A.—4.

Natives except through an interpreter, unless one has an intimate knowledge of the language acquired by years of closest contact with the Natives. Owing to the fact that chiefs speak what is very largely a different language from.that used by the taulelea, anything else than a very complete knowledge of Samoan may lead to complications. European officials in the Native Department are now obliged to learn Samoan before being considered for promotion. Page 121. —Public Health.—(a) Re Dr. Buxton's report and prevalence of filariasis : — The Health Department of the Administration has studied Dr. Buxton's report. Regarding the prevalence of filariasis in Samoa in 1926, Dr. O'Connor, prior to 1923, found a filarial incidence of 58-3 per cent, in 2,509 Samoans over fifteen years of age, and Dr. Buxton himself states in his book that a large number of Natives are affected by it, and suffer from the diseases associated with its presence in the body. There is actually no diminution in the amount of filariasis in Western Samoa, and it is probable that the impression of diminution arose from the following causes : (1) Filariasis, as far as is known at present, takes several forms, but in the Apia Hospital each manifestation of the disease is listed under its own name—viz., elephantiasis, hydrocele, mumu, &c. (2) The Samoa.ns are more or less habituated to the various forms of the disease, and comparatively few come for treatment : as for example, elephantoid scrota come for operation, whereas elephantoid legs and arms do not, but very many of the latter forms of the disease are in evidence. The London School of Tropical Medicine were anxious to continue the researches into the incidence, cause, and treatment of filariasis commenced by Dr. O'Connor, and accordingly sent Dr. Buxton and Mr. Hopkins to Western Samoa in January, 1924. The Samoan Administration paid all passages to and from London and travelling-expenses in Samoa, provided free accommodation in Samoa, and gave the free use of its laboratory with a qualified bacteriologist. Our present knowledge of filariasis with its various manifestations is small, and from the scientific point of view the expedition under Dr. Buxton has fully justified itself, though much remains to be done yet. (b) Using European missionaries for Public Health work In the early days of the missions in Samoa the missionaries were sometimes also qualified doctors, or otherwise had some medical training. Since medical practitioners became available, however, it has not been necessary for missionaries to have other than a superficial knowledge of the treatment of minor ailments. It has always been the policy of our Health Department to co-operate as far as possible with missionaries of all denominations. Trained Native nurses are, where possible, placed with or near to mission stations. The following list will illustrate the extent to which this policy is at present given effect:— Upolu— (1) Lufilufi out-station staffed by trained Native nurse working in conjunction with the Methodist College at Piula, which is adjacent to Lufilufi. (2) Malua, the headquarters of the London Missionary Society, has one trained Native nurse. (3) Satalo, adjacent to the London Missionary Society's station at Logo Logo—one trained nurse. (4) Sataoa, London Missionary Society's station —one trained nurse. (5) Matautu Mission Station —one trained nurse. (6) Fusi Mission Station—one trained nurse. (7) Mulifanua Mission Station—one trained nurse. Savai'i— (1) Satupaitea, Methodist Mission headquarters—one trained nurse. (2) Gaga'emalae, next to Salailua London Missionary Society's station—one trained nurse. (3) Falealupo, Catholic Mission —priest dispenses drugs supplied from Apia Hospital. (4) Sataua Mission Station —one trained nurse. From the above list it will be seen that practically every mission station has its trained Administration nurse working in co-operation with it, or the district served by a mission has a nurse working in it. In many instances, such as parts of Savai'i, we have nurses where there are no mission stations. It is not believed to be desirable to depend upon missionaries to do the work of trained Native nurses, as there are not enough of them to be of any great practical value, and in any case they probably would only attend cases that came to them, and not be able to visit as our nurses do. Page 121.—Land Tenure.—(a) The following are among the contributing causes of so much land remaining uncultivated in European hands : — (i) The high costs of imported labour required for clearing, planting, and bringing into bearing new cultivations. Samoan labour is costly, unsatisfactory, and unprocurable for any definite or prolonged period. (ii) Of the alienated land, probably 25 per cent, is waste and uncultivatable land. (iii) At present the undeveloped lands are mainly unapproachable, as there has been no road -development work in these areas. (iv) Approximately 100,000 acres of the alienated land is owned by the New Zealand Government, whose policy it is to reserve sufficient areas to provide for the possible future needs of the Samoan people. This refers to ex-enemy property now vested in the Crown. (b) Position of the private planters : There are seventeen private planters who own their own property of 50 acres or more, and eighteen private planters who are tenants of the New Zealand Reparation Estates. The terms under which the latter properties are leased provide for an occupational period of ten years with the right of extension for two further periods of ten years each at a reassessment of rent, such reassessment to be by arbitration in accordance with the Arbitration Act (N.Z.). Several of the earlier leases were for a lesser period, but these are all being brought into line as they

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