SAMOAN AFFAIRS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 32, 8 February 1927, Page 10

SAMOAN AFFAIRS

NEW ZEALAND MANDATE

MINISTERIAL VISIT

INVESTIGATION NEXT MAY

Since New Zealand assumed the adjninistration of the affairs of Samoa under the League of Nations mandate there have been occasional niurmurings as to the- manner in which the Dominion has conducted the affairs of its island charge. These complaints have been answered both in and out of Parliament, but what appears to be a campaign against the continuance of the Dominion's mandate still persists.

From the official side the attacks against the Samoan Administration are held to be groundless, and it is certainly a fact that at different times tributes have been paid by, impartial observers to the success with which Now Zealand has discharged her responsibilities in promoting the general well-being of the Sampan natives.

■■"When.Mr. Coates rearranged his Cabinet portfolios at the beginning of last year he appointed.Mr. Nosworthy to be Minister of External Affairs, and that portfolio embraces the supervision of Samoan affairs ,as well as those of certain, other,of New Zealand's charges in the Pacific. Last session, Mr. Nosworthy was asked various questions about Samoan matters, and he Jiformed Parliament of his intention to make a .trip to Samoa before the House met again this year, if this could be conveniently arranged, so that ho might thoroughly familiarise himself with conditions in Samoa. • ■

NO PARLIAMENTARY VISIT.

Although the appointment of the* 'Administrator of Samoa (Major-Gen-eral Sir George Richardson) as one of tte members of the New Hebrides Commission, has entailed some revision of the arrangements for the proposed tour by the Minister, Mr. Nosworthy has definitely decided to go to Samoa, and il is likely that he will proceed there somewhere about May. "The Post" was authoritatively informed to-day that, despite the "feelers" thrown." but by. various members J .of the Opposition and of the Government Party last session that another Parliamentary tour of Samoa and the Pacific Islands should be made similar to that of a few years ago, there was no intention of taking Parliamentarians with the Minister of External Affairs on his coming trip. In Government circles it is felt preferable that the Minister should be untrammelled in his efforts to gain first-hand information of the real condition of things in Samoa. Last night there was published an article from the "Chicago Tribune" which contained an attack on New.Zealand's administration of the Pamoan mandte written by its political editor, Mr. Parke Brown, who recently visited Samoa. Amongst other things, it was stated that /'trouble was brewing in Western Samoa;" and that the political disturbance had already progressed so far. that.a'special delegation of Western Samoaris'" wiH: go to New Zealand in January to lay their alleged grievances before the Department of External Affairs." Up to the present this special delegation has not arrived.

The article further stated that two public meetings were held in. Samoa in- October and November, at which grievances were ventilated, and that at the second meeting Famuina, tne of the highest chiefs.in all Samoa, was the leader of amongst .the natives, and had been authorised to collect funds to pay the expenses of the delegation, to New Zealand.

PRAISE TOR NET* ZEALAND.

While it is improbable that any further statement in reply to the alleged complaints of the Samoans and certain Europerfh. elements in "Western Samoa will be made until after Mr. Nosworthy has visited the group, it is of interest to note .that .within a month of the -second of. the meetings referred to above a visit was made by the Hon. Sir John Maynard Medstrom, who later wrote a very interesting review of the position in Western Samoa for the "FijiTimes ana Herald" of 19th January. Sir John Maynard Hedstrom iai the managing director of the firm of Morris, Hedstrom, Ltd;, of th« firm of Morris, Hedstrom, Ltd., of I'ijijSenior elected member of the Legislative Council, aihd also member of the Executive Council of Fiji. Sir John' Hedstrom was born in Fiji, has spent his whole life iii the colony, and it will be remembered that he .-'was special Commissioner sent {Homo to represent the colony at the Wembley Exhibition. He revisited Samoa by the last trip of the Tofua, after an absence of. about 'four years, and his impressionsvare.in. part as follows:-— The:flrst thing to strike the visitor to Apia, after an interval of a few years, is the great improvement in the appearance of the town on the waterfront, especially Bear the Customs sheds. Formerly occupied by untidy traildings, which, gave the entrance to the town a squalid appearance, green lawns, -flower beds, and a neat bandstand now look gay and attractive. Tins improvement has been effected by co-operation between the Administra-Ajn-and the bus"iess people, and the Administration proposes to extend the work along the sea front both east and west. A drive to the westward, towards Mulifanua/ discloses a splendid macadamised road, tar-sealed, a great improvement on the conditions prevailing a few years ago.

CLEAN VILLAGES,

. "The villages are clean and tidy houses all in good order and in many places, new fale's in. course of erection. Villages have been removed and rebuilt on. a model plan and, in some cases, moved to healthier sites. "A. large v/ater supply system has oeen installed, which supplies a number of villages, and a good deal of money has been spent on education including a model boarding school near Vaihrna.

f'The greatest and most wonderful change of all is in the Samoan children. Five or six years ago the children to' be seen in a Samoan village, like those to be seen in many Fijian villages today, were" infected with' yaws, eye troubles, and skin diseases. To-day, amongst some hundreds of children on TXpolu; and Savaii, :I did not see a sign of sores, eye diseases, or skin troubles. A healthier, happier lot of children could not be seen anywhere. Lithe, active brown bodies, full of the joy of life, well nourished, but not "pot-bel-lied," playing round the village green, bathing in the pools or swimming 'in the sea, splendid children—the embodiment of health and vigour. "A few years of earnest work on a Children's "Welfare Scheme has produced this result. The work has been done mainly by officers of the Medical Department, but wonderful assistance has been rendered by voluntary workers, particularly Dr. Roberts, the wife of the American Consul. This lady has medical charge of a large district east of Apia. A road, rough, but usable by motor-car, has been formed and extended by the Administration, and each village in the district is visited by Dr. Roberts at least once a week.

'"'The work is organised with the assistance of a Women's Committee in each;village. These committees receive instructions and a supply of simple medicines from the Medical Officer, and

they learn to treat simple eye and skin troubles. At periodical intervals, treatment for hookworm is administered, sanitation is improved and instructions given therein. Women are taught the treatment of babies and young children. The Administrator takes a keen personal interest in, this work. When he visits a village, which is. fairly often, he meets the Women's Committee, talks to them and encourages and applauds.

'' SOME DISCONTENT.''

"There is some discontent amongst the Europeans in Apia, and it is alleged that the expenditure of the Administration is over-lavish. It may be true that some mistakes have been made, the man who makes no mistakes makes little else, but it is certain that New Zealand has recognised her duty to the native race in Samoa and that a splendid work has been and is being done, a work which has achieved a very large measure of success.

"I do not know what the Census returns show, but I, have no doubt the Samoan population is increasing. The number of children in the villages appears to be greater and they are certainly brighter and healthier. In Fiji our Medical Department is to mako a start in a. very small way on a Child's Welfare Scheme for natives. In Fiji the difficulties are ten times greater than in Samoa and such immediate and complete success cannot;be hoped for, but the splendid results obtained in Samoa should encourage us to find the money for a rapid extension of this allimjftrtant work amongst our own people."