Re-Arrangement

Samoa In Throes Of Political

“Goodwill Mission” Makes Quick Superficial Clean-up

By R. W. Robson

APIA, July 2.

A N unlucky star was in the ascendant when I arranged this visit to Western Samoa; for the Maui Pomare voyage which I selected was selected also by the “Minis terial Goodwill Party”—sent by the New Zealand Labour Government to clean up the political situation ih the Mandated Territory. So, instead of quietness and peace, I have had the clamour of beach politics and the everlasting buzz of “coco nut wireless.”

The party consists of Mr. P. Langstone, Minister for Lands, and Mrs. Langstone; Mr. J. O’Brien, a Westland M.P., and chairman of the Native Affairs Committee, with Mrs. O’Brien; and Mr. Mulligan, sec retary to the Minister, and Mrs. Mulligan.

They were charming travelling compan ions; but I cannot understand why New Zealand selected them to come here and settle the Samoan native troubles. None of them had previously even seen a Pacific island. They are animated by good inten tions and kindly sentiment, and they carry a cart-load of indexed files and weighty documents, which they study with indus try; but of the real problems of Samoa— which mostly are biological and psycho logical—they know very little. And a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

However, it is not my affair. New Zea land must bear the odium of any further

muddling by politicians an I fcr soldiers.

New Zealand is so small a country, and so very isolated, that she has neither the per sonnel nor the vision to administer suc cessfully this difficult little Territory. In my humble opinion, it clearly is a job for experienced men of the British Colonial Office. But when I say these things to

New Zealanders they usually become in dignant and angry. So I offer the opinion with diffidence.

I had hoped to see a quiet normal Sa moa; but, instead, I found the place in a state of political convulsion. 111-judged, untimely communications from Wellington had convinced the Samoans that the “Goodwill Mission” was coming to create a new heaven and a new earth; and when the Maui Fomare drew into Apia road stead, the beach was lined for miles by wildly excited people, while 26 longboats, flying the Mau flag (purple, with a white cross and star), each manned by some 40 men, made a lane through which the official party were brought ashore.

About 3000 well-drilled, uniformed men and women of the Mau (the anti-Govern ment party) took charge of the proceed ings ashore, and gave the Mission a flat tering welcome. The leaders of the Mau and the Malo (pro-Government party) fraternised, for the first time in history— a tribute to the tact of Acting-Adminis trator Turnbull. Greetings, smiling faces, gifts, everywhere met the delighted gaze of the “Goodwill Mission.”

This went on for two days. A welcome by the Malo at Mulinu’u; a welcome by the Mau at Vaimoso; official greetings every where. Oratory—endless, tedious hoqrs of it.

The Missioners, new to this gorgeously coloured tropical isle, and unaccustomed to the studied courtesy and eternal, disarming smile of the Samoan, reacted in the most satisfactory manner.

The Minister, Mr. Langstone, seemed to be happy. I heard him speak several times. His style was infectiously oratori cal: his manner was sweet, and kindly, and pleading: and his material, for the most part, was the tosh which habitual politicians usually supply to defenceless audiences in the backblocks. I cannot imagine anything less suited to the occa sion. The Polynesian races, for all their intelligence and amiability, do not want loving tenderness and an appeal to reason; and the man who tries to get things done in that fashion is doomed to bitter dis appointment. The Samoans, in these official relationships, appreciate and respect an impressive personality, dignified but grim strength, and strict, cold, impartial justice. In the quiet of the fale, they laugh at the European who pleads with them.

Older Europeans jeered. The Acting- Administrator and his clever wife sat silent

and impassive: I wondered many times what they were thinking. Function suc ceeded function—endless, wearying oratory.

Finally, after I had heard the Missioners preaching long-winded, involved economic sermons to groups of patient school children who knew little English, I kept away from the official proceedings. Life is really too short for that kind of thing.

Yet one cannot too highly praise the well meant sincerity of the Missioners.

However, so many undesirable things existed actively in connection with the Sa moan administration that the Missioners were given several opportunities for dramatic gestures of goodwill.

