DISCONTENTED SAMOA.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 752, 26 February 1910, Page 13

DISCONTENTED SAMOA.

//OFFICIALDOM AND if? TAXES,, : ;;: ? -^}^§iDENT^:PBTITIbN., [': ,' "'.(Byj/Telcgrajli.-rßpcbial'Oorrespohdent.) , ~'if:;'"Ky ■;:;■;',:.;.■!;.;::.•'Auckland,' February-25. ' ■ In,.reference'-.t0.-^tte;.'babied.- advice .of the petition ;to tho Iteichstag by Samoan' a "copy of the petition '• his now ,'poHtibners, stat^ : thatjthe:hopes cherished, ■ten years' ago ..that, a ,ihore;/peaceful and prosperous / period 'of developnient' would set in : have not been.;realised. 1 /-The petition.continues;.- inter;alia-.-r:-.-. ./. ■'.;'", y.-

",: "Teh -years ago, when -the German flag was"; raised, : most''-of ;■tho believed that / there -.would ; come, ; a ..■peaoe-fril-'and •'prosperous/advancement.; . These expectations s have'so far.-:'only.:been.par-.tially;"achieved. of the settlers:nbw.livirig in ■ Samba believe, ■that :;most ; unsound■.'-.conditions : rule ■. in these'islands I'and'ithat .measures taken .by, the 'Administration /^ate,:!: : ind?have .been,, ■.oppressive. and;unprbfitaliie, \ and,have re : ness/ofvthe .'colony.'/-The; of '^■'.''wlutoiresidenti:"'bdie7e''-ttat. , ;m|uiy ; of: the '.ordinances/ issued: :by ; the'; Admin-■istration',have."been;-more';.or.'lris 'useless .'and'/oppressive.-.v/Ifrthß'./Eeiohstag. have : ,deoided. : that : .Samoau'mustXßuppbrt/'its :byn''Adm^Bfeation , 4b«' : (i)aiabitßnta'- i ac-"; 'cept^this• ::with;:.'alacrityi: 'as ; ■ it ■iiVeafr./ioi, accomplishment,.:-.^nt..;.it:-is, 'hig ; ijy.-'desirable 'that/the : "cplonists.may have,:,/as; far Iras / possible, '"> the/-, right '.to .govern;.themselyes. I:Those ,whb/-pay/the' rates ":ought;tb'.''cbn'trol;; thei; expenditures. .This:if:the-/chief r/desirei of (thie; petitionersand.;mbst .of;.the. inhabitants of • the ,'coK: ,bny.;:~-,;t:v ; :r/^ ; *'-^'i' ;: - ''■ i -.' ,: '- *-V: v: r '■■■ ''■■■

