67

A.-5

Status op German Property. Hon. Sir James Allen: The only statement 1 can make with regard to this to-day is that "t !? An° lrea 3', the l Ge ™ M property which belonged to the German Government passes ovei to the Allies and the Mandatory without any compensation. The properties which belong to German residents we are entitled to purchase. Until we have the Order in Council I am unable to give you any information as to what we shall do, but in all probability the German properties m Samoa will be taken over at a valuation. A valuation will have to be made by tne New Zealand Government. I cannot give you any definite statement about the matter to-day further than that. Flag-raising Day. Horn Sir James Allen : With regard to this last subject in the pamphlet, I should like to see tne British Ensign hoisted here once a year, but it, is a matter for the Administrator, and 1 leave it to him. Suggestion regarding the Kaiser. Hon. Sir James Allen : A letter has been circulated throughout this district, and circulated, 1 believe, outside the shores of Samoa, a copy of which came into my hands yesterday. It is written by one of your residents who recently came back here. Ido not went to advertise it, so 1 will not mention who the writer is. But, if there comes into your hands some correspondence which suggests that the Kaiser should be brought to Samoa and that Samoa should be handed over to him —well, gentlemen, you will treat it as I do, with a smile. But that is being •solemnly circulated throughout the community. The only danger is that it may get into the hands of the Samoans and may create some disturbance. I ask you, therefore, to join with me in giving an assurance to the Natives that, whatever this writer may say, his suggestion is not seriously considered; that the Allies, who fought and won, are not going to give up either the fruits of their victory or the trust that is reposed in them with respect to the Samoan Natives. Repatriation op Germans. Mr. J. Helg (Swiss Consul) : There are many Germans residing here in Samoa yet; they ask if they could go back to their own country. Hon. Sir James Allen : Any German that wants to go back to his home country may do so, and we will make arrangements for his passage as soon as we can. The meeting concluded with the singing of the National Anthem. VISIT TO LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY'S TRAINING COLLEGE AT MALUA. The Hon. Sir James Allen, accompanied by a representative number of members of the Legislature and other officials, paid a visit to the Training College conducted by the London Missionary Society at Malua immediately after the meeting with the Citizens' Committee. After lunch a meeting was held in the Jubilee Hall, when there were present about four hundred Samoan pastors, students, and scholars. An address of welcome was delivered by the Rev. A. Hough, Missionary in Charge, and was acknowledged by Sir James Allen on behalf of the Parliamentary Party. After a speech by a Samoan pastor and a Samoan hymn sung by the congregation, the Rev. J. W. Sibee moved a vote of thanks, and in doing so said that the mission and the scholars took great encouragement from the kind interest which the members of the Parliamentary Party had shown in Samoan affairs since their arrival. He could assure them that any criticism which they had heard either of the New Zealand Government or of the Samoan Administration was due to a want of knowledge. However, they took the visit and the gathering there that day as a happy augury for the future. It emphasized that New Zealand, in taking over the Mandatory power with respect to Samoa, had done so primarly in the interests of the Samoans themselves. They sincerely thanked the Minister for his encouraging words, and they could assure him they should look forward with great satisfaction to the carrying-out, as they knew they would be carried out, of the Government's promises to assist and promote education in Western Samoa. The Rev. W. E. Clarke, in seconding the motion of thanks, referred to the pamphlet which had been discussed earlier in the day at the citizen's meeting, and said that if there was anything that, was critical or querulous in the paper prepared by T him on behalf of the Citizens Committee, he was sure the Parliamentary Party would pardon it, and understand that it, arose out of their great anxiety that the Samoan people, whom they had lived with so many years and learned to love as their own children, should receive every consideration and every assistance in this time of crisis. The Minister at the morning meeting had offered them a most gracious apology because of the lack of consideration and courtesy of which complaint had been made, but he wished to say he was sure that in reality the apology was due from them and not from the Minister. They reciprocated to the uttermost the Minister's kindly assurances of assistance. They would welcome all the Government did in regard to education and should not regard it in any way as an interference with the work of the London Missionary Society. FAREWELL ADDRESS BY FAIPULES OF WESTERN SAMOA. To the Right Hon. the Prime Minister of New Zealand, and to other members of the Cabinet remaining in New Zealand. Salutations ! Our cordial greetings to you ! We, the Faipules of Western Samoa, are honoured and proud to receive in our midst the Hon. Sir James Allen, K.C.B. (Minister of External Affairs), and the Parliamentary Party appointed to visit our islands with your earnest desire. We are grateful that the voyage has been safely and successfully accomplished.

10—A. 5.