ISLAND POLITICS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 995, 9 December 1910, Page 6

ISLAND POLITICS.

p ; i ■ EAEOTONGAN; ADMINISTEATION ' ££:■■'■££'-. Cv->: : v : depended; .■:■. i-: : ■■;:.-.':-. Mr.C, A. Griffiths;, who, returned to fS:: : from .Earotonga by. the fey (Ae'rangr. yesterday after a . four weeks'. |:0.',-;'stay, supports the denial'of. the Commis|?'/:i'ii Bioner: of •■ the statement made by Mr. |!y.,i-... Hosking-that-a-French Tahitian was unV: .:. ' .fairly, treated;by..the 'Commissioner. He k-,,' 'elites that the person named is a partner'. k "■'■ :' : v.■'-of his, and wheii .questioned'denied that' Ivv.'S^ltfy-Tr'as "dissatisfied.. He did not refer j"-', '•'. the' matter. to., the'.''French Government,: H~~--—and ho considers .that: Captain Smithk: ' .treated .him veryCfairly.and.was helpful [.! -.;■•. ..td.him;.;,Mr.,:.Griffiths also referred to a' 1 [IV '■■■ letter from Earotonga,- .portions of which Kv ;wero published : in '.'.-'The D63rraibN on fv:: /'November-23.' In this letter it was stated: ~;'...: that,the writer;., accompanied, by another jS:.;'.'.''Psrs6n,. went to a. Justice of the Peace. k.-■■'■■■ 'to.;have the . signature to -a certain |»'': r . petition.witnessed. 1 This, it was alleged, j-,- : the Justice-of-the-Pcace-refused to'' do. p..;-. ;' ."I'-presume Tam the Justice of' the Peace ;":;.-./referredVfo/'''said'.ilT.v.'Grifaths; "because' ~■'•';-.' .at> the-time- I was.the only Justice of !v-..'■--.'. .the Peace:in -EaTotonga except the Com-' i;.;: missioner.-'. What : I- said was- certainly .'.';•:■•. not- correctly "'.reported.' I told'the man 'V ..who''-came- t» ' mV 'with the petitioni.:.l . did •'not; think I was' entitled I!.; ... to: "act '. 'in. :an official capacity, j, ..'; being out of New' Zealand. In any case [....'■.'.;■'. I had nothing to do with '..;•' .witnessing the signature to a petition. I .: : -If: they had come'to. swear an oath ;;.,.:'..' before me, that would have been another '" : .matter. , I am- perfectly certain,"-Mr. ■',-;, Griffiths continued, "that these men only [ ;' ; .came to, me, a known . Government j. : sympathiser, believing my. signature L .'.. would, givo ...added weight to their ;■':■:■■ petition. My name appearing on it would !-.■:• ■ lead, others to think I'was in sympathy 1,.-.:. with, it." The feeling among the. natives j-:;' . towards Captain Smith, Mr. Griffiths do-' clared, was perfectly satisfactory, and ho !.,-".was perfectly satisfied that the Adminisj:, y.tratioh,. was -just and fair.' As to the ,'■ -.:. white -population, l any trouble with the j- ;. Commissioner, aecording'to Mr."Griffiths, c.y has .been caused by a few malcontents. t.\ •. "..:A percentage of the whites'at Rarbtonga, t\'-' -v." ■ 'M, remarked, would not be satisfied j. ...-" under-any Administration. Not one /: ■;■'■ .person to whom he spoke during his visit j- ..'expressed, discontent.- .-: . ' ...