so constantly engaged. In various parts of Upolu I have often noticed traces of a much larger population, and the general testimony of the Natives confirmed this belief. Sites of deserted villages and remains of plantationwalls could often be seen in the wild bush | and in many parts of the islands places once largely populated have now very reduced numbers." The first estimate of the population of these islands is that of Commodore Wilkes, of the United States Navy, who visited Samoa between 1838 and 1842. His estimate was 46,000. In 1845 the London Missionary Society took a census of the Natives, the result totalling 40,000. The Rev. J. B. Stair, who was resident in Samoa at that time, considers this an underestimate, but states that the population was certainly not more than 45,000. In 1849 Captain Erskine, R.N., reckoned the popiilation at 32,000. In the Samoan Recorder of January, 1854, a paper published under the auspices of the London Missionary Society, the population is given as 29,237. There is no further record of the population available in Samoa until the year 1886. In that year John B. Thurston made an estimate of 29,000, practically the same figure as for 1854, thirty-two years earlier. Censuses were taken by the German Administration in the years 1906 and 1911 ; by the military occupying force in 1917 ; and by the present Administration in 1921, and on the Ist January, 1926. The population shown at each of these periods was —1906, 33,478 ; 1911, 33,554 ; 1917, 37,196 ; 1921, 32,601 ; 1926, 36,688. Of the two occasions on which the German Administration took a census it is not possible to make any comment as to the accuracy or otherwise of the returns, but there is little doubt that the census taken by the military authorities in 1917 was not satisfactory, and that it must be rejected as too high. The census of 1921 may or may not have been accurate. The discrepancy of 712 between the population as estimated from the last census and the figures obtained at the recent census may be due to any of the folio-wing reasons : (a) The 1921 census may not have been accurate ; (b) the present system of registration of births and deaths was only introduced in 1923, and the records to that time may be inaccurate ; (c) the records of arrivals from and departures for overseas showed for the four and a half years following the census an average loss- of over one hundred Samoan s a year by emigration. A more careful check during the past six months shows no such discrepancy between numbers arriving and departing.