We are being swept off our feet... "

“The pressure of the new needs i the new desires, and the influx an alien way of life are creating number of new problems. And my of us, I am sure, are not pre ed, either by training or tempera nt, to face these new problems. ‘We are being swept off our feet,. . e pity of it is that many of us do ; fully realise what is happening. ..”

Lolo said he thought that the tai system, more than anything ich could be devised, could do the t job in holding the Samoans to iler. ‘The matai system could stop de juency, which is growing,” he said, believe that the increase in crime resulted from the weakening of matai system in the villages. In old days, the chiefs made laws ich kept the people in line because people had respect for the chiefs. i Government must capitalise on matai system.” mlo’s sentiments were voiced by er leading Samoans on many asions during Governor Lee’s n, but it was only towards the end his six years that the governor ned to take full heed of the effect numerous innovations had had the Samoans.

"Don't abandon culture"

n a number of speeches made is last few weeks as chief executive, /ernor Lee repeatedly urged the loans to hold fast to their own litions. d the Heart of Polynesia tourism ference in Apia in May, for ex ile, he urged that the islands aid not sacrifice their dignity and tage for the sake of tourism.

There are some types of tourism would pervert and downgrade people,” he said. “No industry enterprise is worth this price.” ack in American Samoa he said •h the same sort of thing, right he moment when he boarded his ic for home.

The Governor’s parting words to islands echoed dozens of speeches had made,” the territory’s official vs Bulletin reported on July 17. sentially, he pleaded with the mans not to abandon their ancient tage and time-honoured culture.” is probably too late now for Samoans to fully repair the dam to their social system and culture has accompanied their dramatic erial advances of the past six - s. ut the indications are that Gov

ernor Lee’s successor and former deputy, Mr. Owen S. Aspinall, will concentrate far more on the social side of things than Governor Lee did in his time. Now that the material things are there he can, of course, afford to.

Governor Aspinall, who was sworn in in Washington on August 1, is married to the daughter of a Samoan chief. He outlined his policy in an interview with the Samoa Times early in July.

“In the past,” he said, “there has been a tendency to take power away from the chiefs. Now we want to give it back. We want to strengthen village government by giving it con trol of things which are a village

problem. Only a Samoan born and raised can really understand many of these problems. ‘The Government also cannot forever pick up the bill for water and sewerage systems for villages.

This has to do with village affairs, so what we want to do is put these matters under village control; show the chiefs how it is done, and then give them authority to contract and do the work.”

Governor Aspinall said the broad goals facing American Samoa were still essentially the same as they were when Governor Lee arrived— economic development to the point where the territory was as self-suf ficient as possible and social develop ment to the point where the best of American and Samoan cultures were

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retained “and perhaps the worst dis solved.”

“It is hard to say whether American Samoa will ever become independent economically,” the new governor said. “This will depend on what can be done with tourism.

“Many tourists complain to me that there is nothing for them to do here except sit under a palm tree.

Obviously, facilities will have to be provided.

“Tourism can be a problem and a heavy influx of visitors could dam age Islands life. But I think that if we maintain our immigration pro cedures, and even strengthen them, we can weather that storm.

“We cannot hope to retain the culture of Samoa intact throughout the development ahead, but I do feel that the Samoan culture offers some aspects, such as the communal family relationship and the ability to pull together when in trouble, which we can maintain.

“The struggle to maintain these things will be hard, but it can be done.”