SAMO AN TROUBLE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 185, 7 August 1930, Page 24

SAMO AN TROUBLE.

MEMBER'S NOVEL VIEW.

BATTLESHIPS V. BANANAS.

MR. COATES AND GABRIEL.

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, Wednesday,

"The Reform Government sent men down to Samoa with a shooting iron in each hand and a sword trailing on the ground, and all the poor native had to defend himself with was a banana," declared Mr. D. McDougall (Mataura) in the House to-night, when referring to the mandated territory. He added that a battleship with an admiral and a colonel aboard was also sent down '"'to frighten the poor old , Samoansbecause they would not pay the poll tax. ' "But," interjected Mr. H. E. Holland, leader of the Labour party, "have you forgotten the fatal riots of December last?" Ignoring the interruption, Mr. McDougall said the Reform Government had declared: "We will make them stand up. If one battleship will not ! do, we will send two." They called for volunteers to go to Samoa, and hundreds enlisted, armed with implements of destruction. They chased the natives into the bush, and behaved in such a way that on reading the accounts he ha d of te 11 wished that those tactics had been attempted ii Ireland. 111 that country men knew how to handle a gun, and the same policy could not have been carried out. e All the Samoan had to defend himself with was a banana. Mr. Coates: Who was Prime Minister at the time? The question was not answered by Mr. McDougall, who wound up with the statement that he did not know how Mr. Coates would be able "to face the bar when the angel Gabriel comes over the hill, and he has to give an account of his actions." Mr. C. E MacmLllan (Tauranga), the next speaker, said that Mr. McDougall had worked himself up considerably. Mr. McDougall: There is 110 danger of your doing that. Mr. Speaker: Order, order. - "Surely the member for Mataura has been asleep for the last 18 or 20 months," said Mr. Maemilian. "All the things he has referred to were done by his own party. (Loud Reform Hear, 'hears.) I notice that the leader of the Labour party several times attempted to interject and. draw Mr. .MeDougall's attention to that fact." Mr. W. E. Parry (Auckland Central): That does not excuse the Reform party for. what it has done. Mr. Maemilian: These things were done by the United party, and. by his votes in this House Mr. McDougall endorses 'as right and proper the things he condemns, because his party did j them.