THE Mau, some t y ears a &o, was declared a seditious organisation, and it could not lawfully assemble in certain districts.

The Mission announced, with a flourish, that these laws were cancelled forthwith.

They were dead laws, anyway—they had not been invoked for years. But the Sa moans cheered, as they were expected to.

Many natives are in arrears with their taxes. The Administration, being without

imagination or vision, deducted these sums from the Samoans’ miserable earnings from banana-growing, road-making, etc.

“Is this fair?” they asked the Minister.

“No,” he answered at once. “It shall cease immediately.”

More cheers!

There is a large school for European and half-caste children —probably one of the best institutions of the kind in the South Seas. But the Administration, for some reason, has refused free education. The fee is £1 per quarter. Children who cannot pay, or whose fees are in arrears, are kept out, despite their pleading—a cruel, mon strous system.

“Can this not be altered?” the Minister was asked. “It can, and will be,” was his prompt reply.

All honour to the Missioners for the promise of such reforms. I believe that there will be reforms, also, in such mat ters as the liquor-permit system and the port charges—outstanding examples of in excusable, grandmotherly stupidity. But it is not so much a matter of giving credit

to the Missioners, who simply are sweeping away undesirable excrescences, as of placing blame upon the people who for so long have allowed such things to continue.

CO far as the political future of this country is concerned, I personally have neither faith, hope, nor charity.

The Missioners think that they may “effect a settlement,” A settlement of what? One understands that the Mau has placed before the Mission a list of demands a yard long. I have not seen it —I am told that it asks for such things as the setting up of a king of Samoa, for the appointment of a Samoan Administrator, and for the removal from Samoa of Messrs. Turnbull (Acting Administrator), Mackay (Native Affairs), and Braisby (Police)—who are the three outstanding officials who really have some knowledge of Samoan conditions.

Actually, no one appears to know what

the Mau wants—l doubt if it knows itself, Actually, the native Samoans are in a very happy, comfortable condition—they get from the European administration very ™ uch than they give In return. They y e win treSfd V The Sku woufd have had no life at all if there had not been this prim, grand motherly control from Wellington, which was made worse by periods of brainless ness at Vailima. The uselessness of Tate, the impatience of the very capable, dy namic Richardson, the futility of Allen, the terrifying inactivity of Hart, with the unforgivable muddling which caused the massacre in 1929—a1l these things exas perated the European and half-caste com munity, and encouraged’the formation of the Mau and kept it alive. One thoroughly capable Administrator, with adequate au thority (something, incidentally, which Wellington officialdom never will tolerate)

would have cleared away, long ago, the manifest injustices and absurdities under which Samoa suffers, and there would have been no “Samoan problem.”

The Mau does not constitute the “Sa moan problem”: it is created by the ineffi ciency and bad history of the New Zealand Administration, and their reactions upon communities other than the native com munity, Mau means “opposition to the govern ment or ruler.” There always has been a Mau in Samoa, and always there will be.

Every man with a knowledge of native life agrees with that. Talking, debates, flowery oratory—these things are the breath of life to a people whose simple, easy, comfort able life is made up of a little gardening, a little fishing, much ceremonial, and much sitting in idleness. If they can find a few grievances to which they can hang their talks, so much the better. But they will talk, anyway. 13ERHAPS by this time, the “Goodwill Mission” realises what it is up against.

The Missioners have little knowledge of Samoan history and psychology, but they are not fools. In the week since they arrived, they have met these long-winded Samoan gentlemen in Mulinu’u, Vaimoso, and elsewhere, and they must recognise now that they have not the least hope of bringing about reforms which will put the Mau out of existence. If that was ever their ideal, they should know that they made it impossible of attainment by the way in which they met the Mau—plead ingly, with many promises of reform—as man-to-man and brother-to-brother.

The Minister Mr. Langstone, put the cop ing stone on it when at Vaimoso, on the second day of his visit, he told the Mau that “he was commanded by the Right Honourable the Prime Minister of New Zealand” to tell the Samoans that their beloved Taisi (Mr. O. F. Nelson) would be returned from banishment, that his ex penses in returning to Samoa would be paid by the Government, and that the Goodwill Mission and the Administration would associate themselves with the Sa moans in giving welcome to Taisi on his return.

