POLYNESIA. 



SAMOA. 



The native population is estimated at about 35,000, who do not 

 use paper at all. The whites number about 400 to 450. As the 

 paper-using population is so very small, there is practically no paper 

 trade. 



Paper is used for writing and wrapping. It is cheap and of light 

 weight. Writing paper is needed to answer one mail a month. 

 The smaller traders use old newspapers for wrapping. There are 

 no industries consuming paper. Sales are made for cash or at one 

 month. 



One weekly four-page newspaper is published. Two white men 

 and two native boys are employed as printers. 



Almost all paper comes from Sydney, but the United States sup- 

 plies most of it, with England and Germany following. The best 

 wrapping paper costs the traders 7 or 8 cents. Some straw paper 

 comes from San Francisco. 



New York drafts and London, Sydney, and Auckland bank notes 

 and drafts are at par in Apia. Import duty on all sorts of paper is 

 2 per cent ad valorem. There is a monthly mail from San Francisco ; 

 time of passage, two weeks. Two mails arrive monthly from Auck- 

 land and Sydney. The former is five days and the latter eight days 

 distant. There is a cable to Auckland. There are no tramp steam- 

 ers, and sailing vessels bring only coal, etc. 



From San Francisco, the freight charge is $12 per marine ton to 

 shippers. From Auckland and Sydney, it is 405. ($9.72). 



It is cheaper to send goods from the eastern part of the United 

 States to Sydney by schooner and then here by steamer than to ship 

 direct from San Francisco. 



L. W. OSBORN, 



APIA, January 23, 1899. Consul-General. 



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