SAMOAN AFFAIRS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 172, 7 August 1937, Page 7

SAMOAN AFFAIRS

Our Own Correspondent.)

Little Work Accomplished at Chiefs* Meeting DEPUTATION TO WELLINGTON

(From

t APIA, July 22. After sitting for over two months the fono of faipules adjourned last Friday withOut having accomplished any work of great benefit to Samoa. The main question seemed to be tbe rate of pay the faipules were to recOive. In tbis they disagreed strongly with tbe finding of tbe New Zealand Government. In fa&t, wbenever the reply to a remit did not coincide with tbe native idea it yas voted to be wrong and the Administrator or the Secretary of Native Affairs was blamed for having advised the Government to that effect. The faipules are so. disappointed with the rulings from New Zealand that a delegation is to go to Wellington to give xeasons why these decisions should be reversed. The nlembers of tlie deputation will probably be Mr O. F. Nelson, MiBs Nelson, tbe Hon. Tamasesse and Alipia. Tbe Legislative Council met last week and tbree new members were welcomed by the Administrator. They were Messrs. A. Mackenzie, director of education, C. E. Quinn, acting secretary to the Administration, and Namulau'ulu Tivoli, who succeeds the Hon. Maliatoa, who recently resigned. The native members are the Hons. Tamasesse, Tuala Tolo and Namulau'ulu Tivoli. The fourth position is being kept vacant in the hope that the New Zealand Government will allow Mr O. F. Nelson to be selected. The faipules have already made that requeSt, but the reply was a decided negative unless Mr Nelson resigns his European status and becomes a Samoan. Five bills were dealt with by the council, n^mely, the Land and Survey Amendment, High Court Fees Amendment, Dog, Registration Amendment, Hevenue Amendment, and the Native Lands and Titles Ordinance. The last named provide.s that the commission now be called the Native Land and Titles Court, and that native Judges, not exceeding three0 be appointed ffom time to time by the Administrator for a term of three years. "During the debates the Hon. Tamasesse objeeted to the inclusion of the words "Crown" and Sovereign." He wished to have tliem deleted and the term ''Samoan Government" substituted. His contention was that Samoa was not.a British possession but a rnaiidate.