• ■'-•■ "We find■that we '. have 'no: voice in ■ the ; of the■ taxes,'and that,'we; do ,'riot even learii .how .the.-.money has: beon'-'dißposed.of. v.Exolndinjf , the ,, official ■members, the Government'Council,.which. , ihasionlyf an;advisory vote, consists .of •fi.v.o '■ 'planters -and'- a.■ merchant, who'does not '• speak ; .Germari." i" This' cpnncil;,with?lim- ; ited "p'owers and : as" how constituted, does.' not 'represent rthe imajprrty: of;.the ■.taxpayers or their "wishes/' Wβ may say that i this , . council; represents : .the interests of a certain .firm- whose: desires, /differ very'rinuch'from -those ma-,; jority of:the'colonists;"' We-belieye:that: the''Gpvernpient.'.Cotinoil ;ought.';to. : be; :peripdically : elected-:by?.the; , ratepayers? irom whom ~ , ; .should emanate,,and; the meetings of thisVcouncil*; should^W'h'public. >:<•.'. ■■We r . 1 think, ,: '-''.councili ;il should .' "■arrange." the :■; taxation,; , . and ■'' ,ithe. Budgeti U and ■bry. j': yoice.M in: v connection Awith-Jnatiyo, affairs. 'As.other.'.German-!colonies'. who do-not isnpport ■ themselves already;;havt '6elf-government,..we j: feel^,that ; ;.we i.may; 'justly olaini- that ; w.e Jbo may.'enjoy these 'priyfleges;j\- •JFrom - such■/ ' self-govenunent we .'certainly,; would-■ expect'"good - resulta. 1 . ■'01' .the; 435' white pppidation' of; Samoa,- 38 . : of 'these; are 'Govenimentrofficialsi: while -in.thej : year" 1902,Iwith. abput' 'the'..samo'. •number "ofi.whites i and .riativeSj',there were ,6rJy. 20".white ;pfficials..:::lf ■'.we; had. had; .self-government;: the , ,: taiationrlaw.''lately I , promnlgated: ppuld; not, have .beeniissued.' iecauso of'the iniustice'of ..this ■taxation, '.against: ; which .we ;stronglyV-Jprotestj ■ •"•a, ~traders'.association-has'>been formed. This :sody:vrepresentß;;;three-fourths';,' of l\:the: capital;which'-is invested in business en-, ;terp'rises '.- .German'.-Samoa'/:. the-i ; Deutches /.-Handel' ; ; and, "■'jHantage'n 1 Gessellschait," ■ atid" bthera'''.;influenoed i: > by |;,them,: .the;,assdciation.i "represents '-92; per: .cent: of "the 'capital employed: l in business '■ in : Samoa , . ? The MyOOO-nabve residents in ■ Samoa.pay. (ISO.pOQ is about fourjmarla ;per i head, ;but; £rbm ; : 40,000 ;: to" ; _ 50,000. ■marsa:'6f',ttu ,; jbUeotion,;,M'paid. ;back td'thb':natiyes' in' : the''form'of'salar-': -■ ies of: native • officials, ..and '.a further r'sum •. of 36,000 marta'is also >paid back to'them: ■i6r::-'tte!-%atiye';tro6ps. i !',"Tne\-ieenite.m'ents;-;of ■ the', Sajnoan'-for? domestic , "'pnrti'oses3are'.' .trMing,^whileithbse,:pf v heavy. s':The!hatiye':'peoplei"pay, , , an,- .'ex-' I.ceedin'gly.,': small" proportionate ':.■■■. share the'Jiinporti'revenuesi l, are"'.'43s' l : .wHt^ v -tered'ae whites: jThese, together:pay.>9B,ooo 'marksjf;including ',the house 1 ' and/- -other taxes/ arid this' , ambunts'tb 117.-: marks per head.v ;There • are 65;'missibnaries, who 'pay butla trifle,' and 41 : officials, who also , pay butf little;' triflingly assessed, /It is found that,theVhple, iveight. I of. Vthe"'. taxation fis; practically'-'borne iby ■the ';merchant.;and:'■'commercial"•'element:. :Such:distihction"ei as' in this ■assessment/.would in: .Germany/; v:;. , >'■:•:'' '■■%',■ ;: ; >>'v(i. ," '■ :<'"lt ; 'M very-'hardvfbr.: &• young■ ■ colony,. ; where, the :'.eiitorpris!3/are'still-' in ■' their,infancy,: to.set out but': ■still •(we ■ aro':of 'opinion i.tnat'- this': cai' be fan'd' exjiended; l ■ •Wβ' .now ■' propose '-'an V'ex-.port''tax;-dh,; produce,:?as, formerlyr and thpugh'-we:aror ; awafe .that','the';'Gennan Government- did;'npt ,: approve -iiis'-impost •fprVNew; Guinea; ■■Wβ ■ppint'bu't. that .here ; 'M""-,S^pa;--j^e:VcondiHpnS:W- , -7ery.vdiiIerT, enti'as .'coconuts-'- haye;- : long'. been.' , grown,'' 'and?, these-.plantatdbnai are ■/now' iheavy .dindends; '-The:;■Deutches:'"Handel 'and :.- Plantagen' ■'s; Gessellsohaft;.'pay.-> the :largest.:share of .their handsbmeldivide'nds. ;from' the: output 'of i their^plantations' and theiprpfits I'therebn: 1 ! ■ An.;expbrt'' tax :-oncopra - would '• produce : from ■ ,80,000 'marks .' to ■ 1,000,000: marks; per annum if '.levied at , ; 10 marks',per ]ton.yt\f>:/.:^v^x.; , ;•.■■•,-■:. )\ ?yi:"Tlie; time'• has ■'now arrived when .the .interests \ of ■' the '.Deutsches' i : Htodel- - : and' Plantagen Gessellschaft ■ ought not to: take : precedence' of "the' best , ', interests' of ■ Ger- ■ .man; Samoa'.;.-; , ' If t this company > has ever' at;: any';: time '• '■/ performed' -, any' "services, .which; the ■ Empire: has felt.- grateful: for; ;the;,Empir'e ■' haa; "dischhrged .'those: ; bbliga- . tions in. full .favours ihnumerable'i'and-,onerous. '':\ Any further cpncesnbns-or favours are granted at the' expense ''-.of "■ other.: cobnista 'and- the., best' /prospects': of itbffwhole'colonyiJ'OurJchief .complaint: has ..been .against :•; the ■■ over-. : government; \ and i:the" , retrospective ; 'f taxes Jeyied.Vbut .fielf-cbntrpliat, this -end 1 ,:is 'fe'ally : .bur; .main;.desire,';and ■Wβ';honestly; ;think thebest arid/the easiest of all cures' 'for: our., present. disordered; State." ;i .■ \ '