A—4

Import, Finance and Price Control In the war period, import, finance, and price controls were instituted, and still continue. Import licences are required for certain goods imported from New Zealand and for goods imported from other countries. Finance control prevents Samoa from being used as a channel through which capital could move from New Zealand. Local prices of foodstuffs and other essential commodities are set by a Price Tribunal on the basis of the monetary margin of profit approximating the amount obtaining on 3rd September, 1939, on the same or similar classes of goods. During the past year 90 Price Orders were issued covering 552 lines of goods, as compared with 51 Price Orders issued in the previous year covering 238 lines of goods. Lack of staff has prevented any detailed inspections being carried out, but prosecutions have been taken during the year as a result of complaints made to the police. Convictions were obtained in all cases. There are no actual co-operative organizations engaged in the marketing of exports. The Administration, however, acts for all producers of bananas and negotiates export prices with the Marketing Department of New Zealand, which is prepared to accept all bananas shipped. Similarly, copra exports are under the direction of the Administration, which has a contract with the United Kingdom Ministry of Food for the purchase of all copra surplus to the Territory's and New Zealand's requirements. There is no special tariff relationship between the Territory and the New Zealand Government. Preference treatment (instituted in 1920) is given to imports from the British dominions. In regard to export trade, no preferential treatment is given to any country. There being no manufacturing industries, there are no protective tariffs, and Customs duties and other taxes imposed on imports and exports are for revenue purposes only. Import licences are granted for normal requirements of the Territory and no quotas are imposed except by the supplying countries of goods in short supply, such as flour, sugar, soap, and cotton textiles. Export licences serve to control the foreign exchange earned by exports and also channel exports in accordance with existing contracts or distribution arrangements (notably copra and cocoa). Subsidies are not paid, either directly or indirectly. Measures to protect producers of export commodities from fluctuations in world demand have not been adopted, but are under consideration. Prudent expenditure of the Territory's revenue has resulted in the accumulation of substantial reserve funds. No monopolies of any kind exist in the Territory. Land and Natural Resources Under the Samoa Act, 1921, all land is legally — (a) Crown land, vested in the Crown free from Native title or any estate in feesimple, of which there are (including New Zealand Reparation Estates) 103,630 acres; or (b) European land, being land held from the Crown for an estate in fee-simple, of which there are 40,000 acres ; or (c) Native land, being land vested in the Crown but held by Samoans by Native title and not by grant from the Crown, of which there are 581,370 acres. " Native title " means title to land in accordance with the customs and usages of the Samoan race. Titles to Crown land, European land, and European interests in Native land (leases) are registered by the Administration. The Native Land and Titles Court has jurisdiction to hear and determine disputes affecting Native land.

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