PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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the social rank of the person addressed. For instance, in addressing Chiefs or distinguished strangers, they use the expression Lau Afio, or your Majesty. In speaking to Chiefs of lower rank, they address them as Lau Susu, or, as we would use the words your Lordship.' But it is said that "No chief, however high his rank, appears to have authority beyond the limits of his own family, and if he offends his own family it not seldom happens that they take his name away, and the title is given to another member of the family. Outside his own family a Chief cannot say to any man do this,' for the man will only do it if it pleases him. a Samoan holds the family title, every one, even his enemies and rivals, will speak As long, however, as to him in the peculiar language of respect used to Chiefs only, and on all public "occasions will receive him with the ceremony due to his name rather than rank. "At the commencement of a public meeting, days are often wasted and endless speeches made before it can he settled whose name entitles him to make the first speech on the subject they have met to consider."
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103. The only exception I take to the accuracy of these descriptions is to the word truthful."
104. The Samoans are an excitable, voluble, credulous people, much given to lying, and the circulation of false or extravagant rumours.
105. In some degree they are thieves by instinct, and in many cases are so now by necessity. They are eminently lazy, consumed with mutual jealousy, and the memory of old time feuds, given to high sounding expressions and empty promises, fond of new faces and accessible to the influences of any plausible knave or adventurer appearing among them.
As a people, they are incapable of unity of action. They have no conception of the use or value of public opinion as declared by a majority of voices.
106. After public discussions, the minority do not even tacitly assent to the decision of the majority. It at once retires into bitter opposition, latent or active. If strong enough or rash enough to resort to the "ultima ratio," war is declared, a few people on each side are murdered, and a few more acres of land [sold to acquire arms and ammunition] pass into the hands of foreign residents. Politically considered there is no homogeneity discoverable.in the Samoan race.
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107. Mr. Maudslay, in his memorandum already quoted from, observes, "The so-called governments which have been in existence since I have known Samoa, have done absolutely nothing to entitle them to the name of governments, their only claim "to the title being that they have occupied Mulinuu Point, and that they have in consequence paid visits to, and received them from, foreign Consuls and captains of men-of-war.
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They have raised no taxes, unless a subscription from a friendly village, for the purpose of purchasing arms, or to help to pay an indemnity levied by the captain of a foreign man-of-war, can be called taxation.
Such
"Neither have the so-called governments attempted the administration of justice, except on a few occasions under strong pressure from foreign Consuls. matters as making roads and keeping them in order, and improving the means of communication, have never been thought of.
"The industry of the white population is most severely checked by the depredations "of the Natives, and the only redress to be obtained is the occasional enforcement "of a fine by the commander of a man-of-war, and the hope of obtaining such com- pensation leads the unscrupulous whites, who have a good knowledge of the country, "to manufacture bogus claims, which, as they are founded on some bases of facts, are
not easily detected.'
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108. The state of things in Samoa has not improved since 1880, when the foregoing remarks were written.
109. The great object of a Samoan party, when seeking to gain ascendency, is to intrigue for foreign support; and hence much of the trouble that has arisen.
110. I have on a previous occasion expressed my opinion that unaided "the Natives "of Polynesia are neither capable of forming nor of maintaining any form of govern- "ment worthy of the name, and that any attempts to do so are only likely to afford opportunities for involving themselves in difficulties with foreign powers, and for entanglement with private speculators and low adventurers."
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111. I have also reported, for the information of Her Majesty's Government, that, subject to the conditions contained in the several treaties formed with foreign powers, no revenues adequate for the purposes of administration were likely to be raised, and that no local or Native Government deserving recognition was possible.
112. My late personal observations in Samoa have confirmed these opinions.
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113. It may be convenient for the purposes of examination to classify this subject of vested interests under two heads :-
(1.) Landed Interests.
(2.) Commercial and Shipping Interests.
LANDED INTERESTS,
(German Landed Interests.)
114. Taking the landed interest of German subjects in Samoa tirst into consideration, it will be seen from the map annexed, furnished by the German Consul at Apia, that, apart from the minor claims of sinall German settlers, those of the German Commercial and Trading Company, Mr. T. Weber, and Mr. D. Wulff, amount to an aggregate area of 133,122 acres, and, with the exception of one block of land at Savaii (30,000 acres), are confined to the island of Upolu.
