SAMOA

Hokitika Guardian, 12 March 1929, Page 2

SAMOA

GENERAL RICHARDSON. REPLY TO MR GRAY. WELLINGTON, March 11. Commenting on Mr Gray’s reply to tlie Samoan Commission’s report, released to-day, General Richardson says: “1 fully concur in the views expressed by Mr Gray, who, by virtue of his long experience as Secretary of External Affairs, is eminently qualified to speak with authority on the administration of those Pacific Islands under New Zealand control. The report made by those three civil servants has apparently conveyed to the public a wrong impression regarding the New Zealand Government officials in Samoa who are neither inefficient, nor overpaid, for faithful and difficult services they have rendered under very trying conditions, and 1 would therefore, like to make a few remarks on their behalf.

The service may be divided into three catjegories ? (a) Officials from New Zealand (b) Those appointed locally, and comprising a large number of locally-born, principally half-castes; (c) The natives of the two former classes are under the immediate control 'of a widely-known New Zealander, whose services are now to be dispense with, viz., Colonel Hutchen, who holds an equivalent position to that" of Colonial Secretary in a Crown Colony. f

There is no more efficient, conscientious, or hard-working official than Colonel Hutchen, whose business training before the war, combined with his financial administration of the N.Z.E.F. from 1914 to the end of its demobilisation, have eminently qualified him for the position he has hold in Samoa with conspicuous ability for the past seven years. New Zealand and Samoa have been very fortunate in having the services of this very efficient officer, whose work is now adversely, and I consider most unfairly, criticised ■ by men of- less experience and without any practical knowledge, of the difficulties in the administering of the mandated territory. The native officials are under the immediate control of the Seoretary of Native Affairs, who is the Rev F. J. Lewis, an ex-Missionary, and Chaplain to the Australian Forces during the war. He is a man possessing a thorough knowledge of natives, and is in sympathy with them. No better man can be found for the position. As to the New Zealand officials, I can assure the public that they have endeavoured to the utmost to maintain the good name of New Zealand, and in the isolated cases where they have not done so, their services have not been maintained.

New Zealand desires that their officials should uphold the prestige of the white man-in the/eyes of;.the natives, and that’they should serve under conditions which will enable them to do so. The policy of appointing locallyborn persons to the Government service of Samoa is one which I encouraged in the interests of a large number of half-castes in Apia. It may have affected the efficiency of the service, as we are now told that the officials there are of a lower ..grade than most in New Zealand. Nevertheless, it is a right policy, and I hope the present Government will continue it. “With regard to the native staff being excessive, it should he remembered that three years ago, the natives were being trained to administer their own affairs, and were actually doing bo very successfully under the guidance of .their official head, the Rev Mr Lewis, and if certain agitators had not deliberately lied to the natives, deceived them, and maliciously influenced one section of chiefs against other chiefs, and so created dissension, which has temporarily destroyed {Samoa’s progress, the position to-day would he very different. The natives would he united and loyal as they were previously. The output cff copra would he at least 20,000 tons per annum. The trade of the territory would he one million pounds per year, and the New Zealand taxpayer would not he required to give any financial help to Samoa, except by way of an occasional loan which would be reproductive for development.”