ADMINISTRATION OF SAMOA

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22508, 16 September 1938, Page 12

ADMINISTRATION OF SAMOA

Complaints of Lack

Of Information

AMENDING BILL

PASSED

Provisions Said To Be

Dangerous

[From Our Parliamentary Reporter.]

WELLINGTON, September 15. Complaints that conditions in Samoa to-day were far from satisfactory, and that the House had been given too little information on New Zealand’s most important mandate, were made in the House of" Representatives today by. Opposition speakers in the second reading debate on the _ Samoa Amendment Bill. The provisions of the bill, it was stated, undermined the powers of the Administration,. and might be dangerous. ■ “Th,is bill will give to the Samoan people some' amendments in the laws that they have been asking for, said the Minister in charge of the bill, the Hon. F. Langstone. “Various repugnant ordinances and orders-in*councii are repealed.” _ The Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates (National, Kaipara): Repugnant to whom? . Mr Langstone: Repugnant to the Samoans. They are chafing against some of the repressive laws, Faipules at present were selected by the Samoans, in accordance with faamoan customs, said Mr Langstone, and then were confirmed in their office by' the administrator. In practice, this worked smoothly; but the administrator also had the right to refuse .appointment, or to appoint someone himself He might appoint someone the Samoans did not like The amendment gave the Samoans the right to have their appointees confirmed, as lon 0 as they were selected ■ according to Samoan custom. The clause dealing with faipules was an attempt to understand the Samoan point of view. . Another clause, said the Minister, amended the law so that P ers °£f, °? Samoan blood could not be brought to New Zealand for imprisonment Exile and deportation were also abolished. “Delegates from the Samoan people were in New Zealand some months ago,” said the Minister, and asked for the legislation that is contained in this bill ’ “Authority Weakened” The clause dealing with the appointment of faipules said the Hon J. u Cobbe • (National, Oroua), definitely limited the hold of the administrator It was possible before to refuse to aDDoSit a faipule if he was considered unsuitable: 'but now, apparently, agitators and’other trouble makers nominated had to be appointed. The 30911 tion of banishment and the abolition of the right to imprison Samoans in New Zealand would also mean Ahat, with the primitive prison ments of the islands, agitators could continue their activities uncheck.id “The bill lessens authority of the Administrator,” said M F Cobbe. _ Th laws have been described as re P u f nant; blit all laws are repugnant..to those who come into conflict th M?"j. Hargest (National. Awarua)' I am disappointed that the Min ister has not taken. this opportunity of telling us something of the cond tions of the islands. M The Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. m. J Savage): Surely this bill is not the place to talk on Samoa. Mr Hargest: Where else can we. Mr Savage: Well, you have had a re M?H«|S!°Tb.t said little, except about the commerce of Santaa. I would like to know whether th® admimstra tor is to be permanently appointed. _ The Prime Minister; What has that got to do with it? I

Administrator’s Position "There are a. lot of things, we would like to know,” said Mr Hargest. Is Mr Turnbull to be a temporary official all his official life? We would like to know what the conditions of , the people are. Reports -have come t New Zealand in the last few months that have been very disquieting. _lt is said that discipline among the Samoans is now non-existent. At all functions where’ the official police. turn out the Mau police turn out also, and there is thus a kind of dual control. The Mau, it is said, is stronger than ever, and takes upon itself the tion of providing for law and order, a very dangerous situation may easily ar »lt* is stated that the whites in Samoa are very far from satisfied with the present control,” said Mr Hargest. “Respect for the whites is disappearing I feel I must mention these matters, so that the Minister may tell us what is the true position. The Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes (National, Hurunui) said that the removal of the power of deportation weakened the control of the Administration. It was most necessary to have this power, because undesirable whites might easily become a bad influence and lower the respect of the Samoans lor the Europeans. It was, of course, necessary to give the Samoans some share in the government of their country; but not in a way that would bring them into conflict with the Administration. Mr J. O’Brien (Government, Westland) said that there was a better way of governing Samoa than by harsh laws the natives did not understand. The attempt to bend the Samoans to the will of the Administration had failed. Mr Forbes: When you took over, Samoa was quiet. Now the situation is disturbing. Mr O’Brien: When we took over, 95 per cent, of the people belonged to the Mau.

Mr Hargest: They still do. Mr O’Brien: Yes. But now they are co-operating with the Government. “There has been enough repression,” said Mr O’Brien. “If you can get the Samoan to understand that you are trying to help him, he will co-operate. Discontent has been _ mentioned. Of course, there is discontent. The Samoan now works, and works well, for 4s a day, where he got 2s before, and there is discontent among those who have to pay the difference. Mr Coates: Political stuff.,.

The Mau police were helping to keep order, Mr O’Brien continued. Those who still, believed in the regime of the last Government wete trying to stir up strife against the present Government. There were 300 whites and 52,000 Samoans, and the administration had to consider the interests of the majority.

In reply, the Minister said that the Samoans were a very kind and considerate ■ people, with whom the missionaries had had ho trouble. The Government was taking a leaf from the missionaries’ book in its method of approach to the natives. The bill was evidence of the good faith of the people of New Zealand. Some of the laws that it was proposed to amend did not operate in practice; but the Samoans were fearful that they might at any time be applied, and it was therefore unnecessary to retain them. “From my observations,” said the Minister, “the Mau police were able

to be useful in keeping roads clear and in directing traffic. They are similar to the police appointed by the Maoris at their functions. The controller of the unofficial police is a very respected man. and I am sure would co-operate with the official police.

“The trouble is that, we made too much of our ideas about the administration of Samoa in .the first place.” said the Minister in conclusion. Too much money was spent, and the prestige of whites was placed on too high a basis. The Samoans complain of the disparity. This bill is simply to do away with some of the repressive laws that chafe the Samoans. It is welcomed by the administration and by the Samoans themselves/’,-

The bill was put through the remaining stages and passed.