115. The area of the smaller claims referred to is estimated at 2,000 acres.
116. The aggregate area of German land claims is therefore 135,122 acres. The plans furnished by the German Consulate indicated only a total area upon Upolu of about 81,000 acres, and 30,000 acres in Savaii, where the remaining 24,000 acres are is not apparent.
117. The annexed statement gives in a tabulated form the names and total areas of actually occupied lands. It also shows the nature of the cultivation, the live stock, and number of labourers employed.
The total area of improved lands is given at 7,985 acres.
118. Of these plantations, Vailele and Utumapu are the most advanced.
119. The first contains 803 acres of bearing cocoanut trees and 800 acres of young trees not yet in bearing.
120. At Utumapu, a pleasantly situated place. 900 feet above the level of the sea, there is a coffee plantation of 85 acres bearing..
At present the
121. The results are said to be about 82 bushels to the acre. plantation may be regarded as an interesting experiment deserving of further trial, but
it can hardly yet be regarded with satisfaction.
122. There are two large cotton plantations of 677 and 436 acres respectively, and three small ones of 95 acres in the aggregate.
as "
123. The food plantations are estimated at 336 acres. Deducting the land described pasture ground from the total arca planted and lately cleared for planting, we have an area of 6,770 acres, attended to by a body of 927 labourers, or about one man to every seven acres.
124. The total value of the land, buildings, furniture, and live stock are shown in the tabulated return annexed (Enclosure 12), and is set down at $588,000 The receipts from the plantation and sale of stock amounted last year to $94,900
= 117,600/ 18,9801.
125. In looking at these receipts it only occurs to me that the plantations appear credited with the highest value of their produce. But I see no reason for not accepting the statement generally.
=
126. Besides the property described above are the buildings in Apia, which, with machinery, is valued at $181,600 36,3201. This valuation, which, after summary observation, I think may be accepted without objection, is given in the German Consular Return annexed. (Enclosure 13.) The value of buildings and machinery probably represents the amount of money invested rather than the actual present value of the property.
British Landed Interests.
127. Of cultivated and improved lands, British subjects own comparatively little. 128. There are many small blocks of land cultivated in a fugitive trifling manner, of which, for the purposes of comparison, account need not be taken, as such interests
are fully balanced by the smaller possessions and claims of Germans, not in this report taken into detailed notice.
129. The largest British claimants to land in Samoa are the Messrs. McArthur and Company, of Auckland, New Zealand, who, owing to various circumstances, have been forced to take such land (or rather the deeds of sale describing them) in satisfaction of debt.
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130. Their claims embrace nearly the whole of the island of Savaii (see plan annexed, Enclosure 14), and comprise an estimated area of 281,600 acres, of which about 10,000 acres are in dispute with the German Commercial and Plantation Company.
131. The cultivation of a portion of this land has, it is stated, been lately begun. 132. At Magia, in the island of Upolu, the company have 700 or 800 acres, where the cultivation is of a substantial character.
133. The whole of the lands claimed by this British firm are therefore (exclusive of their property in Apia) about 282,000 acres.
American Landed Interests.
134. Setting aside, as in the two previous instances, the smaller area of land claimed or occupied by American citizens, there remains the claims originating with the "Central Polynesian Land Company, of San Franciso."
135. These claims are more particularly specified in a schedule handed to me by Mr. G. T. Sherwood, a British subject, by whom they have been acquired by purchase (Enclosure 15).
136. The lands described in the deeds enumerated in this schedule are situated in the islands of Upolu, Savaii, and Tutuila respectively, and their aggregate area is estimated to be 276,000 acres.
137. No part of this land is improved or occupied, and in many places the claims conflict with those of Messrs. McArthur and with the German Commercial and Plantation Company.
138. From these figures the following results are arrived at :-
Total area of land in Samos, as stated in paragraph 21 of this report (excluding
small islets), amounts to
Of this is claimed by,-
(1.) Germans
(2.) British
670,720 acres.
Acres.
135,122
283,600
276,000
694,722 acres.