If the Minister thinks that the Samoans, on this momentous occasion, will try to express their gratitude to the N.Z. Gov ernment by promising to be good little boys, and urging Mr. Nelson to be the loyal friend of the Administrator of Samoa, he is due for disillusionment.

The Mau people are so cockahoop at what they regard as the capitulation of the Government that they are certain to demand a substantial share in the adminis trative control of the Territory; and when this is refused them, they will sulk and agitate. Mr. Nelson, probably, will be grateful and loyal; but he will want rather more wisdom and tact than his record in dicates that he possesses, if he is going to bring the Mau into line with the Malo as supporters of the Government.

Some believe that the Missioners will recommend that Samoans be given a larger representation in the constitution of the Legislative Council, and that this will satisfy the Mau’s political aspirations.

Such a development will not quieten the Mau. The Mau thinks that at last it has got the papalangi on the run; and that it

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need only keep on with its activities to achieve the object stated on its letterheads —namely Samoa mo Samoa (Samoa for the Samoans).

Mr. Nelson, if he has retained his influ ence over the Samoans, can help the Gov ernment very much in establishing com parative political quiet. I believe that Mr.

Nelson will “play the game”; but it doubt ful whether he will hold his influence with the Mau when he tries to find a compro mise between the Government and the Sa moans, on certain constitutional questions.

BY now, probably, the Missioners have learned that, while the Mau provides the agitation, the real hardships and in justices are suffered by the European and half-caste communities. Three separate groups have presented their requests for reforms to the Minister—the Europeans, through their elected representatives on the Legislative Council, Mr. Carruthers and Mr. Smythe; the planters; and the local-born (the usual name for the half caste people who live in European fashion) who have just banded themselves together as the “Samoan Labour Party”!

Their requests may be numbered in scores, and can be only summarised here.

By far the most important are those re lating to the local-born. There are at least 3,000 of these attractive people, and their condition is most tragic. They have beauty, intelligence, spirit; the culture and outlook of the Europeans; the European’s readi ness to work —yet they have no status as citizens of Samoa, • and there are no jobs for them. A good many of the men, recog nising the hopelessness of their outlook, turn to the native community, marry natives, acquire a native status, and are absorbed into native life.

But it is not so easy for the girls. Almost without exception, they are pretty, fastidi ous, gentle creatures, with marked social gifts, and taking a high degree of educa tion; and their comeliness and intelligence make of them quite admirable wives. But there are few husbands available for them.

There are only 400 white people in the Territory; and “Granny” in Wellington has informed the couple of score of young’ bachelors in the service here that if they so much as look at a local-born girl, they will be spanked and sent home.

The thing to do is to give these people a status and a place in Samoa; and what appears to be an admirable plan, to that end, has been worked out by the Acting- Administrator, Mr. A. C. Turnbull, with the assistance of some of the leading citizens.

It is proposed to use good lands (2500 acres of Reparation Estates, in the Salei moa district, 10 miles west of Apia, and several thousands of acres in the Faasale leaga district of Savaii, are especially men tioned) for group settlements of local-born lads. They will be maintained and trained by experts in bush-felling, clearing and planting suitable crops; and, when ready, each will be supplied with a small planta tion, which will be loaded with the cost of maintaining and training the lad. It is proposed that there shall be a little town, with all the amenities of modern life, near each group settlement. Each plantation, it is suggested, would comprise 25 acres or more —10 planted in bananas, cocoa or coffee, and 15 under bush, to provide for expansion.

There will be failures, of course —a pro portion of the local-born people are not

very industrious—but it might provide a solution for the most difficult —and most tragic—problem in Samoa.

The European residents are very strongly urging that, instead of men being brought from New Zealand, more of the local-born men and women should be more extensively used in all branches of admin istrative work, including the Reparation Estates.

