Nelson Memorial

Mau Leader

Remembered

Library to be O. F.

Nelson Memorial

THE family of the late Mr. O. F.

Nelson has donated £5,000 towards the establishment in 'Western Samoa of a public library to be known as the Nelson Memorial Public Library.

The family also made available the site which has been set aside by the New Zealand Government as a memorial to Mr. Nelson.

Meanwhile a temporary public library will operate in quarters pro vided by the Methodist Mission.

The Government has appointed a librarian, Miss B. Allen.

Late O. F. Nelson’S Career

Mr, Nelson died in Samoa in February, 1944. He was born in Samoa of a Swedish father and a Samoan mother, in 1884; he founded the successful firm of O. F. Nelson and Co., in Apia during World War I.

In the early 1920’5, when NZ took over the Administration of W.

Samoa, as a C Class Mandate, Nelson actively espoused the Nationalistic cause of the Samoans and became leader of the Mau Movement.

For his activities in this direction

he was twice banished to NZ. His second term of banishment was ended when the Labour Party was returned to power in NZ in 1936.

With a more enlightened type of Administration, the Mau movement died. Mr. Nelson, his health affected by 15 years of bitter struggle, took less and less part in public affairs.

Opinions on Mr. Nelson, of course,

varied widely, but his name \ always be remembered in Samoai At the time of his death, K commented: “If the NZ Governmn had had the wit to enlist his in the beginning, instead of igra ing and insulting him, one of blackest periods in Sama chequered history need not h been written.”