W. Samoa Legislative Assembly

Keenly Debates Territory Affairs

Prom Our Own Correspondent

APIA, November 18.

THE Legislative Assembly of Western Samoa met on October 26 for its third session for 1949 at the Fono

House at Mulinu’u, the traditional seat of the Samoan Government. The Sup plementary Estimates for the current financial year and other important busi ness were discussed. The session ended on November 11. The debates were car ried on in English and Samoan and for the first time broadcast, in full, by Apia Broadcasting Station, 2AP. The public took a great interest in this innovation and welcomed the opportunity to listen to the proceedings which previously had been open to only a few of the favoured.

Status of Chinese A REPORT presented to the Assembly by the High Commissioner on the status of Chinese inhabitants of Western Samoa was vigorously debated.

Certain requests had been made by the Chinese Consul in Suva, Fiji, on behalf of the Chinese inhabitants of the Territory and the Government desired to elucidate public feeling before making a decision.

There are 173 Chinese in the Territory, 83 of whom are old men over 60. and 90 younger men working on plantations. It was contended that there are no legal powers to restrict Chinese in their choice of work and employment and that the Chinese will automatically become free citizens of the Territory in the next four years. The existing prohibition of mar riage between Chinese- and Samoan women had also to be considered, as in the opinion of the New Zealand Govern ment this prohibition is now not war ranted. The offspring of these unions

which cannot be legalised are, of course, illegitimate in law.

During the debate the opinion was ad vanced that the present difficulty was due to the laxity of the former Governments in not carrying out the repatriation of Chinese labourers after the expiration of their three-year contracts. Samoan and European members agreed, however, that the small remaining number of full blooded Chinese should be allowed to be come free settlers. It was also agreed that the descendents of unions of Chinese and Samoan women, should of their own choice, be allowed to take the status either of Samoans or Europeans and enjoy the full rights of their new status and that their illegitimacy should be no bar to citizenship, as the conception of illegi timacy was, in any case, unknown to Samoan custom until the arrival of the missionaries. The immediate lifting of the prohibition of legal marriage between Chinese and Samoans was also recom mended unanimously by members. Any further immigration of Chinese into the Territory, including re-entry of Chinese formerly repatriated was, however, strongly opposed by Samoan members.

Finances THE financial position of the Territory was disclosed when the Supplemen tary Estimates for the current finan cial year were submitted to the Assembly.

Estimated receipts in the Main Estimates were £421,600 and transferred from Re serves £118,150. In the Supplementary Estimates, the estimated revenue is in creased by £23,985 (mainly Store Tax, copra export duty and building tax). Ad ditional expenditure asked for in the Supplementary Estimates amounts to £8,405, leaving at the end of the financial year, an estimated credit balance of £19,415 which will be returned to Reserves.

In addition to this there is still the General Reserve Fund of £500,000.

In the debate that followed, several members criticised the Government finan cial policy and expressed apprehension of the future. Stricter economy was ad vocated and the hope expressed that the appointment cf a new Public Service Commission shortly would lead to more economical working of the various De partments and greater efficiency. The newly-established Agricultural Depart ment should be of assistance in a drive for increased production, which in turn should provide more revenue for the Government.

During the debate on the Education De partment vote, the construction of ex pensive school buildings at the present time was severely criticised by members Plans and specifications had, in the opinion of members, not been prepared with sufficient care and in some cases es timates were greatly exceeded. Though the necessity of a good and thorough edu cation was generally acknowledged, some members considered that the present ex penditure on education strained the financial resources of the country to the utmost.

In the matter of health services it was suggested that free medical services should be provided for all inhabitants and instead of the present payments for services, a medical levy should be introduced.

An incrase in remuneration from £52 to £7B per annum was granted to the members of the Fono of Faipule, the Samoan Parliament, owing to the increase in the cost of living.

In a debate on Government vehicles for the island of Savai’i, a Savai’i represen tative strongly urged the claims of the Savai’i people for more consideration by the Government, as Savai’i was contri buting a large share of the Government revenue through the large quantities of cocoa and copra produced on the island.

The Public Works Department vote was criticised and the Government accused of exceeding by £1,600 the vote on a building bought for housing a new teacher from New Zealand and using this large building for one teacher instead of for several as was recommended by the Assembly.

In discussing the vote for the improve ment of reef passages, particularly in Savai’i, Government, European and Samoan members stressed the need for this work and recommended more expen

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diture for these urgently required im provements.

