SAMOA UNDER NEW ZEALAND.
s W'HY THERE IS CHINESE LABOUR.
Even if the Ramoans were disposed to
work, say? Mr. W. II. Tiiggs,M.L.C'., in the
"Quarterly Review," their numbers ure not
sufficient to develop and cultivate their
own land», Mr. Triggs was a member of a
Parliamentary purty from New Zealand
which visited Samoa. He tteats of the
position of Samoa tinder the mandate
gi anted to New Zealand, and discusses,
among other things, the Chinese labour
question. The Satnoans will not under-
take sustained work for other people.
They hnve no need to do bo. Cocoanut»,
bananas, mid breadfruit supply them easily
with food, and if they wish for European
tinned food or biscuits they have only to
collect cocoanut« from their own land, dry
the flesh-thus. making copia-and trade
it for what they want.
In tho cocoanut plantations the work;
needed is comparatively simple. The
chief trouble is the imported rhinoceros
beetle, which'eats out the crown of the
oocoantit palm, anil, if it is vot mastered,
will destroy the plantations. A quaint
method of inducing the natives to search
for it, tried some years ago, was to make
a charge of so many beetles for admittance
to a moving pioture entertainment. Bofoic
the influenza epidemic the post was held in
check, but since then it bus begun to in-
crease.
The position is even moro serious with
regard to encuo (cocoa) and rubber. The
woik on rubber being of nil intciinitient
character, Samoan labour, to the limited
extent to which it is available, may be cm
ployed. But the cultivation of cacao re-
quires constant labour and unceasing vigi-
lance to keep down the weeds, light the
post, and peiform the inWotis operations
incidental to the industry. A 'reed called
"mile-a-miniite" spreads over the ground
with lenmrknblo rapidity, climbs, the trees,
and chokes them in it« embrace. For the
'woik in these plantations, Bays Mr. Trigg«,
the SaniOans arc useless, but the liard
woiking, intelligent Chinese «in be relied
upon.
It is said to have been made clear from
the inquiries of the party that the Chinese
have nothing to complain of, and nie better
off than they would be in. China. They
were engaged by the Germans at 20 gold
marks a. month, -with food nnd quarters.
At the time of the visit the current rate
was ,C?/10/ a month, with food and quar-
tets. Even the Labour members were
unable to say that the Chinese had much
to complain of, so they based their main
objection« on morality and the duty of
keeping tho Samoan free from any racial
admixture. A certain number of mar-
riages according to the custom of Samoa
-at will and not for life-have taken place
between nutive women anti Chinese. The
visitors were informed that the Chinese
were good and kind luisbnnds, and that the
couples were faithful to each other. A
distinguished missionary, the Rev. W. K.
Clarke, told Mr.' Triggs that the policy of
the London Missionary Society was to keep
the raco pure as far ns possible, but his
own opinion was that it was now im-
possible to do so; it was too late. At the
schools bright young half-cnstes, repre-
senting crosbcs with half a dozen nationali-
ties, were pointed out. Mr. Triggs' savB
that the prihcipul merchant, and leading
man of iifîaits in Apia is a half-caste, his
father being a Sweue and hi«-mother Sa-
moan. .Mr. Clarko confitmed tho state-
ment made by other residents, that the
Samoan-Chinese blend produces some very
line specimens, both physically and men-
tally. The Samoan.' though handsome, is
physically rather soft, and is iucapablo of
application or long-sustained bidtwtty.
The Chinese,* with Iiíb patience, 'endur-
ance, and tenacity, supplies bomo of the
very, qualities in which the Sairioan is
lacking.
The Now Zcnlunder, like the Australian,
say« Mr. Triggs, will fight to the death
against an Asiatic infiltration into his own
country. li is ,u question, however,
whether any of the Polynesian peoples is
capable of «inviting ns a separate raco.
With? nu adequate supply of labour und
cnreffH administration there is reason to
believe that not only Will New Zealand
be able lo eairy out the Samoan mandate
without cost to the New Zealand taxpayer,
but tluit'fmids will bo available for further
development, and that ultimately there
moy be something over towards the repara-
tion payments duo by Germany,
trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/1865840?searchTerm=samoa%20chinese&searchLimits=l-state=Victoria The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) Saturday 30 December 1922 p 5 Article
