Samoans In N.Z.

"Goodwill Mission" From

The Mau.

A PARTY of Samoan representatives left Apia in January to place be fore the Government of New Zealand certain requests that have been made during the past year by the Fono of Faipule and which have been refused.

The delegation consists of Taisi (Mr.

O. F. Nelson, Faatonu of the Samoans); Tamasese, President of the Mau; Alipia, Speaker of the Fono; Leiataua Mana, Faipule; Faalavaau, Secretary to the Mau; and Malienafau (Miss O. V.

Nelson, LL.B.), Legal Advisor, The delegation has been described as a “Goodwill Mission from the Samoans to New Zealand”. Actually, it is merely a “mission” from the Mau organisation (which dominates the Faipule) to the N.Z. Labour Government.

There is now a very large section of the Samoans which definitely does not associate itself with the Mau, and which maintains a separate organi sation.

The expenses of the delegation will be borne by the Samoans themselves; but the N.Z. Government has appointed Mr. Ralph Tattersall as an interpreter to accompany the delegation, and it will pay his expenses.

The delegation will spend 17 days in New Zealand and then will sail from Auckland on February 7.

The “Western Samoa Mail” on De cember 31, in a prominent article, de clares that “the Mau organisation and the Fono of Faipule have every con fidence in the present Government and will remain loyal to it”. That is a sur prising declaration. The Mau and its puppet-show, the Fono of Faipule, for a year or more, have nagged at the N.Z. Government and embarrassed it with unreasonable agitation when, in the circumstances, the least they could have done was to attempt to work in

helpful harmony with the Labour Ad ministration, which, in 1936, gave re cognition to the Mau and Mr. Nelson in so sensational a manner.

Labour Problem In Samoa

New Zealand newspapers continue sharply to attack the policy of the N.Z.

Labour Government, in Samoa, where planters—as a result of the Govern ment’s action in deporting Chinese labourers—have been left with a maxi mum of 259 Chinese coolies with which to work their plantations.

The Minister responsible for this policy (Mr. Langstone) in a statement early in January said the Government saw no necessity for the employment of imported Chinese as domestics or artisans, and felt that it was entitled to the co-operation of local employers in the provision and training of suit able labour in the territory.

This is a statement which is quite in accord with the degree of statesmanship exhibited by the N.Z. Government in relation to Samoa, and with the know ledge of tropical Islands conditions dis played by the same Minister when he visited Samoa in 1936 as one half of the famous “Goodwill Mission”.

George Robinson, an employee of the Colonial Sugar Refining Co., Ltd., died on December 25, as a result, it is al leged, of a fight at Nausori. Aged 35, he was married and had two children.

Another employee at the C.S.R. mill, Charles Streeter, has been arrested in connection with the affair.