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reduced the number of Chinese until at 31st March, 1948, there were only 285 left in the Territory. Of these, 126 await repatriation to China, and the remainder are being permitted to remain in the Territory. There are 72 Melanesian labourers remaining in Western Samoa, practically all of whom are employed by the New Zealand Reparation Estates. It will be seen from Section C of this report that New Zealand has extended the application of a number of International Labour Organization conventions to Western Samoa. Consideration is being given at the present time to the advisability of introducing industrial legislation to suit the needs of the Territory. There are at present ample opportunities for all persons seeking employment. The training of skilled and professional workers is arranged in the Territory by a training-school for teachers and a dental clinic for Samoan dental officers, and outside the Territory by the Central Medical School at Suva and scholarships in New Zealand. Young persons travel freely to New Zealand to seek employment and to gain trade experience. Public Health (For calendar year 1947) The staff consists of the Chief Medical Officer and 2 other European medical officers, 20 Native medical practitioners, 7 Native dental officers, 1 European dispenser, 1 qualified bacteriologist of part Samoan descent, and a nursing staff consisting of a Matron, an Assistant Matron, 9 European Sisters, 97 Native nurses, trainees, and babywelfare assistants, and 82 others. Including office personnel, the health staff comprises 18 Europeans, 4 part-Europeans, and 200 Samoans. In addition, there are 10 trainees at the Central Medical School, Suva, taking the Native medical practitioners' course. Of the 20 Native medical practitioners, 3 are employed at the Apia Hospital, 1 in the Apia District, 13 at out-stations, 1 on relieving duties, 1 at Niue on loan, and 1 in the Tokelau Islands. During the greater part of the year the Chief Medical Officer has undertaken routine hospital duties owing to shortage of qualified staff. Apia Hospital consists of a European hospital, a Samoan hospital including Samoan-style houses and a ward, a leper compound, a Chinese ward, a dispensary and out-patients department, a laboratory and x-ray department, an office, a laundry, and stores. Various improvements and alterations have been made to the buildings during the year, and a forward programme is in hand designed to improve the general layout and to provide additional permanent structures. There are 13 medical out-stations, each with a Native medical practitioner in attendance assisted by a qualified Native nurse, while 3 additional out-stations are under the control of Native nurses only. Considerable help in the care of the sick is afforded by the women's committees, which are established in all the main villages. Qualified Samoan nurses regularly visit and lecture to these committees, and at the same time inspect the babies and schoolchildren. In his recent report the Inspector-General, South Pacific Health Service, comments that Western Samoa has the most highly organized system of women's committees in the south-west Pacific. No distinction can be made between curative and preventive services as far as personnel is concerned, since, with the exception of six local Sanitary Inspectors, there are no purely health duties. Advances in public health in the past year have been largely in the planning stage, due to shortage of staff, which has limited the actual progress. The Inspectors have visited nearly all districts, however, and have remained long enough to instruct the

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