A.—4a

6

Ages at Death (Samoans), 1928.

Infant Mortality. The infant-mortality rate for the year 1928 is 58 per 1,000 registered births, as against 101 for 1927, 106 for 1926, and 186 for 1925. It is not possible to credit these figures, as, if by any chance true, Western Samoa would be entitled to occupy a very high place among the nations of the world. As mentioned in last year's report, every effort has been made to obtain reliable information re registration, and there can be no doubt but that the figures quoted in the report are inaccurate, and it seems probable that more than 50 per cent, of births and deaths have been suppressed.

Percentage of Deaths at Different Ages to Total Deaths.

TOTAL POPULATION OF WESTERN SAMOA. 31st December, 31st December, , 1927 1928 Increase. Europeans and half-castes .. .. .. 2,564 2,770 206 Samoans.. .. .. .. .. 39,215 39,878 663 Chinese labourers .. .. . . . . 939 967 28 Melanesian labourers .. .. . . 147 147 Totals .. .. ..42,865 43,762 897 In the above table — " European " means any person other than a Samoan, with the exception of the Chinese and Melanesian labourers employed in Western Samoa, who are here shown under separate headings. Thirteen free Chinese and their Chinese-Samoan descendants are included. " Samoan " means a person belonging to the Polynesian race, whether by pure or mixed descent, but does not include (a) persons registered as Europeans in accordance with any regulations or Ordinances in force in Western Samoa, or (b) the legitimate children of a father who is a European either by birth or by registration as aforesaid. " Chinese labourers " means Chinese under contract to work for a term of years in Western Samoa, and includes also twenty-seven labourers who, by reason of long service in Samoa, have been permitted to remain here. (This refers to Chinese who were in Samoa prior to the British military occupation.) " Melanesian labourers " means Solomon Islanders who were brought to Samoa during the German occupation of the Territory for work on the plantations. The 147 shown are all those remaining, most of them having been repatriated.

j? I % s s i s sS. •" £ S3 -i 8 8 $ 5 ®l!«" — a B a a e fi I a s s x !* x s» w ► £ I s (N CO "f "? ® ; t; N CO T*jH,_| 5 H °H +3 (M CO -* m ® © , H i i i i i i i ill i i i g g g o ih i i i i i OjiH jg CO TjtjiO tO O i rH (N CO O H H N CO -t Jj - ■ - - Uj'OLU— Males .. 1 .. 1 .. .... 2 3 2 .. 7 .. 4 10 21 6 1 1 2 2 36 69 Females . . .. 1 1 1 1 I 4 .... 3 7 1 5 4 17 3 2,2 1 2 44 71 Total .. 1 2 1 1 ....1 6 3 2 3 14 ! 1 9 14 38 9 3 3 I 3 4 80 140 i I I 1 1 I . Savai'i — Males .. .. 2 1 2 1 1 ..4 1 1 3 9 I I I ..2 31 45 Females .. .. ..I J 1 2 .... 3 j 3 . .1 .. I | 1 4 25 34 Totals .. 2 1 3 3 1 .. 7 J 1 1 3 12 1 J 1 j 2 | 1 6 56 79 Totals, W. Samoa — I Males .. .. I 2 1 ..11 ! 4 4 3 ..11 1 5 13 30 7 2 2 2 4 67 114 Females .. .. 1 1 2 1 ..!•... 1 j 5 2 .. 3 10 1 5 4 20 3,2 3 2 6 69 105 Total .. 3 3 1 1 .... 1 9 6 3 3 21 I 2 10 17 50 10 4 ! 5 4 10 136 219 J_ J i_ M

I I Number of Deaths. ! Percentage of Total Deaths. i 1926. 1927. : 1928. 1926. . 1927. j 1928. Under 1 week .. .. .. .. 31 16 9 ! 4-29 3-23 4-11 From 1 week to 1 month. . .. .. 22 15 12 3-04 3-03 5-48 From 1 month to 3 months .. .. j 14 16 2 J 1-94 3-23 0-91 From 3 months to 6 months .. ... 37 27 10 : 5-12 5-46 4-57 From 6 months to 12 months . . . . 104 91 17 14-39 18-38 7-77 From 1 year to 2 years .. .. . . 93 55 10 12-86 11-11 4-57 From 2 years to 3 years .. .. .. 32 10 4 4-43 2-02 1-82 From 3 years to 4 years .. .. . . 17 8 5 2-35 1-62 2-28 From 4 years to 5 years .. . . . . 16 4 4 2-21 0-81 1-82 From 5 years to 10 years . . .. 27 18 10 3-73 3-63 4-57 Over 10 years .. .. .. .. 330 235 136 45-64 47-48 62-1 I 723 495 219 j 100-00 100-00 100-00 I I