w. Samoa Chooses

Another Step Towards Self-Government w. Samoa Chooses Prime Minister

The most important item on the agenda before the session of the Western Samoan Legislative As sembly which began in Apia on August 3, will be the election of a Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister will then choose his own Cabinet, and Cabinet Government is due to begin on October 1.

This is in line with the recom mendations of the United Nations Trusteeship Visiting Mission for smoothing the path to self-govern ment.

Originally it was intended that Cabinet Government would be in troduced after the elections next vear; the Mission, however, believed that it should be introduced before the end of this year in order to give the Samoans as long as possible to prepare for full self-government, tentatively fixed for the end of 1961.

Since the Samoa Amendment Act of 1957, when the Executive Council, first constituted as an Advisory body, became the chief instrument of policy, it has contained nine Ministers, some elected, some nominated, of whom the Hon. E. F.

Paul (one of the elected European members of the Legislative As sembly) was Leader of Government Business, Minister for Economic Development, for Marine, for Police, and Minister in Charge of the Secretariat.