IN SAMOA

Hokitika Guardian, 10 July 1928, Page 4

IN SAMOA

The unrest in Samoa formed the theme of several of the speakers in the Legislative Council on Thursday. The Hon. TV. 11. Triggs, who devoted the greater part of nil hour to the subject, said the public did not appear to realise the seriousness of the rris.’s that had arisen in Samoa and existed to-day. Tile Samoans were a loveable people in many ways, but they were warlike and suspicious, and easily excited to acts of violence by unscrupulous agitators who might, play upon their feelings. He -traced the history of Samoa for more than one hundred years, during which time there hail been continual warlike Isturhnii: os' among the natives themselves or between them and white icoplc. He did ibis to show what r viwdc r m ignzin - Samoa was, and how .Ir Nelson an V his associates had ap Tied a match by tliejp agitation, which was res; ousjbio the present crisis. "Tx* demand of en ta'n New Zealan politicians that the Samoan people should he given full political rights was not to lye thought of, and in any case was at variance with the terms of the mandate under which New Zealand administered the territory. Undoubtedly the New Zealand Government had discharged its trust faithfully and well. Mr Nelson and his associates had worked subtly and secretly to spread distrust and dissatisfaction among the natives, and unhappily they had done their work in a very thorough manner. Matters were still far from satisfactory, and if they continued so, the Samoan people would he faced with ruin, ilr Triggs said it was the duty of a really patriotic Opposition to assist the Government in such a crisis. Instead of that, the Leader of the Opposition had carried on propaganda against the Government arid had done all he could to discredit it, not only in New , Zealand, hut in Samoa anti throughout the world. Such action on the part of a responsible lender was very reprehensible.