A.—4a

4

Sanitation. —Sanitation of Native villages is intimately bound up with the question, of hookworm, and it is by attention to this disease that it is hoped to obtain satisfactory sanitary conditions in the various Native villages. The Rockefeller Foundation (International Health Board) is supplying the materials required for a hookworm campaign at cost price, and when these materials arrive the work will begin. Until the financial side of such, a campaign is adequately provided for the work can only be carried out on a small scale. Sale of Food and Drugs Act, 1908. —This Act was made applicable to Samoa in February, 1921. Infectious Diseases. —In May, 1921, several cases of measles occurred in and around Apia, and in order to prevent, if possible, a sudden general outbreak the schools were closed, and all gatherings of Natives in Apia for the King's Birthday celebrations-stopped. The result was that the disease, which, fortunately was of a mild, type, spread slowly, and caused very little uneasiness in the minds of the Samoans. During the year under review only five cases of typhoid, were reported, and four cases of encephalitis lethargica, all the latter occurring in February, 1922. None of these cases ended fatally. Throe cases of leprosy-were reported. In order to render it possible to exercise control over venereal diseases, the various diseases included in that category were declared by Gazette notice in November to be infectious diseases. Only one case was reported during the ensuing months of the year under review. Beriberi. —Owing to the prevalence, of this deficiency disease amongst the contract labourers, the Medical Officer of Health was requested to furnish a report, on the conditions under which these labourers lived. As a result of the inquiries made, steps aro now being taken "to obtain, rice which has not been deprived of its accessory food factor in the process of milling, and more attention is being paid to the provision of vegetable-gardens for the labourers. Vital Statistics. —The system of registration of births and deaths of Samoans, introduced in 1905, is of little value, except in so far as the total increase or decrease in population is demonstrated. Very few Samoans know their ages accurately, and even in the case of children the parents have a very hazy idea of ages. In the returns furnished quarterly by the Native District Registrars the age is crudely indicated by tho Samoan equivalent for " male baby," " boy," " man " ; or " female baby," " girl," " woman." In order to obtain returns of more value, regulations providing for the registration of births and deaths of Samoans (Board of Health Regulations No. 3) have been made. These aro based on the regulations in force in New Zealand for the registration of births and deaths of Maoris (New Zealand Gazette No. 24, 1.91.3). Registration of the births and deaths of Samoans is in the hands of the Department of Native Affairs. General. —Owing to no provision having been made on the estimates for the year 1921 22 for the Division of Public Hygiene, the work of this division has not been carried out to the extent anticipated. 'Ihis has now been remedied, and the coming year should be one of considerable advancement. EDUCATION. The Government Schools, Ifi-Ifi and Malifa. Roll Number and Average Attendance. —So far as attendance is concerned, the rapid increase in the roll number has been maintained, until now the accommodation of both schools is taxed to its utmost. The following figures bear witness to this statement: —

The increase in the average attendance for the third term to 267 was sufficient to raise the grade of the school to that of a Grade Va school. The roll number of the combined schools at the end of 1920 was 197. The roll number at the end of 1921, as shown above, was 296, an increase of 99 during the year. Extra Accommodation required. —The figures given above show that the accommodation at Ifi-Ifi is taxed' almost to its utmost. The roll number at the end of the term was 179. That means an average of forty-five per room, which is quite as many as should be accommodated in the rooms. What it means in actual practice is that one or two rooms are considerably overcrowded. A like problem faces us at Malifa. Under present conditions the District, School for Upolu is located at Malifa. Further accommodation is urgently needed, otherwise some of the children in attendance

ir.t Ten ill. Sei ;ond Tei an. T! Total. Boys. iird Ten i. Boys. Girls. Total. Boys. Girls. Girls. Total. Number on roll of combined schools at end of term 128 117 245 121 120 241 172 124 296 Average attendance Average roll number — Ifi-Ifi School Malifa School .. 78 ' 47 97-7 91 83 28 161 75 188-7 81 40 100 J 00 91 29 172 69 200 90 82 89 35 179 117 267* # 236 241 296 * Equal to i 10 per oi int. of tli ie averag ;e week] roll.