Lesson In Moors Case On

The Month In Western Samoa

Lesson In Moors Case On Criticism Of Government

From R. F. Rankin, in Apia Cabinet action aimed at dismissing the Harbour Master, Captain Harry Moors, two days after the Court of Appeal upheld his appeal against his conviction for forgery, has con vinced many Samoans that it doesn’t pay to criticise the Government.

IT appears that because of his out spoken criticism of the Govern ment on a number of issues, Cabinet is now carrying out a personal ven detta against him.

As a live wire president of the Public Service Association, Captain Moors led a strong attack in the local press last year against the Government over alleged discrimina tion in the Public Service.

He maintained that the Govern ment too often deferred to overseas rather than local opinion in the higher echelons of officialdom.

He has constantly opposed the siting of the new deep water wharf now being built at Apia, and claimed publicly that the Government had paid twice as much as necessary for the dredge being used on the job.

Then last year Captain Moors fell foul of the Treasury. In 1962, he ordered an airconditioner for his office.

Subterfuge

When the account was presented for payment he had no vote out of which to pay for it, so he resorted to a subterfuge not uncommon among departmental heads.

He requisitioned for some chain to the same value, certified he had received it when in fact he had not, and the Treasury payment for the chain was used to pay for the air conditioner.

The day after his appeal was successful Captain Moors was back on the job. Two days later Cabinet directed the Public Service Com missioner, Vaiao Alailima, to dismiss Captain Moors in accordance with a new policy.

But in the hands of the PSC, who is fed up with political interference in his job, the scheme backfired and Cabinet was made a laughing stock.

The new policy forbade the con tinued employment in the Public Service of any employee who “con

trary to his duty deliberately deceived a Government department”.

Captain Moors had not been con victed of deceiving a Government department, the Public Service Com missioned told Cabinet, and therefore he could not be dismissed.

However, in accordance with

abinet’s wishes he implemented the >w policy and sent out dismissal )tices to 11 other public servants ho had, in the past, been convicted ! deceiving the Government.

Many of these men had served eir sentences years ago, and some Id very senior positions. Two were lated to the Prime Minister him- If.

A week later: • Captain Moors was still in his b; • Eleven public servants were eking legal advice; • The Public Service Association id called a meeting asking for an [planation of this “victimisation”; • Cabinet was looking for a way -it; • The public was having a good u gh; , . • General opinion was that in iture, politicians might think twice jfore victimising a critic or bringing alitical influence to bear on the üblic Service.

HWO weeks after the Court of L Appeal had found it had no irisdiction to deal with an appeal om Dr. Tapu Leota against his :ntence of four weeks’ imprisonment >r contempt of court, the Head of tate, Malietoa Tanumafili 11, suc ;ssfully brought the court into irther contempt by commuting the iol sentence to a fine of £5.

Dr. Tapu failed to appear when died as witness in a manslaughter ise.

He said that under heavy pressure E work he had forgotten the sum ions. The summons stated that if he died to appear he was liable to up ) six months’ gaol or a £5O fine.

HHE effects of the South Pacific L Games are still being felt in in -eased interest in sport in Samoa, stablished sports are flourishing.

Both Rugby and tennis this year ave had more participants than ever sfore, with Rugby extending on an rganised basis out to the villages for le first time on any scale, and a :cord 14 teams entered in the inter ub tennis championships.

The Western Samoa Amateur ports Federation is trying to get lore sports properly organised and iccess met their efforts in July to dablish a table tennis association. i DISTURBING picture of the a. economic needs of Western amoa over the next 20 years has een presented by UN economist .ndrew Gerakas.

In a synopsis of statistics largely rawn up by statistician Mrs. B. A. ►ahlborg, he highlights what die terms

the “revolutionary impact on the social and economic needs of the nation” of a two-and-a-half fold population increase to over 300,000 people by 1986.

Mr. Gerakas claims that to maintain the present level of employment, during the next 20 years, over £40,000,000 investment will be needed to create more than 50,000 jobs in industry and agriculture.

Based on current trends, between 1961 and 1986 about 26,000 males will have to be absorbed in village agriculture, and 17,000 employed in other industries. Another 10,000 jobs must be created for females.

In compiling his figures, Mr.

Gerakas reckoned on a low invest ment of £1,500 needed to create one job in industry. He said that this is about five times less than it takes on the average in the United States to create a job in manufacturing, Dealing with the three main ex ports of copra, cocoa and bananas he said that the vagaries of weather, pests, diseases and, in the case of copra and cocoa, world market fluctua tion of prices, are largely beyond the control of the producers or the Gov ernment.

“These factors result in the obvious conclusion that Western Samoa’s

evenues have a highly risky base,” aid Mr. Gerakas.

“This risky revenue position is acre acutely emphasised by the imited revenues it receives from the hree major crops ... A combina ion of unfortunate circumstances in weather, plant diseases, pests, and •oor world market prices for two or ven three of the major crops could esult in a financial crisis for the amoan nation.”

He said that his initial report sought d pose problems and ask questions ather than provide solutions. Specific ecommendations are to be made later bis year in his “Economic Develop icnt Programme for Western Samoa”.

Although his summary of problems 5 nothing new to Samoans, his pecific figures of £40,000,000 invest lent have surprised many by their lagnitude. After hearing talk of conomic development plans for the ast 10 years the public is waiting npatiently for the plan for action romised later this year.

When, three years ago, political opeful William Betham campaigned n a platform seeking £10,000,000 3r development, political incumbents :offed at his ideas. It now seems he fas a prophet before his time! f TSTENERS to local radio station Li 2AP pricked up their ears one lorning in July when an advertise nent came over for a dance at a few miles out of Apia.

The floor show, said the advertise lent, “featured a faafafjne group in fancy dance!” —in plain English, a ance put on by male homosexuals aking the female role.

Commented “Samoana” —“In the ands of the right agency this sort of bing could be built up into a tourist ttraction of the gayest sort!” 4 N ML A here says that with all the Swedish and Danish technical dvisers in Public Works, Health and Statistics “there are more squareheads o the square mile in Samoa than in ny other country outside Scandi iavia”.

This distant but growing connection /as cemented further in July when , bicycle was handed over to Dr. ‘elenato Sofia of Falelalili District Jospital.

The bicycle was bought by WHO *ublic Health expert, Dr. S. Harald on, from money given by the Rotary 2\ub of Mariestad, Sweden, of vhich Dr. Haraldson himself is a nember.

JUDICIAL history was made in Western Samoa on July 20 when three New Zealand Supreme Court judges sat on the first Court of Appeal since independence in January, 1962.

Before independence, appeals were heard by one judge but in accordance with the Constitution, three judges are now required and were supplied by New Zealand. They were Mr.

Justice Hutchison, Mr. Justice Mc- Gregor and Mr. Justice Gresson.

Heat precluded the wearing of wigs and gowns, but the court was

crowded throughout the week-long sitting on three cases.

MOST of the outside world is now as close to Western Samoans as their telephone. New Zealand, Fiji and Australia have had radio tele phone connections for some months and, on July 20, a commercial circuit was opened to Hawaii and the United States.

The first conversation was between Prime Minister Mataafa and Deputy Governor Richardson of Hawaii.