THE SAMOAN MANDATE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 308, 29 December 1937, Page 6

THE SAMOAN MANDATE.

EUROPEAN POINT OF VIEW.

{To the Editor.)

It is evident that under article 2 of tha , Samoan mandate European residents and ; Samoans alike are the wards of the mandatory . Power and the League of Nations. The . Zealand Government in accepting the mandate is morally bound to carry out the dictates of . the mandLate. The mandate states (article 2): "The country shall be governed in the best interests of all inhabitants." Ls New Zealand doing this? It is only necessary to draw a comparison between Western Samoa under New Zealand rule and American Samoa. In American Samoa the American Government in order to ensure that the native producers of copra are not exploited by big firms, calls for tenders for the total output of copra from the islands under ite controL The Government then advances the natives the full price, less shipping costs, storage and shrinkage, etc. I® Western Samoa the New Zealand Government leaves the Samoan to the trading firms, with the result that the Samoan in those islands receives about half of that received by the Samoan in American Samoa. Yet New Zealand politicians are always talking about New Zealand's "sacred trust." Why does not New Zealand take over the copra in Western Samoa on the American plan and so guarantee the native producer the full value of his product and avoid the violent fluctuations in price and exploitation by the big firms? Is the New Zealand Government afraid of the Mau? It is peculiar, to say the least of it, that thw matter was not among the demands of the Mau to the New Zealand Government. It would also be interesting to learn why it 4s that although the Labour Government has been in power for two years nothing has been done to ensure that European employees in Samoa get salaries commensurate with their responsibilities and the ever-rising cr*»t of living. There are no unions in Samoa, no Arbitration Courts, and 110 means whatever of protecting the interests of the employed section of the community. This resfionsibility rests squarely on the shoulders of the NewZealand Government. Something must be done immediately to ameliorate the lot of the unfortunate unemployed, some of whom have had no employment for six or eight years, or. failing employment, some adequate" form of relief. At present the Samoan Government gives them the magnificent sum of 15/ per month to live on. pay house rent, maintain and educate their families. European residents in Samoa demand some tanjrible evidence that the New Zealand Government is taking it« responsibilities seriously. All are tired of hearing that politician's parrot cry about "our sacred trust." Surely it will not be necessarv for the European residents to appeal direct to the Mandates Commission to get the consideration they are entitled to under the mandate. Most of us feel we would be better off if the Germans retained to Samoa. Apia. INTERESTED.