CONDITIONS IN SAMOA

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 114, 11 February 1928, Page 10

CONDITIONS IN SAMOA

Sir, —It must be known by now that the repressive measures adopted by the New Zealand Government in furtherance of its aggressive policy in Samoa have utterly tailed. The Samoan people are firmer than ever in their uniteu stand tor liberty and justice. The New Zealand Government wilt have to change its tactics and pursue a more humane policy. It is the duty or the New Zealand people to assist then; Government in the formation of such a policy. To do this effectively it will be necessary for them to know the truth of the whole situation. But the official propaganda which is being issued by Government officials from Samoa, on furlough in New Zealand, only befogs the issue and confuses the people as it is misleading. Mr. Penketh, of the Samoan Public Works Department, now comes forth with a new line of attack on the Citizens’ Committee. In an interview which appeared in The Dominion of yesterday moaning, he stated: — “It is well known in the Islands that the real cause of unrest was the ambition of a small coterie who had as its slogan, 'Samoa for the Samoans,’ and who resented their dreams of kingship being disturbed by New Zealand taking over the government of the islands.” It seems to me that if this official propaganda is to continue the Civil servants who come to New Zealand should be consistent and follow one line of argument. Mr. Penketh proves by his statement that he does not know what he is talking about. If he had taken the trouble to inform himself he would have found that the slogan ‘Samoa for the Samoans’ originated with General Richardson, and so far as I know he still claims full credit for it. The idea of self-government for the Samoans was first introduced by the Royal Commission. Neither of these was ever an object of the Citizens’ Committee, and until they were ordered to cease activities with the Mau, these were not even considered by the latter. If the Samoans now aspire to “selfgovernment” and adopt the slogan “Samoa for the Samoans," it is only a natural development of the mishandling of the whole matter by the authorities. “Self-government" is, however, said to be the ultimate intention of the mandate, so there seems to be no reason why constitutional representation towards attaining it is considered "rebellious,” as was applied to it at the Royal Commission. Mr. Penketh seeks credit for the administration from the fact that the Samoans save one-third the cost to themselves of water-supply systems by supplying the manual labour. It is hoped the time will soon come when the Samoans can supply the skilled labour as well for such work. Mr. Penketh states “The Samoans are very clean in their bodies and homes,” ami “before the Mau became active the villages were all kept scrupulously clean.” One of the effects of the Mau, he says, was that “the plantations had gone back a good deal.” The Mau grew partly because of the interference of the Administrator with the old customs of the Samoans. Now if the Samoans are naturally clean as a people, how on earth can a local national movement such as the Mau tend to make them unnaturally unclean?

The banana ship was due to arrive in Samoa last October and not next March. The Samoans never believed in the prospects of working up a banana industry. It is fortunate for the Administration to have the Mau to blame for the failure of an industry which, as far as the Samoans are concerned, would never have been started in any case.—l am, etc.. O. F. NELSON. Wellington, February 9.