Swift Moves For Reform In Western
pp. 26-27 · Read in the full issue
Samoa
Samoans Inclined To Seek Union With Eastern
Samoa
(See also “UNO Mission’s Report,” elsewhere in this issue.)
AN important statement, bearing upon political and administrative condi tions in Western Samoa (a Trustee Territory of New Zealand) was made in the New Zealand Parliament on October 20 by the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser).
The history of events in 1946-47 may be recounted, at this stage.
The Samoan chiefs, speaking on behalf of the Samoan people, refused to sub scribe to the Trusteeship Agreement which replaced the League of Nations Mandate, under which New Zealand gov
erned Western Samoa. The chiefs, in stead, appealed to the Trusteeship Coun cil of the United Nations for a larger measure of self-government and a closer union between Western Samoa and Eastern Samoa (American) which are in habited by the people of the same race.
The Trusteeship Council, while ap proving the Agreement, appointed a special mission of inquiry, to proceed to Samoa and investigate the position on the spot. The mission was in Samoa in July and August, and returned in Sep tember to the United States to report to a meeting of the Trusteeship Council in November.
Meanwhile, on August 27, after the mission had completed its inquiry, but before it could report, the New Zealand Government announced a far-reaching and comprehensive change in the Western Samoan Administrative system —details on page 27 of September “PIM.”
It was claimed that this would give the Samoans the largest practicable measure of self-government, and answer'most of their claims for reform.
The Samoans, early in September, in dicated that, pending the report by the UN mission, they were not interested m the New Zealand Government’s plan, OUR Apia correspondent, writing on October 15, said: The UNO Mission’s report has been received by the Administration here, and has been dis tributed among those interested. The re port is generally on the lines of the New Zealand proposals, and therefore has greatly disappointed the Samoans, be cause it does not give them immediately the self-government they had fervently hoped for. It is too early yet to judge the Samoan’s reaction, but I expect that they will blame the NZ Government for failure to get self-government. • There is some indication that tne Samoans now will submit to the Trus teeship Council a request that Western Samoa be united with Eastern Samoa, and that the trusteeship for the united territory be placed in the hands of the United States. This is only a rumour— but it is given some colour by a recent visit to Pago Pago, American Samoa, of High Chief Tamasese, who conferred with the high chiefs there. Probably, a gen eral Fono of Samoan leaders will be called to discuss the UN report. rE next development was the NZ Prime Minister’s announcement, on October 20, that legislation giving effect to certain of the Government’s pr<p posals for constitutional changes in Western Samoa will be introduced dur ing the present session of the NZ Parlia ment; and a committee to report on part of the general plan has already gone to Samoa.
Mr Fraser said the Government was gratified to find that the report of the United Nations Mission did not differ on any fundamental issue from the proposals announced by Mr. Nash. There were differences in the- detailed recommenda tions, but these were few and relatively unimportant. The mission’s report would come before the Trusteeship Council at its next meeting in November but could not receive the final approval of United Nations till the 1948 session of the General Assembly.
It was not desirable to hold up the proposed constitutional changes for this length of time and the NZ Government therefore proposed to give effect to as many of them as possible during the
current session of Parliament. These would include the establishment of a Council of State, changes in the com position of the local legislature and the transfer to it of increased powers and responsibilities.
There were other desirable steps to be taken which require further discussion with the Samoan people. These were the establishment of a system of local government and the creation of an in dependent Public Service Commission in New Zealand.
These measures would be implemented by a further amendment of the Samoa Act in 1948.
Committee To Report
SOME time ago, said the Prime Minister, a joint committee representative of the Public Service Commission and the New Zealand Public Service Associa tion had been appointed to report to the Commission on salaries and general con ditions of employment in the Samoan public service.
Under the new form of control con templated by the Government, these matters would cease to be the responsi bility of the Public Service Commission, but as the change would not become effective for another 12 months, it was felt that the proposal to send the com mittee to Samoa should not be delayed or abandoned.
Its recommendations would enable the Commission to make any adjustments which might be immediately necessary because of changes in the cost of living or the existence of anomalies and would be equally valuable to the new Public Ser vice authority whervit began to function.
The committee, which comprises Mr. A.
G. Rodda, of the Public Service Commis sion staff (chairman), Mr. C. H. Quinn, chief clerk, Island Territories Depart ment, and Mr. J. Turnbull, general sec retary of the Public Service Association, left for Apia by air on October 18.