Government

Western Samoan

Inquiry Mission Receives Chiefs' Plans

From a Special Correspondent

Apia, Aug. 1

THE mission of inquiry from the Trusteeship Council of the United Nations, in' July, visited many dis tricts of Western Samoa and made one chd!-t visit to Tonga, to observe, at first band, the operation there of a large measure of self-government.’

The mission will return to America this month where it is expected to submit its report and recommendations, in about four* months’ time.

After much discussion, the Western Samoan Chiefs have submitted 1o the mission their plan for the future govern ment of the Territory. It embraces the following main points;— (1) The three fautua (high chiefs who are official advisers to the Administra tion) to be recognised as the head of the Government. . .. (2) Forty-one “representatives of tne Samoans,” otherwise the 41 faipulc, to form the actual Government, with the addition of three or four European re presentatives at a ratio of 12 to 1, according to population. The heads of departments would attend meetings, but would have no voting powers. (3) A representative of New Zealand to hold the 'power of veto, but this would be so hedged with restrictions that it would be virtually non-existent in the event of the chiefs expressing the opinion that the power of veto should not apply to matters affecting Samoans. (4) Health, education, public works, finance and public service committees, in all of which Europeans would have predominance, to be appointed to advise the Government. (5) All Crown estates should be “re turned to the Samoans for the coming generations because the population was growing but not the land.”

THE last proposal concerns principally New Zealand Reparations Estates, an area taken over by the New Zealand Government from the fonflf»r German owners after World War I. No recent statistics are available to show what area of land is at present in nonrSamoan hands, but the last official figures gave Samoan lands as over 80 per cent, of the total. These figures, however, are 20 years old, and in that Deriqd sizeable areas have returned to Samoan ownership. Further, of the fer tile land in Samoan hands, only a frac tion is cultivated.

Immediate self-government is by no means the unanimous desire of the Samoan people as a whole. Certain dis (ricts have firmly dissociated themselves from the petition to the United Nations.

Presentation of Samoan Case

Gives Bad Impression

IT would not surprise me to know that the Trustee Council Mission has not received a good impression of the native Samoans in relation to their re quest for self-government which is what the Mission came here to inquire into.

Our visitors. I think, were astonished to find that the natives’ political demands were not induced by any social or ec onomic disadvantages to which they have

been exposed by the New Zealand Ad ministration. On the contrary, the Samoans have never been better off, economically. They are a happy and healthy people, they are increasing rapidly in numbers and, what with public works, water supplies, new industries and medical services, the NZ administration has raised the standard of living very much, compared with 20 or 30 years ago.

Why, then, the natives demand 1 for immediate self-government especially in view of the firm opinion expressed by the great majority of Europeans and Euronesians that any, far-reaching ad ministrative changes now would lead only to confusion and chaos? The latter say frankly that the present demand arises mostly from the personal ambitions of a few power-hungry chiefs.

The Europeans and Euronesians admit that, sooner or later, Samoa must be self governed; but, to avoid all kinds of com plications, the introduction of self government should be a slow and cautious process.

It is much to be regretted that the Samoans in ipresenting their case to the Mission, made use of some aggres sive showmanship. It was most unwise of them to revive the old Mau atmos phere, and to demonstrate in the blue and-white striped lava-lavas of the old Mau days. Some sections of them tried to influence the Mission by threats—they said that if they did not get immediate self-government there was danger of a “fight.”

The Mission was not favourable im pressed.

Whoever was responsible for this kind of display should have his wings severely clipped. It misrepresented the Samoans (who are now quiet and law-abiding), and it suggested to the overseas observers that the natives are not vet qualified for self-government in a world where they must live in close communitv with Euro peans and Euronesians.

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