Commissioner

J. R. Wright High

The announcement by the New Zealand Minister of Island Terri tories, Mr. Mathison, of the appoint ment of the present Acting High Commissioner, Mr. J. B. Wright as High Commissioner of Western Samoa, has met with general approval by all sections of the com munity.

HE succeeds Mr. G. R. Powles, who has become New Zealand High Commissioner to India.

Mr. Wright is a New Zealander, 51 years old. and entered the New Zealand Public Service in 1926.

In 1929, he was transferred to the Island Territories Department. He served in the Cook Islands and Niue for some time and in 1936 was appointed accountant to the Samoan Treasury. In 1939, he married Miss Ailene Fabricius. a descendant of one of the pioneer European families of Samoa.

After a second term in the Cook Islands, Mr. Wright returned to Samoa as Treasurer and Collector of Customs, and in 1948 was appointed Secretary to the Samoan Government. In 1952, he became Secretary of the Island Territories Department in Wellington, a poit which he occupied un f il April 1959, when he retired from the Public Service and returned to Samoa where he acquired a cocoa planta tion.

Following the departure of Mr.

Powles, a few months ago, Mr.

Wright was appointed Acting High Commissioner. During his long Pacific service he has gained a reputation for integrity, straight forwardness and honesty, and there is no doubt that he will be able to contribute to Western Samoa’s political development by his advice and guidance.

Though, undoubtedly, the office of High Commissioner has lost a great deal of its former importance, there are still a number of important problems to be solved.