New Zealand Will Be Firm in Samoa

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 761, 6 September 1929, Page 11

New Zealand Will Be Firm in Samoa

GOVERNMENT’S POLICY NO YIELDING TO DISORDER PARLIAMENT BLDGS.. Today. A statement of the future policy of the Government in Western Samoa was made in the House of Representatives this morning by the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, before discussing reports on Samoa. The Government’s policy, he said, was a simple one and had already been made quite clear. He deeply deplored the existing dissension and was prepared to take any steps to restore order. Mr. IT. E. Holland, Leader of the Labbur Party: Have you considered recalling the deportation orders? Sir Joseph Ward: No. It would mean altering the law. and the Government must be the ruler. The Government was willing to consider sympathetically representations for the benefit of the Samoan people. All was done with that in view, and the Government, tolerated opposition, and had managed the country with fairness, firmness, and dignity right through. Unfortunately there were some people outside Samoa who had been trying to direct its affairs for some time.

Mr. Holland. Who are they? Sir Joseph Ward: l needn’t men tion names. They are not in the House.

Sir Joseph went on to say that the Government was willing to meet the Mau about genuine grievances or suggestions. Every endeavour had been made to let this be known among the Samoan people, but there was one thing the Government, or any other Government. would never do. and that was to be coerced into tolerating open defiance of the law, or into negotiating with any body of Somoans who did that. To get adjustment or redress the Mau must abandon defiance of the law.

Regarding Samoans having no voire . in the Government, Sir Joseph said j that bv the treaty and mandate the j responsibility of making and adminis- j tering the law was on New Zealand until the time the people were competent to govern themselves under modern conditions. New Zealand was anxious to associate the Samoans witn it as soon as possible, and as fully as possible in making the law. Even in the present state of affairs New Zealand was associating Samoans in thenown Government. The constitution of the Legislative Council had been altered by reducing the number or European-elected members from three to two, and adding two nominated Samoan members. At present there was no alternative j to the nomination system of appointment. but it was hoped, when the trouble cleared away, to let the Samoans, by some agreed method, elect their own representatives on the Council. The Government's proposal was that the present nomination be m the hands of the Governor-General. I Sir Joseph said that the Samoans had themselves to blame for the consequences if they resisted the police. No one in New’ Zealand or Samoa was above the law. The Prime Minister intimated that if the disturbances continue. New Zealand's contribution to the upkeep of the territory might he withdrawn. The natives’ representations would be given every consideration. Nothing but mistrust and misunderstanding of our Intentions could stand between us and the Mau, and there was no justification for such misunderstanding. The Government was engaged in reducing the expenditure on the territory and in bringing the income and expenditure closer together. The ultimate aim was a self-supporting

territory. The New Zealand Government did not intend to continue its contributions as the annual gift money from the taxpayers of the Dominion was equal to an amount of one-fifth ot' the whole expenditure in the Samoan territory. Sir Joseph Ward asked members to remember the responsibility they incurred by their remarks in Parliament. They should bear in mind that what might be reasonable and just when said of New Zealaud politics looked very different when read by Samoans 1,700 miles away. The remarks of members might be read in another language by people resentful of New Zealand's administration and suspicious of her intentions. The Right Hon. J. G. Coates said he was concerned in the policy that

had been outlined by Sir Joseph, but he disagreed with the publication of the report on the personnel in Samoa. He believed that it had never been intended that such a report should have been printed, and it was definitely unfair that the committee

should report on individuals without report on individuals without those individuals having had an opportunity of appearing before a tribunal to be heard as to whether their administration was faulty or not. The Government, under the circumstances, would have been well advised to have sent the report hack to the Administrator, who should have been given the opportunity to safeguard against the interests of individuals being unfairly compromised. He had nothing hut admiration for the committee, who had submitted the report, and he did not think they would have phrased it in such a way had they known that it would have been published without further actiou. He agreed that the Prime Minister's ! policy toward Samoa was the only digi nified course possible. The House adjourned at 1 p.tn.