What The Samoans

Want

Fono Tells Mr. Fraser

THE West Samoan Fono of Faipule must have left no doubt in the mind of New Zealand Prime Minister. Mr.

Fraser, when he met them recently, that they wish to run their own affairs.

At a conference held in Apia during the Prime Minister’s December visit to the Territory, Samoans asked for these things: ♦ • That there should be some renresen tatives of their people to deliberate with the Administrator on all Government matters • That the three-years time-limit on the appointment of European Govern ment officials should be enforced, except where the Samoans themselves wished to retain any particular officer for a further term not exceeding three years. • All European officers with over six years’ service should be returned at once to New Zealand, thus reducing the num ber of Europeans employed by the Gov ernment and increasing the number of Samoans and part-Samoans. • That a Samoan should be at the head of the Agricultural and Native Affairs Departments; and that in other Depart ments, such as Police, Survey, Public Works. Treasury and Customs, there should be a European head but with Samoans taking an increasingly large number of minor posts. • Crown estates should be returned to the Samoan Government: and in order to improve and extend plantations of useful food crops, a Samoan should be chosen as director of all plantation matters: committees should be set up to decide prices of copra, cocoa, coffee and bananas, as well as the wages of various classes of labourers. ® It is desired that hotels should be opened by the Government and that fit and proper persons, such as chiefs and orators, should be given permits to pur chase liquor.

Editorial Note

rERE is no reason why the South Pacific Polynesian countries —Western Samoa (New Zealand). Eastern Samoa (American), Cook Islands (NZ), Ellice Islands (British), and French Oceania—should not enjoy the same measure of self-government as the Ton gans and Maoris It is the irony of fate that the Samoans, who are probably, of all Polynesians, the people best qualified by nature to exercise self-government, should have been, for 100 years, the unfortunate victims of quarrels between jealous European powers.

New Zealand, like every other colony hunsrv country, will resist any plan to pive Samoa more self-government; but presently, in the Pacific Peace Confer ence, the Samoans will receive considera tion of their nationalistic aspirations, and New Zealand, like other countries, will conform to newly-accented principle and procedure. NZ probably will remain responsible for the good government of Samoa —but will not have her present absolute powers.

Mr. E. G. Jeffreys returned to Suva, Fiji, recently, together with Mrs. Jeffreys, to take up duties as accountant with the Bank of New South Wales, Suva.

He had been with the Bank at Royal Exchange Branch, Sydney. Mrs. Jeffreys is a Suva girl—formerly Miss Sutherland.

Mr. and Mrs. Jeffreys received a great welcome on their return after six years,

Miss A. V. Pigott, whom we reported in December “PIM” as having been dis charged from the WAAAP in order to rejoin the Anglican Mission of Papua, has, in fact, not gone back to the Mis sion but will work at the head office of the Australian Board of Missions, in Sydney.

Ten members of the staff of the Un evangelised Fields Mission have returned to their stations in the Western Division of Papua. The remainder of the staff are preparing to follow when conditions permit.