SAMOA

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 10 December 1927, Page 6

SAMOA

COMMISSION’S REPORT A LENGTHY DOCUMENT. SUMMARY OF FINDING. The Samoan Commission's report has been released by the Prime Minister (Bt. Hon. J. G. Coates). The Commission consisted of the Chief Justice (Sir C. P. Skerrett; and Mr C. E. MacCormick, a judge of the Native Land Court of New Zealand. The Commission was instructed to inquire into and report upon the toilowing questions:— 1. Whether, having regard to the duties undertaken by the Government of New Zealand under the said Mandate, there is just or reasonable cause for such complaints or objections. 2. Whether the Administrator ot the officials of the Administration have in any manner exceeded their duty in the exercise of the authority entrusted to them respectively, or have failed to exercise their respective function honestly and justly. 3. Whether, having regard to the Samoan native customs, and to the due maintenance of government and order in the Mandated Territory, it would be prudent and safe to wholly repeal and abrogate all power to require a Samoan to remove for a definite period from one place on the islands to anotber. The report is a very lengthy one, and goes into detail of the history of Samoa. A summary of the report is a» follows:— 1. Prohibition of Liquor.—The Commission finds that this is statutory and that the Administrator was bound to enforce it. They consider the matter, therefore, out of the scope of the inquiry. 2. Sale of Native Copra.—Tho Commission finds that the native nao had to be content with the price the traders chose to pay him. There was no real competition. The Samoan producer was helploss. If he did not accept the traders’ fixed price he had practically no other mean.) of disposing of his product. One other circumstance is of great importance. The traders made it a rule to pay one price only, whatever the quality or condition of the product, provided only it would pass the Government Inspector as fit for export. The Samoan producer had no incentive to exercise care and attention in the preparation and drying of bls copra, fhn better the quality of his copra, the more the profits of the traders wore enhanced. It may well be that a change of system in the direction of paying a better price for increased quality might have involved difficulties for trader: but it is clear that the trader had no inducement to alter the system with which he was weii content. There appears no reason io believe that the copra produced in American Samoa was of better quality than that produced in Western Samoa. The quantity available for exnort. from tho first-mentioned Territory was about 600 tons, as against 12,000 tons in Western Samoa. The Commissioner think that the results have shown that the Samoans are quite capable of producing a high-grade copra which will commend a good price in European mar. kefs. Tho sale of copra Is the only way by which they can provide themselves with ready cash, and the obtaining of a good price for copra will, therefore, be a very desirable thing •for them. The Commissioners arrived at the conclusion that the system adopted by the Administrator was a pure measure of policy, and did not come within tho scope itielr inquiry.

3. Charge of Extravagance.—The Commissioners state that nothing was elicited in evidence to justify them in thinking that the Administration was overstaffed or overpaid or otherwise extravagant. The report on which the charges were based was so full of errors as to be useless as supporting the conclusions of its authors. Tho charges against the Medical Department were withdrawn, but the Commissioners express high approval of its work. 4. The Mau.—The Commissioners state that there was no real dissatisfaction amongst the Samoans with the Administration until the public meeting. Oct 13, 1926. They disuccsed Mr Nelson’s conduct in relation to the Administration and that they think it properly subject to animadversion. They state that the Mau had two objects; firstly, to secure selfgovernment for the Samoans; and secondly, to frustrate and render ineffective' the functioning of the Administration. Between Oct., 1926 and June, 1927, there was an orgonis ed campaign to spread the purposes of the Mau. The Natives recognised Mr Nelson as the head of the organisation, but he denied that ho was concerned in it. Evidence of his intervention would be difficult to ob tain.

5. Appointment of Falpuies.—The charges that the fairpules were appointed without consulting the people of the district and that they were not qualified under native usage are do clared to bo without foundation. 6. The Medical Tax.—The Commissioners arc of opinion that the tax was imposed with the general consent of the natives and that the medical treatment which has been provided has proved a blessing to them. 7. Banishment Craers. —Tho practice of banishment is an old native custom and was in use by the Germans during their rule of the islands. The Commissioners find that the Administration has not exercised the power without doe process and without hearing the defendant in his defence. After the orgnlsatlon cf the Mau, the Administration was faced with'a trying position. Each step taken was countered by the committee of the Mau. Resort was then had to banishment. Fifty individuals were affected. Forty-two were ordered to return to their homes from Apia, and eight to remove to other villages than their home villages. Some orders were to continue in force for three, some for twelve months. Thirty-nine of the orders were disobeyed and it was found advisable not to enforce them. The orders were made after proper inquiry and no objection can be taken to them. There is no demand on tho part of tho Samoans that tho power should be repealed. It would not he prudent to repeal it, but it ought to be exercised with caution.

8 Legislative Council.—-The sugges tion that the Samoan and elected re-

presentatives on the Council should equal in number the nominated members appears to the Commissioners to be unwise and dangerous. The cast-ing-vote of the Administrator as President of the Council is insufficient they say, to give that stability to kis policy "which it ought to possess. He would have responsibility without power. The danger that the native representatives might fall under the influence of the elected members is. in their opinion, real, and should "be constantly borne in mind. Indeed, they doubt whether it would be possible to procure a man of selfrespect and reputable standing to accept the administratorship of the Territory under conditions which might render him practically powerless to say, subject to the supervision of Parliament and of the Minister, wnat the policy of the Adiministration is to be. Under such a system he would soon lose his authority and influence with the Samoans. The suggestion that whenever the Administrator should in the reformed Council exercise his casting-vote the matter as to which it is exercised should be referred to the Minister in New Zealand for final determination is, in the Commissioners’ opinion, unworthy of consideration. Such a system would be wholly impracticable.