[?]ropean Community

[?]igh Commissioner [?]snubs” [?]ropean Community

From Our Own Correspondent APIA Opf on

ECENTLY the High’ Commis

i sioner of Western Samoa, Mr.

R. G. Powles, appointed a local umittee to collaborate and assist i South Pacific Commission. ?o this committee were appointed Samoan representatives and ht Government officials, but no resentative of the European and ■t European population which aprise some 6,000 and plays a st important part in agriculture, amerce, industry and the social I economic life of the Territory, 'his action of the High Com ►sioner, which is in contravention the declared policy of the isteeship Council and of the v Zealand Government, has led strong protests and criticism. l formal letter of protest has n addressed to the High Com isioner by the five European mbers of the Legislative Council, I copies of this letter were for rded to the New Zealand lifter of Island Territories and South Pacific Commission.

Tie local Committee has already d an inaugural meeting whereat y were addressed by Mr. D. R. m, General Manager of the New iland Reparation Estates, on icultural problems and by Pro -sor Thljsse a housing expert tn Indonesia, at present studying ising in the islands, on Samoan ising problems.

'he European community feels t the attitude of the High Com isioner will bring discord and mity into Samoan public life a time when the goodwill and operation of all Europeans and noans is needed more than ever help in the oolitical, economic I social development of the xitory and promote and speed progress of Samoa towards self ernment.

Work Of Committee

MONGST projects to be dis cussed by the local committee (they will make recommenda is to the SPC) are solar stills converting sea water into fresh ;er. coconut plantations, health blems, sanitation, fisheries, iblishment of a model village, reduction of new cultivations I numerous other topics.

Research work on coconut plant is to be started shortly on an a of 200 acres owned by the New iland Reparation Estates which to be planted from seeds hered in various other island

ps. The land is to be planted tauritius beans which after one will be ploughed in before nuts are planted. The Commis is to render all necessary tance and supply a technical jr to supervise the experiment h is to last 15 years.

wealth Parliament, instead of the undemocratic system now repre sented by the Legislative Council of Papua-New Guinea. The Territories’ population, defence re quirements and commercial im portance warranted the change.

Mrs. Garnet Malley of Vanua Mbalavu, Lau Islands, Fiji, who has been visiting the United Kingdom, returned to Sydney at the end of September and expects to be back at her plantation home in time for Christmas.