INDEPENDENCE OF PEOPLE OF WESTERN SAMOA

Chronicle (Levin), 21 October 1947, Page 5

INDEPENDENCE OF PEOPLE OF WESTERN SAMOA

WELLINGTON, Oct. 20. Legislation will be introdueed during the present session of Parliament to give eft'ect to certain of the Governnient's pronosals for a constitut.iona.I

ehange in Western Samoa, said the Prime Alinister, Alr. Eraser, tonight. These proposals were announeed in the House of Representatives on Ajigust 27 by Alr. Xash. , Alr. Fraser re'ferred to the repoVt of tlie United Nations Alission to Western Samoa, a summary of which was published reeently, and said .the Government was gratified to find that the report did not differ on any fundamental issues from the proposals announeed by Alr. Nash. There were differences in the detailed reeominendations but these were few and relatively unimportant. The Alission 's report would c 0111c before the Trusteeship Council in November but could not reeeive U.N.O. 's fmal approval until the 1948 session of the General Assembly. It was not desirable to liold up the proposed constitutional changes for this length of time and the Government, therefore, proposed to give effect to as many as possible of them during the current session. These would include the establishinent of a Council of State, changes in the composition of the loeal legislature and the transfer to it of increased powers and responsibilities. There were other desirable steps to be taken which required further discussion with the Sainoan people, including the establishment of a system of local government and the creation of an independent public service authority for Samoa to replace the present eontrol by the New Zealand Public Service Conimission. These measures would be embodied in a further aniendment to the Samoa Act next year. Alr. Fraser said. some time ago a joint committee representative of the Public Service Conmiission and . New Zealand Public Service Association, vvas appointed to report to the Commission 011 salaries and general conditions in the Sainoan public service. As a ehange in eontrol would not be effeetive for 12 months, the committee would diseharge its task and its recommendations would be available to the new public service authority when it begins to function, The committee, cousisting of Alessrs A. G. Kodda, of the Public Service Conimission staff (chainnan), C. H. Quin, chief clerlc of the Island Territories Department, J. Turnbull, general secretarv of the Public Services Association, left for Apia by air last Saturday.