SAMOAN POLICE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 181, 27 April 1920, Page 8

SAMOAN POLICE

"AN UNWELCOME FORCE"

RETURN OF SUB-INSPECTOR BODDAM

- • When the •Parliamentary party visited Samoa, recently residents of Apia took . the opportunity'of criticising tho action Of'thirNdvrZealand Government in dis- | patching a force of constabulary to tho territory.. .. It': was represented that a strong, expensive forco was not warranted, and the visitors were assured »that native constabulary, with the pre- | sent'officers, was more conducive to the a peacs and . safety of Samoa. A mem- ■ • bor of the .committee; who interviewed 'the Parliamentarians,stated,that> iio- ,. body .knew what the members of tho I forop. found to do. /He 'also-complained that ■ they were not! officially informed of the decision to send police from New Zealand. In ( the course of his reply, Sir James ' Allen said that announcing the dispatch ' • of constabulary would have meant the ; ■ : disclosure of' the. intention of the ! ;i ' : evacuation of the Expeditionary , Force, ; which was not desirable. jffio Goverh- . ment anticipated tho onstabulary would bo welcome as the first definite act . marking the reversion to civil adminis- ■ ' tration. '- He,added: "Though you may ' . not see a good reason for sending the : constabulary to Samoa, the New 7ea- '■■■' land Government does see a reason whioh at the present moment I am not , at liberty to disclose." : ..' Early in January, Judge E. W. Gurr, who had been a resident of Samoa for

35 years, during a, considerable portion ' . of which he acted as the chief authority i. for the United States, passed ;some (.■ strictures in Auckland regarding tho l- Sanioan constabulary. The force, he • considered, would bo of no practical ;v ■ usel, -but a source of unrest and suspicion amongst the whites and natives, who would Te&fot the attitude taken up by New Zealand in presuming such an appointment "necessary. ■ In: ordinary /police supervision, servioe of process, or arrest, the white police'were not rei quired. New Zealand could safely rely , on Samoans .to perform police..duties as [ ■ efficiently as whites. , Onei chief of ' police and two white assistants would ; > /be sufficient for tho white_ inhabitant and to control 'native police. As ; question of financial economy the appointment of 70 police would produce ' 'dissatisfaction. Samoans had always objected to their taxes being paid to white officials. The cost' and pay:' of ' these men would be a charge on the ! . . island revenues. 1 After paying this ' police force and other officials and employees from New Zealand'.there would, bo littlo available cash for public works, :>■ ■' education, and hospitals out of' an apP proximate ' revenue of £60,000.. per - ant\- Mm, for .British'Sninoa. • f . The Samoan Gonstabulary left New Zealand last December, and consisted of , 35 mounted and 35 foot police. The "force was commanded by \ Major J. C.Hill, his rank being that of Inspector', v General, the other officers being: Inr i . 6pector, Captain G. Prictor j sub-inspec- ' , tors, Captain W. Watson', M.C., and: Mr. i T. W. Boddam, formerly chief detective , in 'Wellington. The force was made up | : .' of.one . senior sergeant, six sergeants, r - . and 69 constables, most of the latter be- ; ing returned soldiers. The term of. en- ; ,liatment is three years,• and the pay is . New Zealand police rates,' plus tropical i allowance. ~ ; - Addressing the force before it left New

Zealand. Sir James Allen remarked that ; ; the 'constabulary wcro the first evidenco of the great change that was being made in Samoa. The Samoans were a.peculiar, people, but they would learn to know them-better after they; had been there for some time. We had'a great responsibility towards them, and in that we were responsible to the League of Na'tions./to whom, we had to report every ; yearX The League of Nations would watch ns very closely. It was our-first experiment •in government beyond: our own shores; we were told that we could--1 not do it, and we wanted to prove that ■ we could do it with success. He wished to point out to them -that they as the ■■■:. constabulary would be a most: important i ' factor in the administration, of..Samoa. They were going there as the representatives of the Britisfy race, to be trustees •• of the-natives to maintain justice in all t times and difficulties. They would come ; , ' closely into contact with the Samoan 1 v ' people—he was not so much concerned ' . ! about the whites as about the natives— and ho appealed to them to look upon themselves,.first as the instrument of • New -Zealand, and in carrying out their duties,'to'act with dignity, calmly, and , firmly; "The natives respected the digv l ' nifled man, they should always be dig- : , nified. -Ho wanted to see them a fine, ■upstanding body of men, typical of the British race,, and the best New Zealand could, produce. If they did that they, wonld the New Zealand Government very Materially in laying the foundations of civilisation there. Whatever

representations they had .to mate should S -be made to the Administrator, and they would always receive consideration. They ivere;Koing from here ivith, a very special: mission;' "My message to you is '■' this,", concluded Sir James Allen, "I Jook to you specially to uphold the honour of New Zealand, and to lay the .foundations of the civil administration :.'i/ iiere'-ivith,'preat success." ' • °"Mr.'Boddam, who held the . rank'of .sub-inspector- in the Samoan Constabulary,- returned to Wellington last Saturday. . Prior' to his departure from Apia,, he "was the recipient of a token of , esteem by.tlie members of the force, ' : anil the white residents also took the tfpjSortunity to bid ,him farewell. Mr. > Boddam wob approached by a Dominion ! ' representative yesterday and Mked if he i ' could throw, any light on affairs respecting the", .constabulary, but lie replied . that he preferred to say nothing at all.