W. Samoa’S Future

Now

Is Being Planned

From Our Own Correspondent

Apia, May 17.

THE fact that of the 12 Samoan and 5 European members elected to the new Legislative As sembly, only 3 and 3 respectively have been re-elected, may indicate some degree of dissatisfaction with the work of representatives during the past 3-years’ period. Nearly all the retiring Samoan members contested their seats.

Samoan public interest is centred on the Development Plan of the NZ Government (the D-Plan or White Paper). It has been discussed by a “Working Committee” appointed by the High Commissioner (Mr.

G. R. Powles), which has been sit ting for over a year without produc ing any tangible result or concrete recommendations.

The people of Samoa are aware that implementation of the D-Plan, with its political, social and economic proposals, will mean a very large increase in capital and current expenditure. The present revenue will be insufficient to pay for this.

The impression also prevails that the Government is inclined to rush the D-plan through within a short period, and that for this the small

emergency Reserve of £500,000 will be used. The former Legislative Assembly took the view that this use of the emergency Reserve and hurried implementation of D-Plan would spell disaster for the country.

The Assembly wants to spread the implementation of D-Plan over a number of years and “pay as you go” from the normal revenue of the Government.

Though most of D-plan is gener ally acceptable, one of the proposed changes is opposed by both Samoans and Europeans. This v is the abolition of the Matai or Chief system and the introduction of universal franchise to include untitled men and women. The time for such a revolutionary change in the Samoan traditional way of life has not yet arrived —it could have a bad and far-reaching effect. Maybe in a generation or two, the Samoans will themselves decide to alter their matai system. To force the change upon them would be unwise.

As present revenue is insufficient to carry the D-Plan, a Govern ment taxation expert is investigat ing possibilities of new sources. An income tax is proposed to get some of the greatly increased incomes of planters and merchants. It is also suggested that the Government may reintroduce the Samoan head or poll tax, which was abolished dur ing the Mau rebellion in the late twenties.

• U Mr. and Mrs. L. A. Lawlor re turned recently to Suva from a round-the-world trip, which occupied nearly a year and included visits to the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Singapore, Hong kong, Australia and New Zealand.

As part of their plan for publicis ing the new landplane service be tween Auckland and Fiji (via Nadi, to take the place of the direct sea plane service between Auckland and Suva) the Directors of TEAL, in May, carried a group of NZ press men on a tour of Fiji, while a group of Fiji pressmen briefly toured NZ. The Fiji press party comprised two Europeans, one part-European and three Indians; and it enjoyed lavish hospitality and other mani festations of New Zealand’s good will towards Fiji. The NZ journal ists had an equally pleasant time in Fiji.