Foreign Investment

West Samoa Will Welcome Foreign Investment

From a Wellington Correspondent During a nine-day visit to New Zealand in August, West Samoan Prime Minister Fiame Mataafa made it clear to New Zealanders that he had a mind of his own and that traditional ties of friendship were not going to prevent him from saying what he thought had to be said. But, although at the begin ning some people thought Mataafa seemed to be about to overstep the mark, everything turned out all right in the end and his visit ended with no doubt that Mataafa knows Samoa has a lot to thank New Zealand for.

MATAAFA, accompanied by his wife Masiofo Fetaui, his Ministers of Agriculture and Education (Asiata Lagolago and Tuatagaloa LT), arrived at Auckland on August 1, by an RNZAF aircraft from W.

Atthe airport Mataafa told Press-

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During his visit to Wellington, the Prime Minister of Western Samoa Fiame Mataafa, signs the NZ Prime Minister's visitors book while the Prime Minister (Mr. K. J. Holyoake), and Mrs. Mataafa, look on.

Photo: NZ National Publicity Studios

on entry permits for missionaries had “been misunderstood” abroad.

Restrictions had been imposed on all creeds without discrimination, and he added: “I join with many of my countrymen in questioning the need for great mission activity in Samoa.

“We have been Christians for a century and more and I would think the missions should want to use Samoans in spreading the Gospel in those areas where a European might be handicapped. The London Mission ary Society, the Methodists and the Seventh-day Adventists already have used Samoans to good effect in New Guinea.”

Mataafa also told Pressmen at that Auckland airport interview that the American Samoans did not show the slightest jealousy at West Samoa’s impending independence on January 1. The Americans were generous to the East Samoans and the “happy co-operation in American Samoa be tween Japanese tuna fleets and a major American cannery brings prosperity to all. There is little grievance”.

Mataafa said Samoa would wel come overseas capital, particularly from Commonwealth countries.

When a Pressman reminded him that Samoa had discouraged a NZ ice cream factory from establishing itself in the Territory, Mataafa replied: “That was before my time”.

Visited Old Friends Mataafa and his wife flew to Wellington on August 4, and the official party paid official calls, and attended the second rugby test be tween France and NZ, At a parliamentary luncheon for Mataafa, the NZ Prime Minister, Mr.

Holyoake said: “For the past 15 years New Zealand has followed a policy of encouraging a gradual growth towards self-government in Western Samoa. It has done this in close collaboration with the Samoan leaders. We recognise your continued need for assistance and we are will ing, if you wish it, to do what we can to help you in the future. In dependence is a fine thing, but it means little if a country cannot look for assistance from its friends”.

Mataafa earlier had expressed his appreciation of New Zealand’s assis tance in a speech at a reception held by the Pacific Islands Association.

Remarking that there were men pre sent who had served Samoa well and made a great contribution to her future, Mataafa continued: “I wish to thank the New Zealand Govern ment for all that it has done for my people and my country. As we grow

nearer and nearer to independence, so do we wish that our respective countries should grow closer and closer together”.

On August 9 Mataafa was guest of honour at a reception given by the Minister of Island Territories Mr.

Gotz. Prime Minister Holyoake and the leader of the Opposition, Mr.

Walter Nash, were among the guests.

In his speech of welcome Mr. Gotz recalled how he had coached the Prime Minister of Western Samoa in rugby and boxing at primary school.

He also recalled several other guests as children, including the Prime Minister’s wife.

And the Prime Minister of Western Samoa recalled Mr. Gotz as a very strict rugby coach and one who in sisted on his players being punctual at practices. (See “Samoa’s Economic Plans”, p. 137.)