SAMOAN MANDATE

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21354, 22 December 1934, Page 13

SAMOAN MANDATE

REPORT TO GENEVA LESS QUESTIONING THAN PREVIOUSLY CyROM OUR own CORB.ESPONT3KWT.) LONDON, November 15. Owing to over-pressure of work in London the High Commissioner (Sir James Parr) was unable to go to Geneva to answer the questions of the Permanent Mandates Commission about the report of the New Zealand Government on Western Samoa. Mr Charles Knowles, C.8.E., private secretary to the High Com- j missioner, attended as the accred- j ited representative. j Mr Knowles is well acquainted ] with the proceedings at Geneva, having attended every League As- j sembly and every Mandate Commission's sitting, with successive High Commissioners. On occasions the questioning on the Samoan Mandate has lasted more than two days, but on this occasion it occupied only one sitting of the commission. In his opening statement Mr Knowles said that in spite of the economic depression, Western Samoa had not suffered too heavily, and there was a small budget surplus. The Government had endeavoured to make economies, nevertheless administration services had been fully maintained. A reduction of taxation had been necessary to help and encourage planters who were hit by the fall in prices. The health conditions of the country were satisfactory. At the request of the commission, Mr Knowles gave further information about the administration of justice, the political and financial situation, economics, labour, public health and education. The full report of the session and the finding of the commission will be published in due course.