WESTERN SAMOA PROPOSALS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25248, 29 July 1947, Page 7

WESTERN SAMOA PROPOSALS

“ FINAL DEMANDS ” BY CHIEFS

CONSTITUTION OF GOVERNMENT (By Radio. Special to PA.) APIA, July 27. The Samoan chiefs’ “Anal demands” in connexion with self-government have been completed for presentation to the United Nations mission of inquiry now in Western Samoa. These demands have been the subject of speculation, as it was known that they would cover the ideas of the Fono of Faipule on the constitution of the Samoan Government, which, the chiefs claim, could be called into being almost immediately to take over from the present New Zealand trusteeship administration. Although the new statement has not yet been released in full, a correspondent learns reliably that it embraces the following main points:— (1) The three Fautua (High Chiefs) to be recognised as the head of the government. (2) Forty-one “representatives of the Samoans”—otherwise the 41 Faipule—to form the actual government with the addition of three or four European representatives. The heads of departments would attend meetings, but would have no voting powers. (3) A representative of New Zealand would hold a power of veto, but this would be so hedged with restrictions that it would be virtually nonexistent in the event of the chiefs expressing the opinion that the power of veto should not apply to matters affecting Samoans. (4) Health, education, public works, finance, and public service committees, in all of which Europeans would have predominence, would be appointed to advise the government. (5) All Crown estates should be “returned to the Samoans for coming generations, because the population is growing, but not the land.” The last proposal concerns principally the New Zealand reparations estates—the area taken over by the Dominion Government from the former German owners after the Great War. No recent statistics are available to show what area of land is at present in non-Samoan hands, but the last official figures gave Samoan lands as over 80 per cent, of the total. These figures, however, are 20 years old, and in that period sizable areas have returned to Samoan ownership. Further. of the fertile land in Samoan hands only a fraction is cultivated. As stated earlier, immediate selfgovernment is by no means the unanimous desire of the Samoan people as a whole. Certain districts have firmly dissociated themselves from the petition to the United Nations and it is expected that the views of these districts will be stated to the mission during its tour of the group.