55

A.—s

care of New Zealand, to be administered as an integral portion of New Zealand. We took steps before Parliament adjourned to prepare for the introduction of Civil administration at, the earliest possible moment; in fact, we have taken some steps already to bring about Civil administration. The steps that were taken were these: We communicated with the Home Government, and asked them to advise us in what way we could bring the Mandate into force. The advice that we received was that the best way to do it would be by an Imperial Order in Council under the Foreign Jurisdictions Act, upon which we could base our Order in Council. Our draft Order in Council has been in existence since Parliament was .sitting. It was circulated to members of Parliament. It has been sent down here. It is all ready to be brought into force a few days after the Imperial Order in Council has been gazetted. I have telegraphed twice since I have been away from New Zealand to ask them to expedite the issue of the Imperial Order in Council. We have not yet received an answer to say that it has been gazetted. As soon as it is our Order in Council will be gazetted also, and then we can proceed to carry out the Civil administration fully. Municipality for Apia. Mr. Harris : I should like to know what area is proposed to be taken in—whether it will be as large as the municipality that was in existence here years ago, or whether it will be smaller. Mr. N. H. Macdonald : The proposed municipality will take in about half the area of the old municipality. Mr. Wright: What would be the population?—ln the old municipality to-day there are about 2,600 people, including Natives. What is the population of the proposed municipality?— Probably the number I have given would be reduced by one-third or one-quarter. Possibly there would be a population of two thousand, including Natives. Mr. Wright : Would the Natives be agreeable to come into the municipality and pay taxes? — That is a point I could not answer at present. I presume they would. They would derive a lot of benefit. Inside the municipality there is a different Native from the outside Native. The Natives there are accustomed to roads, and would appreciate the benefits the municipality would confer upon them. They might take the benefit of the municipality and refuse to pay the rates? —I have not gone into that. What would be the white population of the proposed new municipality, exclusive of all Samoans?—l estimate the number of the white population in the proposed municipality at 670. Hon. Sir R. H. Rhodes : Is it possible to make a valuation of the property in the municipality? —We consider that an approximate valuation would be worth £250,000. Hon. Sir James Allen: Do you know how many British there would be in the proposed municipality ?—There would be 335 British subjects. Mr. Luke : The pamphlet says that the Natives would not be taxed by the Municipal Council except for the services it actually supplied them with at their own request in the form of water, lighting, &c. Would it not be advisable that the Natives should come into line with the Europeans in the interests of health and the best that could be given to the Natives living within the municipal area? Have you considered the question on the lines of taxing the Natives for all these essentials in connection with municipal government ? Mr. Nelson : We were considering the old-established Native villages, which have something similar to a municipality of their own. Every one of these old-established villages lias a Village Council, which controls all local affairs. We thought that it might be to their interests, and that they might wish, to come under the jurisdiction of the municipality. For that reason the proposed municipality is prepared to allow the Native villages within the said municipality to have all their Native village rights preserved. Nevertheless they should only he taxed to the extent of whatever they require from the Municipal Council in the form of water or lighting. or whatever the service be. Mr. Wright : Supposing you had drainage, they would get the benefit of it and they might not want to pay for it?—lf they did not ask for it they would not get, it. Mr. Luke I Assuming a municipality were created, a drainage scheme and a water-supply would naturally be the two first essentials to be brought in. You would be safeguarding the interests and health of the European population; but unless you brought the Native population to conform to the requirements of the municipal work you would still have a menace to the health of the whole community. How are you going to obviate that menace if you leave the Natives within the municipal area unconnected with drainage and not served with water?—Tt is proposed that the Native villages should be controlled also by the Municipal Council in regard to sanitation and roads. Hon. Sir James Allen: At the top of this article reference is made to the Samoa Constitution Order. It is true that no local Ordinance can establish local government in Samoa when the Constitution Order comes into existence, but the Government of New Zealand have absolute power to do so, and if necessary will do so. It was thought advisable in the initial stages of the Administration not to give these very large powers, because the Government of New Zealand realize the very many difficulties, and they are therefore anxious that they should be consulted and that it should be done through' them at the present stage. You have already realized some of the difficulties from the questions that have been put. I may say with regard to the general principle— I think I can speak for my colleagues, but, in any case I speak for myself—that I am in favour of a municipality when the time comes, or a local Government Board. I do not think the time is ripe. The time is not ripe, in my opinion, because of the very many difficulties that are obvious to any one. The boundary can be easily settled, I dare say; but when the boundary is