STRAIGHT TALK

Feilding Star, Volume 7, Issue 2305, 7 September 1929, Page 6

STRAIGHT TALK

PREMIER TO SAMOANS DEFIANCfi' >ItST GEASE 1 v< i i j •A j,i - MONETARY 'GRANTS WILL STOP An emphatic statement thaT, while the GovonuiuMit is prepared to be generous, it cannot brook defiance from the. Ma.ii; in Samoa, was made by Premier Ward, in the House yesterday afternoun, when initiating a debate on the, Samoan Reports presented earlier in the session. He indicated that certain changes were to be made in the Samoan Legislative Council to give the Samoans greater representations, but be sard that the taxpayers of New Zealand “wore not going to be asked to make further - contributions to- Samoa while the Government wa.-i being met with ingratitude and hostility. •‘The Government’s policy with regard to the territory is a. simple one, and I think hag already been made quite clear,” said tbo Prime Minister. “We deeply deplore the existing dCseusion, and we arc and always have boon prepared to take any step that is possible to bring to an end the present unsatisfactory state of affairs.” Mr H. IC. Holland (Leader of the ■Labour Party): “Have you considered recalling the deportation- orders?” “No,” Replied Sir Jp;epih. That was one of ill© matter-!.;- upon which the Government was being defied, 'and it could not give way on it. The Government must rule. It was prepa,red to meet the aspirations of the Man, hub the Government could not agree that the Mau should take the law into it; own hand'?. “We arc not only willing hut anxious,” he said, “to consider in a sympathetic and generous ‘spirit any representation.; that may be brought before w, and we are profoundly in earnest in our desire to -act in all tilings only for the benefit of the Samoan people as, a whole. "We are anxious also to as/oemte the Sa,moan.; with us- in the guidance and'' suhninilteration of the territory to as great, an extent as may ,lie possible now, and to a, proportiohately - ineboasing extent in the future. MR COATES CONCURS The Leader 7 of the Oppo ition (the Right Hon. J. i(J-. Cc-ale.;) str.d he concurred with The views that had been expressed by the Prime. Minister. Mr E. J. Howard JLa hour, Christchurch South): Naturally, it’s your IX)! icy. ; . THE VOICE pE LABOUR Air Howard (Labour) led a, Labour attack. He .inserted that there Jnul never been a. more successful administration of the giative trace than that of the Maoips in New Zealand and he urged that New Zealanders themselves -should govern Samoa., He asked the Prime Minister to suspend Jiis judgment until he had received a. report on. the subject from the Native Minister (Hon. A. T. Ngata). Lie moved an amendmcuit to the original motion (that the report be referred back to the Government for consideration) as follow;: “That it he a. recommendation that the policy of 'Western- Samoa be recast, so as to bring our administration of the mandat© into line with our declared policy of Samoa, lor Samoan's. ’ ’

S}i'i- A. T. iNgata concluded a fine speech in which lie emphasised that the Maori and the Sampan were not in close touch by expressing the hope that Mr Howard would isee his way to withdraw the amendment, au it could not very well alter the position. Air Howard: We will .let it go on the voices' after your vicry find i pooch.

The amendment was then put and rejected on the voices.