SAMOAN INQUIRY

Evening Star, Issue 19697, 26 October 1927, Page 5

SAMOAN INQUIRY

ADMINISTRATOR GIVES EVIDENCE THE MAU AT HOOT OF TROUBLE' [Special to Press Association'.] (By Radio.) APIA, October 21. General Richardson (the Administrator) gave evidence at bclore the Commission. He said that before a public meeting, held in October last, the natives were peaceful. Ho attributed the change to the doings of the Man, especially the European members of that body. Seditions utterances wore made ami, broadcast through the traders and others. He held documents proving this. Knowing the danger of mixing natives with European political matters, witness said he had endeavored to prevent it being done there in October last. The present .position of affairs proved that his action in that respect was essential. ITo disputed the Man’s counsel’s contention that Samoa was approaching normalcy again except with respect to Samoans working. The true position was that the Faipules and others were trying to get things quiet by not functioning, as if they attempted to carry out their duties there would be trouble. He regarded Mr Nelson as the head of the Man movement, and without him the movement would go “ phut.” EVIDENCE PRAOTICALLY FINISHED. APIA, October 2d. (Received October 2G, at 9.50 a.in.) Evidence before the Commission was practically finished yesterday evening, though the sitting in Chambers to-day is possible to result in one or more witnesses being heard, otherwise the Commission’s public sittings stand adjourned for two days to give counsel time to prepare their addresses. To date the Commission has sat twenty-five days of usually six and a half hours, and lias heard scores of witnesses, sumo of whom, as individuals, spoke as representatives of the scores of others Much irrelevant evidence has been adduced, and yesterday Mr Justice Skerrett repeated his observation of two weeks ago that anywhere else but Apia, “where, for some unascertained reason, there is a peculiar atmosphere of suspicion.” ho would have stopped the immaterial evidence adduced that day by Mr Baxter and cross-examining counsel.