A.—4.

18

XI. —POLICE AND PRISONS. Establishment. The total European strength (including one clerk) as at 31st March, 1938, was nine, a reduction of two from the figure at the end of the previous year. During the year one Native constable and one Native warder were retired on pensions. The uniformed Native strength as at 31st March, 1938, was forty, exclusive of one Native clerk and ten messengers also under the control of the Inspector of Police. There are now two police posts in the Territory, one at Aleipata, Upolu, and the other at Tuasivi, Savai'i, the former under the control of the District Officer and the latter under the Resident Commissioner. Prisons. There was a total of 69 prisoners in custody on the Ist April, 1937. During the year 187 prisoners were admitted and 184 discharged, leaving a total of 72 in custody on the 31st March, 1938. General. Statistics for 1937-38 given in the preceding chapter show a decrease in crime in the Territory. Warrants held for execution on Ist April, 1937, were —For arrest, nil ; for commitment, 7 ; and on 31st March, 1938, the figures were 1 and 9 respectively. XII.—DEFENCE OF THE TERRITORY. No military forces or defensive bases are maintained in the Territory. XIII. —ARMS AND AMMUNITION. Transactions in firearms and ammunition are controlled by the provisions of the Arms Ordinance, 1921. With regard to M. Sakenobe's inquiry concerning the apparent discrepancy between the figures for shotguns held by Samoans in 1935-36 and 1936-37,f 1 ) there appears to have been a degree of confusion between registration and licensing figures. A shotgun may be registered, but not licensed for any particular year ; consequently the number of licensed guns in any one year may show a decrease from the figure for the previous year, although the actual number of guns in the possession of owners has not decreased. The current year's licensing figures show an increase over last year's, but this does not necessarily mean an increase in the number of guns owned, but merely that more have been licensed for use. The matter of registered but unlicensed weapons in any year is now under consideration. Importations during 1937-38 were as follows : — Arms— Shotguns, 111. Rifles (-22 calibre), 9. Revolvers, nil. Ammunition — Shot cartridges, 141,500. Rifle cartridges (-22 calibre), 7,000. Rifle cartridges (-303 calibre), 5,000. Rifle cartridges (7 m/m calibre), 1,000. The above importations were by private firms with the exception of 5,000 rounds of -303 calibre cartridges, which were imported by the Administration for issue to the Apia Rifle Club and for Police supplies. The following table gives the total of licensed firearms in the Territory as at 31st March, 1938

XIV. —SOCIAL CONDITION OF THE NATIVES^ 1 ) In pursuit of happiness many people make the accumulation of property or material gain their objective, but in the old Samoan life, where food was no problem and one in every twelve was a matai, of social rank, social prominence and recognition supplied the highest forms of satisfaction. This trait still survives strongly in a people whose social life has had no occasion to be modified by conquest, or dispossession of lands, or introduced disease ; it explains in part- their desire for

( 1 ) See minutes of the thirty-third session of the Permanent Mandates Commission, page 59.

European. Samoan. i Total. 1 ' - . Revolvers .. .. ., 10 .. 10 Rifles .. .. .. 49 .. 49 Shotguns .. .. .. 167 556 723 226 556 782 I