Deficit
24,002 acres.
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145. It has been already said that there exists much confliction of claim to land as between American, British, and German subjects.
146. But even if a deduction of 24,000 acres is made by way of adjusting these conflictions, that is to say, an area equal to the deficit referred to in paragraph 242, there still remains nothing for the natives of the soil.
147. The Rev. Père Didier, Roman Catholic missionary, informed me that upon the lands of his mission in Apia there were maintained no fewer than 270 natives who, having been extruded from their hereditary planting grounds, had now no place of their own on which to live. As neither the Roman Catholic nor the Protestant missions can provide for all the natives who are in a fair way to become landless, the future of the Samoan is gloomy in the extreme.
Municipality of spia.
148. The tabulated statement annexed (Enclosure 16), which is a copy of the Assessment Roll of the municipality of Apia for the present year (1886), affords a comparative value of the property in Apia owned by foreign residents, and also of the number and nationality of the proprietors.
149. The municipal rate is one per centum upon the assessed value of the property (Municipal Regulation, No. 33). 150. The total rates levied =
8271,200 are made up as follows:-
From Germans
British
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American
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other nationalities
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53,920
37,560
16,440
271,200
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(3.) Anglo-American
139. It will thus be seen that, regarded as a inere question of alleged interests in land, apart from improvements, as shown by documents purporting to be deeds of sale, those of German subjects are comparatively small.
140. It will also be conceived without difficulty that in respect of charges against natives of trespass, pilfering, of nuts, bread, fruit, &c., &c., it may so happen that the native must either "trespass" and "pilfer," or die.
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141. The idea may also obtrude itself that there has been some other side. The Governinents of the claimants severally concerned, it is respectfully pilfering" on the submitted, ought without delay to appoint Commissioners consisting of competent and independent-minded men to decide upon land claims in Samoa, and so relieve the unfortunate natives from a state of affairs painful to reflect upon.
142. The position taken by German subjects in this matter is :—
(1.) That they almost alone have invested large sums of money in the purchase and
improvement of part of the land claimed by them.
(2.) That the major part of the lands purchased was bought before the date of the
Treaty of the
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(3.) That such purchases were generally, if not always, marked out; and that boards were affixed to trees notifying that the land was the property of German subjects. 143. So far as improvements are concerned this position cannot be denied. regards the amount of capital disbursed in the purchase of land, there are no reasons for supposing that the "consideration" paid by the Germans has been more adequate than in the case of purchases made by the subjects of any other nation.
144. To the last two propositions it is answered that even though the land was bought before the date of the Treaty referred to, it was not unfrequently sold by those who had either no right or an imperfect right to sell; that such land was, as a rule, not alienated in conformity with any known Samoan “ custom," and that in the majority regular," that as the Samoan neither speaks
of cases the transaction was in no sense " nor reads German, the notices referred to (always in the German language) were of no value or effect as notices.
151. As indicated by these rates the value of German owned property within the municipality is larger than that of all other nationalities put together, the comparative figures being 8163,280 and $107,920 respectively.
Commerce.
152. Owing to rivalry between German and British traders in Samoa, in which each party magnifies his own and depreciates the business of the other, the question of Samoan trade is beset with difficulty.
153. The two most untenable arguments observable are :—
a. That British traders persist in respresenting as evidence of direct British interest in Samoa all imports of British manufacture or origin, no matter by whom or in what ships imported; and
b. That German traders persist in representing as Samoan products, and consequently as evidences of German interests in Samoa, all produce of the South Sea Islands trans-shipped at Samoa, no inatter whence brought.
154. The records of the British Consulate afford no sufficient details for the accurate ascertainment of British imports and exports on account o! local British traders.
155. So far as can be gathered from that office the following table indicates the value of the trade of resident British subjects during the last three years :——
1888
1884
1885
Year.
Value of Import.
Value of Export.
Total.
£
£
£
9,103
1,180
10,283
10,982
2,005
12,987
27,733
8,767
36,500
156. During the first six months of 1886 the imports of British traders valued 15,1291., and the exports 2,7211.
157. But these figures cannot be said to furnish that degree of information which is so much desired. It appears that the larger part of British trade with natives is for E e 2
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