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V. TRADE. f There is again a decrease in value in both import and export trade. The volume of export trade has been fully maintained, for, though copra shows some falling-off, it is made up for in the substantial increase in exports of cacao and bananas, the number of cases of the latter shipped during the year being almost double the number for 1929. Unfortunately, recent storms did great damage, and the banana crop will not recover before June. The low price obtained for produce, and particularly copra, causes anxiety, but fortunately the islands are not now entirely dependent on one crop alone. The total trade for the year was £559,870 (made up of imports, £275,355, and exports, £284,515), as compared with £582,787 for 1929 (made up of imports, £288,849, and exports, £293,938). VI. HEALTH. The health of the community has been good. In the last three months there have been scattered cases of bacillary dysentery, which at first caused some anxiety, but the disease has not occurred in a severe form or shown a tendency to develop into a general epidemic. Dengue fever also made its first general appearance in the Territory in June, 1930, having appeared likewise in adjacent island groups, but its effects are relatively mild and harmless. Three more Native medical practitioners graduated from the Suva Medical School, making six in all now working in Samoa, and the reports from Suva on Samoan students have been most gratifying. The medical staff is now entirely adequate, and all hospitals and nursing posts are manned. VII. NATIVE AFFAIRS. Native unrest has steadily diminished during the year, and as it died away several of the known agitators left the country and the discordant element has become less conspicuous. When H.M.S. " Dunedin " left in March, 1930, after completing operations against the Mau, a detachment of Marines remained behind until early in April. As soon as the Marines went, some sixty Mau chiefs, including Tuimalealiifano, gathered with a view to resuming Mau activities. They were promptly arrested by the police, and were sentenced to short terms of imprisonment. Various subsequent meetings have been held since, in the bush or by stealth in villages, but the more influential chiefs have taken no part, and interest in the movement has died out. The centenary celebrations of the London Missionary Society were a factor in the improvement of the situation, as they formed a centre of attraction for the great majority of the population, and for several months completely occupied their thoughts to the exclusion of other matters. During the preparations for this event mutual animosities were suspended, and the successful outcome of the meetings, culminating in the big gatherings at Sapapali'i and Malua at the end of August, helped very largely to dissipate the remnants of agitation. The time was ripe for change ; the Samoans had already tired of strife, and when they found they could meet together again quite happily in functions from which the disturbing elements of controversy were absent they were content afterwards to resume their former associations and abandon the bitterness of the past three years. The change of feeling was very manifest when the Land and Titles Commission held its sittings in October. The former Mau elements were represented among the Native assessors, and took part freely in the proceedings—a striking contrast to the previous year, when the power of the Mau was sufficient to prevent claimants from stating their cases, to intimidate witnesses, and to " fine " many of those who participated. In pursuance of a promise made at the fonos held with the Mau in March, 1930, the Administrator proceeded to call a representative fono of the Samoan people to meet at Mulinu'u. It was left to each district to appoint its own representatives, in accordance with the number of the former Faipules, and the Administrator also invited the Fautuas and two or three other leading chiefs, including former heads of the Mau, to be present. Representatives from all districts were appointed in writing, signed by the " matais." Rather more than 20 per cent, of the matais signed the appointments, but, as in some districts a few only were delegated by the rest to sign, this number may be taken to represent about a third of the matais of the country. The Mau held aloof from signing nominations, though in many districts they joined in making the actual choice. This representative fono met in June, and lasted three days. Satisfaction was expressed at the general state of the country, and the main result of the fono was the expression of a strong wish by the representatives for the reconstitution of the Fono of Faipules. In accordance with the desire of the representative fono, the Administrator decided to summon a new Fono of Faipules, and invited districts to nominate Faipules in writing, as had been done in the case of the representatives. Nominations were duly made, and the person selected was in each case appointed as Faipule by the Administrator accordingly. Of the thirty-three Faipules, twenty - two formerly held office, and eleven are new j the latter take the placc of one old Faipule promoted to Fautua, two deceased, one dismissed some time prior to 1928, one is additional, and there are six changes for no special reasons. Two of the new Faipules were at one time prominent in the Mau. The appointments have been made for one year only, and fresh nominations will then be asked for in order to give all who failed to co-operate an opportunity of taking further part in the choice of Faipules if they wish.

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