SEDITION IN SAMOA

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 94, 22 April 1931, Page 9

SEDITION IN SAMOA

NELSON CASE DECIDED

, COMPANY CONVICTED

HEAVY FINES IMPOSE!)

(Special to Pi'dss Association, by Radio.) (Received 22nd April, 11 a.m.); APIA, This Day. This morning Judge Luxford convicted the Nelson Company, Ltd., on 28 charges under the Seditious Organisations Ordinance, inflicting a fine of £200 in respect of each charge, the fines totalling £5600; and on the second series of charges under i the Maintenance of Authority in j Native Affairs Ordinance, the proseiculion withdrew the charges.

In summing up, the Judge strougty condemned the defendant company.

In January, before Chief Judge Luxford, in the Samoan. High Court, lha | Nelson Company, Ltd., was charged iin* !der the Maintenance of Authority 5a i Native Affairs Ordinance, 1928, -with ; being in possession of £238 paid into ■tho office on behalf of the Samoan | Men's Committee, said to bo moneyi ■relating to a native organisation not being of a religious or charitable nature approved by tho Administrator. The company was also charged with participating in activities and receiving 'moneys on behalf of the Mau, and isi suing receipts contrary to section threa ' !of the Seditious Organisations Ordinance, 1930. Following the police discovery of certain. receipts, three policemen, and ■ a Government auditor, Mr. Gair, on lOtli January searched Nelson's Apia office, where Mr. Gair examined the company* books. They took possession of two books, several receipt books, and from the ledger extracted a list of payments to the Nelson Company. In the course of evidence twelv* Samoans, prisoners who are -undergoing sentences in connection with Mau mattors, admitted the payments to Nelson's, declaring that some of theso were debts due to the firm for coffins and lavalavas. Some of the witnesses did not know the purpose for which the monoy was collected. • , Mr> Gair said that Ms examination, of the books disclosed that moneys were received in January and April, 1929, and wero credited to the Samoan village account; the,balance being transferred to tho Nelson political expense account, out of which a large sum had been transferred to the Citizens' Committee account. The balance of this account was transferred to Auckland, Other accounts in tho books were the Samoan. Mau account and the Samoan Ladies' Committee account.1

Photographic copies of nine privats letters from Mr. Nelson in Auckland to certain natives were also submitted. The originals wore discovered in Apia by tho polico search party on tho steamer Tofua on 28th July last. •