The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-04-04
FIGURES ON SAMOAN TRADE
Succinct History OF Events Culmina-
ting in the Late Ram .rd m ont

Washington. d. c., April 3.-The people.
productions and commercial and strategic
Importance Of the Samoan islands are dis
cussed in the current number OF the
monthly summary Of commerce and
finance. Just issued by the treasury bureau
OF statistics.
The islands are located about 1000 miles
south and 800 miles west OF the Hawaiian
islands and Il degrees south Of the equa-
tor They lie in an almost direct line be-
tween San Francisco and Australia and
slightly south Of the direct steamship line
connecting the Philippines with the pro-
posed Panama or Nicaraguan interoceanic
canals Their special Importance, there
fore, lies more in their position as coaling
and repair stations on these great high
ways Of commerce. rather than in their
direct commercial value their population
being small and their imports and exports
Of comparatively little Importance.
The group consists OF ten inhabited and
two uninhabited islands. with an area Of
100 square miles and an aggregate popu-
lation. according TO latest estimates. OF
5000 people. Of which something over 20
are British subjects. r. Germans. g
tionaIities. while the remainder are ma
tives. Of the Polynesian race. The bulk OF
the population is located in the three
islands OF Upolou. savah and7 Tutuila: the
number in Upolou being 1900. in savau
L 80. and in Tutuila 400
The Islands are OF volcanic origin. but
fertile producing coc0anuts. cotton. sugar
and coffees; the most important. however
being cocoauuts, from which the "copra"
OF commerce is obtained by drying the
kernel o fthe cOc0anut. fhe "copra." which
Is exported 70 Europe and the United
States. being used in the manufacture u
cocoanut oil. The expectation Of coprs
from the islands in 1876 amounted % r.
Sc. 90 pounds. valued at I'll ~. A cor
siderable proportion Of this was exported
70 the United States; a larger proportion.
however. 10 Germany. whose citizens con
troll its commerce through a trading com
pany which has long been established
there. The cocosnut ard copra produc-
ton. however, varies greatly from year %
year. owing 70 the fact that many n the
cocoanut trees have been DESTROYED in re-
cent wars between native factions. q sin
gle Individual being able. By cuttinE out
the crown q the tree 20 permanently de-
stroy n two minutes time TIRE frgIt-bear-
ing qualities 81 trees which require sew
eral years for their growth
The government of the samoan ia'ands
had been from time immenorlsI under
the two royal houses of sfallefoa and
Tupea. except on the is,and n Tutura.
which was governed by native chlsfs n
IL. az the suggestion II foreign residents.
a house ~ mobiles and a house q repre-
sentatives were established with Maflefoa
Laupepa and the chief ~ the ROYAL hoe7s
Of TuDea az Joint kinRs subsa41eutiv
Nalietoa became sole king r. $50 D. wa
deDosed By the German government. upon
The claim % unjust treatment 90 German 7
- bjec's. who formed TIE bulk - me tor-
eign population On ire islsra. and uaa De- |
ported drEt 20 German cEew Ggfuez ard !
then - the Cameron. i1 Af-fca ars
fna!lv IN $50 % Hamburg. lunar. a 4
native caief being meantime proclaimed I
b. M Germans az k5nr thourh azaiar. I
ths pro'es; q ths British and Anserfea1 +
conFuis ~ samoa 3fstaafs. a rear re-a- 4
tive Of Mslie'oa- MADE var upon Tauassss 4
ard succeeded - TIRE klnTph3p.
u 1sss confsrezce between ~ rsr-s
sentativss q re America. B-ftira z-d 4
Ceruaa governments war he,9 =. Re- p
AZ which = treaty wss signed ~ fhe serse
powers guaranteeing tss neut-s itr q, fss
ls'srds ia Thl-h the e-tlzeas q re -h-es
signstory pszrsss wou.s havs eezal slvtts
q rsEids-cs. trade ard nersoazg rs-y.s--
ton Tasy sEreee - recognize the srds.
pe-d@ros - the Samoan govern -ns-f arg
ths free riEats - he nstlres - sle-f fs-lr
calsf ~ king ard csseae form - zsr-
e-rlrusat according 20 fhstr our azs zrs
cusfgHas a szaprsras c1s-r sae ests .t-
80. sting ~ ere iz1rs F. & stFe4
tse chi-f i2stsce q same arz $50 81
3-eFe1t ~ T. Caszae-a. 20 ars-ea7.
formerly a gsE-5art - sst ezte - Ea-
bona = 'sis ccz-s are -zferrHs F1rf
81 rsvI szfts rau~s--irg ~ssi Fseesrfv So
1sted sn Same. s~ea1s- SO -.rl rass s~-
ween natives and fsrssEners ~ 5eswse1
tsfe.SHs-s % s.=s:s=i =zEs=@-.es. i--s4,