SAMOAN ADMINISTRATION.

Shannon News, 19 August 1921, Page 3

SAMOAN ADMINISTRATION.

RECENT CHARGES UNFOUNDED. MR P. ARCUS’S OPINION. A good deal of newspaper controversy has taken place of late in regard to the administration of Samoa by the New Zealand Government since the taking over of the islands under the mandate. The underlying causa of the existing dissatisfaction is alleged to be the over-staffing of the Government departments, expensive administration, and the consequent increase in the taxation of the country for the upkeep of what is contended an expensive system of control. On the other hand, it is stated that the dissatisfaction was entirely caused by the enforcing of prohibition in the islands. Mr P. Arcus, the well known Wellington auditor, who has just returned from Samoa, where he has been professionally engaged for the last few months in investigating matters on behalf of the Government, informed a Chronicle reporter yesterday that he considered the present administration of Samoa to be more efficient than when under German control. The question of adininistration was gone into fully when the Hon. JMr Lee visited Samoa, and Mr Arcus stated that instead of the islands being over-staffed, they were as a matter of fact being controlled by two officials less than when the Germans were in charge. “The New Zealand Government is running the big stores and plantations that formerly belonged to the Germans,” said Mr Arcus, “and the officials in charge are New Zealanders. They have replaced the Gefmans, and are running the country efficiently and well,, and as stated, with fewer officials.” Mr Arcus said he was convinced that prohibition was at the bottom of all the trouble. In the past the natives had always been under restraint so far as liquor was concerned, and the imposition of prohibition by the New Zealand Government did not affect them in the least. But not so the white planters and traders, who were greatly dissatisfied with the new conditions, and were the cause of the present, unrest. That was the whole position.