LEAVE THEM ALONE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 522, 27 November 1928, Page 7

LEAVE THEM ALONE

POSITION IN SAMOA “N.Z. CRITICS TALKING NONSENSE” “If the New Zealand public and politicians would leave Samoa alone for a while, the whole situation there would settle itself.” This is the advice of Mr. A. R. Alexander, who returned to Auckland yesterday afternoon on the Tofua after spending the last three years In Western Samoa. Mr. Alexander has been attached to both the Education Department and the Public Works Department at Apia, and has seen a good deal of the recent trouble. Referring to the political speeches made by Mr. H. E. Holland, Leader of the Opposition, before th election, Mr. Alexander said that he was simply talking a lot of nonsense about Samoa. His statement that the present Administrator, Lieutenant-Colonel S. S. Allen, was controlling the mandated territory better than General Richardson, was equally nonsensical, and only aggravated the situation. If the public of New Zealand and its politicians would leave Samoa alone for a while, the natives would settle down. “Your newspapers all go to Samoa,” continued Mr. Alexander. “The natives read what has been said and written, and that makes them stubborn.

“When they see their Administrator criticised it only gives them more courage. It showed a mean spirit on Mr. Holland’s part to discuss the situation as he did.”

Mr. Alexander says the New Zealand public seems to think that the staff of the Administrator and the public servants in Apia have an easy time. That was not so. One needed to he up against the problems confronting the officials in Samoa to realise the difficulties the Administration had to face. Although Samoa was very quiet at the moment, the problems were by no means settled. The Mau was still adopting the attitude of passive resistance. No taxes were being paid. The natives were not being asked for the taxes, although they were expected to pay them. The new Administrator was doing very well, and getting to know the people and the chiefs. Mr. Alexander was in charge of a technical school in Apia for some time, but because of the recent trouble the school had been discontinued. After that he became building superintendent for the Public Works Department. Other passengers brought accounts of an attempt by the police to arrest Tamasese, a prominent member of the Mau. Stones were thrown at the police.