THE POSITION IN SAMOA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 139, 14 June 1935, Page 6

THE POSITION IN SAMOA.

ADMINISTRATOR'S SUCCESSOR.

(By J.Q.)

There is some dound criticism of the Dominion's administration of the mandated islands of Samoa in one of; the chapters in Dr. Morrell's latest book, "New Zealand," one of a now series of historical surveys issued by Ernest Benn in London. Dr. Morrell has made a careful study of Samoa's troubled history during the last twenty years, and he gives New Zealand duo credit for good intentions and sympathy. But he criticises the existing official lack of comprehension of Samoan life and needs. In one respect particularly there has been lack of imagination. No attempt has been made to recruit and train a special Civil Service for Samoa. On the contrary, a Civil Service Commission reported in 1920 that the Samoan service should bo treated, as a part of the Public Service of New Zealand, imil Hint in general oflicials should only remain there two years. There could hardly be a more marked contrast with the practice in the British and other colonial services or a better way of discouraging young men from making New Zealand's mission in Samoa their own.

''The history of British colonial administration." says Dr, ilorrell, "surely provides ground for thinking that an efficient and devoted civil service can be developed in small tropical communities, and it ought to bo remembered that officials who have only a brief and necessarily superficial knowledge of the native environment will at many points really be dependent on those who have greater knowledge. New Zealand has in her own Maori people in the Cook Islands, and in Samoa the materials within her territories for a comparative study of the problems and culture of Polynesian peoples. Is it possible that he will continue to ignore the opportunities for training a school of native administrators, teachers and researchers and to govern mainly bv rule of thumb?"

To this question by the author one would like to add another: Why lias no effort been made to enlist for Samoa the services of already well-skilled men in Maori-Bolynesian affaire! Has Dr. P. H. Buck, for example, been invited to take the post of Administrator of Samoa? He might be induced to consider it if it were put up to him that duty to his country and his race called him to leave Honolulu and restore peace and contentment in Samoa. Dr. Buck has had administrative experience, and his wise and sympathetic approach to Polynesian problems would make him an ideal governor of the inundated islands and prepare the way for the amicable realisation of the Mail's quite legitimate aim, "Samoa for.the Samoans." Failing Dr. Buck, there are such men as Judge Ayson, who has made such a success of Cook Islands administration; and there is Dr. Ellison, in Earotonga, who was formerly in charge of the JTiue Administration as well as medical officer. Doctors have frequently made . excellent political administrators; there was famous Sir William Macgregor in Papua. There are also some men in New Zealand of life-long llaori experience who would be at home in dealing with i,he Samoa people.

But whoever is to succeed the present Administrator —who has done his best considering his total lack of experience in native affairs when he went to Samoa—among the first essentials in an officer arc a sympathetic attitude and a willingness to treat the people as equals, not as mere "natives." And there are two other important preliminaries, the

reorganisation of Wellington headquarters, the jettisoning of the obnoxious and unnecessary ordinances, and the restoration to the various district chiefs of their former authority which, has heen taken from them and given to !New Zealand policemen.