The Editors' Mailbag

"Distortions, Misinformations"

Sir, —I read with a great deal of misgiving your articles about us on American Samoa. I must say that you are quite prejudiced against us.

If you were not against us you would not have printed the distortions, mis information, innuendos, and, above all, sarcastic remarks.

Your last article “The Case Of The Missing Governor” (April, p. 23) is a prime example of the distortion that dominates your reporting about American Samoa. The article pre sented your feelings about our Gover nor, and the feelings of your “corres pondent” residing among us, and also the feelings of a very few disgruntled non-Samoans who have found it difficult to bring to reality their sel fish ambitions in business, politics, and other opportunities that rightfully belong to us Samoans.

The administration of Governor H.

Rex Lee has been the bulwark against the attempts by the outsiders who want to take what belongs to the Samoans.

Now let me tell you what the Samoans feel about their Governor, H. Rex Lee. On April 11, 1967, every Senator and every Representa tive of the Legislature of American Samoa affixed his signature to a Joint Resolution “expressing the confidence of the people of American Samoa in Governor Lee and requesting his re tention as Governor of American Samoa”.

The second paragraph of the above mentioned resolution states, in part, “The Legislature of American Samoa recognizes and appreciates the time and effort which the Honorable H.

Rex Lee has put forth both in and out of American Samoa to further the economic, social and political de velopment of American Samoa”.

The benefits derived by American Samoa from trips that Governor Lee made to Washington, DC, and to other places, is evident all over our islands. The economy of our islands has improved manyfold since Gover nor Lee came here six years ago.

People from other Pacific Islands are coming here in large numbers for jobs and better living conditions.

We fail to understand why you are so against American Samoa. We hope that some day you will give us a chance by reporting what we Samoans actually feel and what we think about our own government and our islands.

We appreciate your interest in try ing to understand our culture and make changes you think should be made. But please, let us make our own changes. We are quite aware of what is going on, and we are able to adjust to the better American Samoa that is resulting from it.

High Talking Chief

Lauvao-Lolo

Pago Pago, American Samoa. • PlM's report on "the missing governor’, which High Talking Chief Lauvao-Lolo finds a prime example of distortion, stated that Governor Lee was absent from American Samoa for about 200 days last year and had not spent a day in the territory in the first 12 weeks of this year. It was an independent report. After the story was printed, PIM received the official American Samoan "Daily Bulletin’ of March 22, which reported that the American Samoan Senate had voted down a bill to give the Acting Gover nor full powers when the Governor is absent from the territory for more than a month. The "Bulletin’ re ported that the bill claimed the Gov ernment of American Samoa was ‘‘im paired’’ and “neglected” in the Gov ernor’s absence, but quoted Acting Governor Owen Aspinall as saying he didn’t agree. The "Bulletin” added that High Talking Chief Lauvao-Lolo, president of the Senate, said he did not feel the majority of the senators favoured the bill originally, but he thought it at least "expresses the feel ing of the people about the prolonged absence of the governor”. Either High Talking Chief Lauvao-Lolo has changed his stand in the meantime, or he regards the "Daily Bulletin” item as a prime example of distortion also.

New Guinea Wage Case

Sir, —In the course of a generally reasonable article in your June issue on the local officers’ salary case, your Port Moresby correspondent made two remarks upon which 1 should like to comment.

Firstly, he felt predictions that the decision would mean “the end of arbitration in the territory” might be accurate. If they are, T suggest this would be a major set-back to the development of orderly industrial relations in Papua-New Guinea and could have bad effects for the country outside the realm of “industrial relations”.

Certainly the only people to prof from discontinuance of the industry arbitration system would be the larg scale employers, both public an private: the bargaining position c employees in the territory, bot indigenous and expatriate, bein weak vis-a-vis employers—as in Au: tralia the arbitration system coul act to correct the imbalance betwee contending parties to industrial di; putes.

Without an orderly and effectiv means of settling industrial problem even the employers’ profit woul probably be only short-term.

Secondly, having quoted a sul mission by the Administration i the case, your correspondent sorm what sarcastically says: “The PSi did its bit towards dispersing fee ings” by taking certain decision May I point out that in moves quit unconnected with the PSA, alread a thousand Papuans and Ne 1 Guineans have staged a march upo the Administrator’s office t demonstrate their dissatisfaction wit the judgment, and the signatures c over 1,200 indigenous public servan have been affixed to a petitio hinting at serious disillusionmei with the Australian Government.

The PSA decisions were take responsibly, and partly to sto development of more radical actio by Papuan and New Guinean publi servants, talk of which was and commonplace.

In reporting the decisions take by the PSA, owing to some ligl inaccuracies, your correspondei masked the real intent of thos decisions, which in fact were £ follows: 1. the association immediatel ask the Governor-General of th Commonwealth of Australia t disallow the decision of M Matthews. 2. That the Australian Governmer be asked urgently to authorize, £ an interim measure, payment c the increases awarded retrospectiv to the date of the decision. 3. That another arbitration claim b lodged, utilising the provisions c the Arbitration (Public Service Ordinance, for reference of th matter to a body of three men, th President of the Commonwealt Conciliation and Arbitration Con mission and two others to b

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nominated by him; that the whole transcript of the proceedings be submitted to this body for in vestigation and report; that this body have the opportunity of hearing submissions from the parties based upon the transcript of the previous proceedings, and that the Arbitrator act upon such report. 4. That the association urge the Aus tralian Government to support this attempt to use lawful procedures for a review of the decision. 5. That the association reaffirms its confidence in the system of inde pendent arbitration for Papua and New Guinea, but asks that a Public Service Arbitrator accept able both to the Minister for Ter ritories and to the Public Service Association be appointed without delay, and calls upon the Admin istration to introduce legislation enabling industrial cases of great importance in the territory to be heard by a bench of three ap pointed by the President of the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission. 6. That Mr. L. G. Matthews is no longer acceptable to this associa tion as Public Service Arbitrator for the territory. 7. That the association take all pos sible lawful means to have Mr.

Matthews’ decision reviewed.

J. G. Smith,

President.

Public Service Association of P-NG, Port Moresby.

Stamps For School

Sir, —I am requiring stamps in bulk of all Pacific territories—British Solomons, Nauru, Gilberts, Papua- New Guinea, New Caledonia, Norfolk, Fiji, Tonga, Cooks, Samoa, Tahiti also Australian commems and values from 6d (sc) onwards, and any foreign stamps. These can either be on or off paper and un damaged.

I sell these stamps and the pro ceeds I use to purchase school materials, I am a primary school teacher in charge of five schools— only three receive any help from the government. The funds I get are used to obtain materials for all schools— textbooks, aids, etc.

So any stamps will be gratefully accepted. Perhaps the many readers of PIM can assist.

Allen Soule

Anglican Mission, Aiome, via Madang, NG.