CONDITIONS IN SAMOA

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 303, 18 September 1936, Page 8

CONDITIONS IN SAMOA

• ' •» - Member of Mission To Criticism GOOD FEELING PARAMOUNT Statements made by Mr. R. W. Robson, editor of the “Pacific Islands Monthly,” In an address before the Polynesian Club, Sydney (reported in the cables yesterday), in which he criticised the administration of Western Samoa by the New Zealand Government, were replied to last evening by Mr. J. O’Brien, M.P. for Westland, who was a member of the Goodwill Mission which recently visited Samoa. Mr. O’Brien said‘that Mr. Robson had misrepresented the Samoan situation, either knowingly or unknowingly. Mr. Robson, said Mr. O’Brien, had stated that he had heard while in Samoa much talk among the nonofflclal Europeans and half-castes of a desire to be separated from New Zealand and attached to the administration of the High Commissioner of the Western Pacific (the British Colonial Office). “Before the visit of the Goodwill Mission there were many in Samoa, including native Samoans, who favoured secession from New Zealand,” said Mr. O’Brieq. '“Had Mr. Robson remained in Samoa until after the visit of the mission he would have found that as a result of the mission’s visit there has been an almost complete elimination of the desire to break away from New Zealand’s administration.” Referring to Mr. Robson’s statement that the visit of the mission had made the confusion in the island worse, Mr. O’Brien said the real facts were that the Samoans and Samoan-born were never more united than they were when the mission left the territory. Chiefs who had been apart for years had come together to do the best for Samoa. The mission had not misled the Samoans in any way concerning selfgovernment AU suggestions made merely laid down a Tiasis from which the Samoans could work up to selfgovernment as rapidly as possible. That was thoroughly explained to all Samoans at many meetings, and one could say that there was hardly an individual in the mandated territory who did not have the opportunity to hear and understand. Discussing Mr. Robson’s statement that nothing had been done for the 3500 half-castes, Mr. O’Brien said it was well-known that the mission recommended closer settlement of Crown lands and the reparation estates, and that aU administrative positions that could be flUed wlh the Samoan-born, which was a better term than halfcaste, should be so flUed. It had also recommended free education to matriculation standard and training in handicrafts. ' “I consider Mr. Robson's vision clouded by his bias against the present New Zealand Government,” said • Mr. O’Brien. “Since returning to New Zealand I have received many encouraging reports from Samoa. These state that the good feeling brought about by the mission is stiU paramount, and that the Samoans feel happier to-day about New Zealand’s administration than ever before.”