Administration and Man.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Apia, Oct. 28.

IN due pursuance of the official policy of the last few years, the Adminis tration’s report to the League of Nation’s Mandate Commission for 1931- 32 again states that there is marked improvement in the political situation of the Mandated Territory.

The Administrator (General Hart), on his visit to New Zealand in October,, in Press interviews, confirmed these statements, and added that the political situation in Samoa at present was better than it had been for many years.

Independent observers, however, fail to see any facts on which such state ments might possibly be based. Only a short time ago the Mau leaders ad dressed a letter to the Administrator asking him for an undertaking to allow Messrs. O. F. Nelson and E. W. Gurr, whose term of banishment from Samoa terminates next December, to freely travel about the islands and address native meetings without any restric tions after their return.

This letter can only be termed a studied insult to the Administration, and it shows the unreasonable and fool ish attitude of the Mau leaders, and the hopelessly difficult task confronting well-meaning people who attempt to find a way out of the impasse.

The answer of the Administrator, of course, was a flat refusal of the demand, stating that the attitude of the Admin istration would be dictated by the ex igencies of the future.

But the letter has shown, very clearly, that the political situation continues unsatisfactory, and that no progress whatever has been made lately in the passification of the great majority of the natives who constitute the Mau movement.

Regarding the economical position in Samoa, General Hart has stated that Samoa hardly felt the depression, that there exist no unemployment and no shortage of food, and that there is no house rent to pay. To a degree, these statements are true; but anybody m close touch with the natives knows chat owing to the considerable reduction of the natives’ income by low prices for copra and bananas, and the small amount of cash now in circulation, the snending power of the natives has been curtailed and their standard of living has been reduced appreciably. They have nowadays to do without many of the foodstuffs and luxuries they used to buy in the stores in former days Where formerly one saw neatly and cleanly dressed men and women, and especially children, you see at present people in rags, and scantily dressed.

Health and sanitation are suffering in consequence.