[Inclosure.]
No. 57.]
Samoa, October 9,
1893.
My Lord: I have the honor to report that in
pursuance of the information the consuls had obtained that a
considerable portion of the native taxes were already in the hands
of the native collectors, as reported in my No. 33 of the 11th July,
in concert with my colleagues acting as receiver and custodian of
the revenues, I summoned the native tax collectors of this island of
Upolu to a meeting which took place on the 4th September.
Nine out of the fifteen collectors attended, and others arrived too
late for the meeting.
We found an utter want of system, and that our work was rendered
difficult owing to there being no census of the native
population.
We had previously had a meeting with the King and Government, and at
its conclusion we asked the King to assist us in our interview with
the tax collectors, but
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he
expressed so much disinclination that we saw at once our meeting
with the tax collectors was not intended to be successful.
On our part it was a game of bounce and we determined to play it out.
We took each collector separately, which prevented any successful
combined action by the tax-collectors, and we praised lists well
prepared and sternly refused lists that showed signs of carelessness
or worse. We spent a whole day patiently going through the
lists.
We consuls then made the King order the native tax to be paid in
before the 1st October, and we arranged a meeting with all the tax
collectors for the 3d October, on which day the result of our work
was very evident: Eight thousand dollars were paid in and the lists
and returns were infinitely improved.
We expect to get in about $8,000 more this month. We ought to get a
still further $14,000, but there is no likelihood of our doing
so.
There was at this time a serious dearth of ready money among the
traders, and it was important to release as soon as possible the
bulk of the money paid in by the Samoans.
The consuls were unanimous in deciding to pay off the debentures
issued by Baron Senfft von Pilsach, as reported in my No. 40 of the
28th July, as they had all been issued for salaries, and as we
should, still have sufficient in hand to carry the Government on
until the next taxes could be collected.
The debentures are accordingly now being redeemed daily.
I am pleased to be able to report this improvement in the financial
position and credit of the Samoan Government, which has also
improved the position of the municipal council, any contribution
this year to the Government being now avoided.
It should be noted that while the whole of this money was paid in by
the Samoans in British coin at 4s. to the
dollar, it has to be paid out at 4s. 2d. to the dollar under the other rate of
exchange.
I have, etc.,