European Requests

A meeting of European residents, presided over by Mr. A. G. Smythe and Mr. I. H. Carruthers, decided to ask the Goodwill Mission and the Administration for a number of things, including— Reform of the liquor laws (which are the quaintest in the South Seas, and are de scribed elsewhere).

The appointment of a Finance Board to assist the Administration in reducing ex penditure, so as to give taxpayers some relief. (It was urged that there is consid erable over-staffing—the Treasury, Native Department, Police and Prisons Depart ment being especially mentioned).

Abolition of port and service tax. and reduction of import duties.

Appointment of school and hospital com mittees, and the education of all children, whether able to pay school fees or not.

More rigid medical inspection of passen gers arriving in Samoa.

The franchise for every European over 21 years, who pays personal tax.

To Assist Planters

The Planters’ Association has a short but important list of matters for the attention of the Government.

Opportunity has been taken to urge the paramount importance of maintaining a supply of imported labour. Plantations cannot otherwise be worked, as neither

Samoans nor local-born men can be de pended upon for permanent labour. The Chinese are excellent labourers, but there is objection to them, in some quarters, be cause almost invariably, during their term here, they take a temporary Samoan wife; and, when they go, they usually leave a number of children here, to be absorbed into the mother’s family group. The plant ers seem to prefer Chinese; but their main concern is to have a dependable sup ply of labour.

An urgent necessity here at present is a cheaper supply of fertiliser. Many plan tations are deteriorating because of the very high cost of reviving them. It has been noted that the ships which carry Chinese labour between China and Samoa usually call at Ocean Island and Nauru, where the phosphate deposits also are worked by imported Chinese. It has been asked if it is not possible to arrange that the ships, when calling at those islands, shall pick up cargoes of phosphate for Samoa direct, thus greatly reducing the cost.

Other requests include a temporary sus pension of the monthly payments towards the Chinese Labour Overhead Expense Fund, which at present shows a large sur plus balance; further consideration of plantation rents; assistance in the pro vision of fertilizers; and a higher price for bananas exported to New Zealand.

Requests Of Samoan-Born

The Labour Party of Western Samoa (otherwise the local-born European - Samoans) submitted a list of 17 requests— most of them very fair and reasonable.

They included: A franchise for all tax payers; a larger Legislative Council; medi cal training, at the hospital, of local-born boys and girls (such invaluable training being now given to full-Samoans, yet with held from European-Samoans); appoint

ment of European-Samoans to the police and other services; provision for settle ment of local-born people upon the land; free education; reduction of hospital fees and provision of more accessible hospital services; European-Samoans to be trained

and used as artisans, instead of Chinese coolies; the Government to make an at tempt to establish better standards of wages and living for European-Samoans; relief from the 25 per cent, fine imposed where taxes have not been paid; assistance to widows and their families by granting free education, medical attention, etc.; reduction of electric-light and water charges; amendment of the law to allow persons who have the legal status of Euro peans to retain land rights received through their Samoan parent.

The only comment one can make on this modest list is to express surprise that 95 per cent, of the requests should have to be made at all—it would seem that they should have been granted long ago, as a matter of common justice and social de cency.

Result Of Goodwill Mission

So far as the native political trouble is concerned, it is most unlikely that the Goodwill Mission will achieve anything worth while. But I believe that the Minis ter, Mr. Langstone, and the M.P., Mr.

O’Brien—who are broadminded, sincere men—will achieve a great amount of good by sweeping away much of the stifling red tape which “Granny” Government has fas tended upon Samoa; by stirring up various petty, complacent officials to a sense of their obligations; and by initiating re forms which will be, in an economic sense, of value to the Territory.

New Administrator

The beach, with bated breath, awaits the appointment of a new Administrator. The Minister is as the Sphinx—not a word has come from him on which even a coconut wireless could be based. Nothing will be heard until he returns to Wellington.

Personally, I expect that Mr. Turnbull will be appointed. He has well and worth ily earned the honour; and greater respect is accorded to him and his wife by all classes here than has been given to a leading official for many years, if ever before. The Government cannot do better than place him in charge, with adequate authority, and with a clear understanding that he is not under the dictation of the Mau and its functionaries. But of that, more anon.