Empire Preference A REPORT tabled by a Select Commit tee of the Assembly making certain recommendations regarding abolition of the existing Preferential Customs Tariff on British goods, and modification of certain tariff rates, caused a lengthy and interesting discussion. Reduction of duty on staple lines, mainly foodstuffs was also recommended by the Committee in order to lower the cost of living for the people.

Recommendations for the expansion of existing industries and introduction of new industries in the Territory were also made and a protective tariff was sug gested, to stimulate and assist.

The report was received by the As sembly and referred to the Government for consideration and action.

Meat Inspection A REPLY to a question by a member re garding the present system of meat inspection in the Territory evoked the answer from the Chief Medical Officer that there was no regular meat inspec tion at all, because of shortage of staff in the Health Department. The CMO admitted also that practically all herds of cattle in the Territory were infected with Tuberculosis. He minimised the danger by stating that meat from young cattle who are less diseased does not en danger human health, especially if well cooked. At present only samples of meat are occasionally taken from carcases. In the debate that followed, this situation was condemned by members who strongly requested that regular meat inspection be resumed immediately to safeguard meat consumers, particularly as TB is steadily spreading among the inhabitants of the Territory. Inspection of herds and eli mination of diseased beasts was also re commended.

UK Copra Contract INFORMATION was given regarding the present copra contract with the British Ministry of Food, which has just been received in Apia. The contract price in Samoan currency is £4B of which £45 is paid to exporters and £3 is retained by the Copra Board towards the Stabilisa tion Fund.

A motion to increase remunerations of members of the Legislative Assembly was approved of, although European members voted against it. European members ac knowledged, however, that Samoan mem bers, coming to Apia from faraway districts, had more expenses and had, in accordance with Samoan custom, great obligations of entertainment, travelling expenses, etc.

Radio LACK of co-operation of villagers in the broadcasting scheme and neglect of receiving sets in the villages causing considerable cost and trouble to the Government was described in a report by the Superintendent of Radio submitted to the Assembly. This led to a lengthy de bate in which the lack of interest of vil lagers was attributed to the monotonous programmes provided and various sug gestions for improvement of broadcasting services were made. Some difficulty was also experienced in placing the receiving sets in a suitable house in the villages so that they could be made available at all times to listeners and particularly to schoolchildren for educational broadcasts during the day. It was resolved that a special commission of inquiry visit out side districts and get into touch with vil lagers in order to effect improvements and attract interest in the programmes offered by Station 2AP.

Village Councils PROBABLY the most important sub ject before the Assembly was a motion by the secretary of Native

Affairs to investigate an increase in the powers of the Samoan village councils ( Ali’i and Faipule) and also the possibility of establishing a town government in the Apia area. This motion was widely de bated. It was generally agreed that the powers of the Ali’i and Faipule (chiefs and orators) in the villages should be

increased and that present laws restrict ing their powers should be amended to bring them into line with the new set-up of Government. The second part of the motion, the possibility of town govern ment in Apia and its investigation by a proposed Commission of Inquiry, found strong opposition amongst the Samoan members who remember something of the old municipality of Apia 50 years ago, which was a foreign area in which the

Samoans had no say whatever. Reference to the town government in Apia was de leted from the motion and it was agreed that the Commission of Inquiry consider only the question of local government in the villages and districts.

Revaluation of Currency AMOTION to investigate the advisa bility of establishing an independent •Samoan £ as apart from the New

Zealand £, was, after lengthy discussion, referred to a Select Committee of the Assembly for further action. It was pointed out that New Zealand conditions, economic and political, were totally dif ferent from those in Samoa and that the present dependence of the Samoan currency on the New Zealand currency may in future lead to serious economic disadvantages for Samoa.

On conclusion of the business before the Assembly the High Commissioner commented that the session had been a difficult one, but although lengthy and somewhat tiring had been interesting and informative. The debates had been par ticularly useful to the Government and official members.

Visit of USA Congressional Party to Assembly A PLEASING interlude during the session occurred on November 8 when a party of members of the US Congress, who are on an official visit to American Samoa, flew over to Apia from Pago Pago and paid a courtesy visit to the Legislative Assembly then in ses sion at Mulinu’u. Speeches expressing the pleasure and goodwill and the spirit of co-operation and friendship existing between the two Governments and the people of American and Western Samoa were exchanged by the High Commis sioner and the Speaker of the Congres sional party.