HC Has Busy Time With Petitions

W. Samoa

Has Pwd Troubles

Petitions appear recently to have been a popular means of giving vent to public feeling in Western Samoa. Apart from the petition to the UN Visiting Mission, protesting against H-Bomb explosions in the Pacific, two other petitions have been presented to the High Com missioner.

UNOFFICIAL members of the Council of State, Executive Council and the Legislative As sembly recently petitioned Mr. G. R.

Powles to appoint a Commission of Inquiry to investigate various activ ities of the Public Works Depart ment, which have recently evoked considerable public criticism.

These matters are the recent alleged disposal of a stone-crusher, valued at £7,000, for £lO to private contractors: the alarming situation with regard to the generating and distribution of electricity in Apia, resulting from the inadequacy of the output from Fuluasou Hydro Plant, the breakdown of the diesel generating plants and the delay in bringing into operation the Alaoa Hydro-electric scheme; and the Stores Department’s purchase, storage and issue of all stores.

In a circular letter in reply to the signatories of the Petition, the High Commissioner maintained that the appointment of a Commission of Inquiry into these matters would be

no advantage, as the Public Works Department, following last year’s Commission of Inquiry and its re commendations, was already in a state of reorganisation.

The High Commissioner’s reply will be further discussed by the Samoan leaders at an early date.

At almost the same time more than 100 members of the staff of the Public Works Department itself signed a petition to the High Com missioner protesting against the appointment of the Treasurer and Financial Secretary to the Govern ment, Mr. L. M. Cook, as Acting Director of Works, in the place of the former temporary Head of the Department, Mr. E. E. Hendricksen, who has returned to New Zealand.

They claim that a qualified engineer, Mr. C. L. Green, should be appointed Acting Director of Works and not an office man. (Subsequently, appointment of a Mr.

Maclaughlin, AMICE, ex-Colonial Service, Nigeria, as PWD chief was announced).