The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4, 1928. MR. HOLLAND AND THE SAMOAN TROUBLE.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 10475, 4 January 1928, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4, 1928. MR. HOLLAND AND THE SAMOAN TROUBLE.

The decision on the part of the Government to exercise its right to deport allegedly troublesome- residents from Western Samoa has resulted, as might have been anticipated. in an outburst ‘of - disapproval by Mr. Holland on behalf of the Labor Opposition. According to Mr Holland, what is proposed amounts to an outrage and to a. display of powers which lie describes as tyrannical. In regard to the need for the exercise of , extreme caution, in handling rebellions Samoans, this journal lias not seen any reason to changethe opinions it has already expressed. Sir Maui Pom are and Sir Apirana (X'gnta, it will lie remembered, took up a similar line of argument when tile Samoa Amendment- Bill was before the House. It. is, we, think, plain, however, that various influences not helpful to the Samoans have been operating. The Royal Commission found “that the first object 6f the Mau was to secure practically self-government for the Samoans and the second jiimpose was to frustrate and render ineffective the functioning of the Administration.” Such being the case, the Government has, of course, had no. option hut to delve to the very bottom of the trouble. It would now seem that it is convinced that Samoan affairs are not likely to become settled unless certain prominent residents are required to absent themselves from the mandated territory for fairly lengthy terms. Under this heading, Mr Holland says that JVIr Coates and his colleagues would n&it have dared to treat discontented'tlEuropeans or Maoris in minWi in a like manner. But is the analogy complete,F Messrs Gurr 'and Smyth,| two of those 'whom it is proposed tta depoi’t, are not of Samoan Wood, noli; was either born in Samoa, and the 1 third; the Hon. Mr, Nelson, wlto is partly Samoan,- is living as ,a VFJuropean, / It should he realised by Mr Holland that ho Government wiul'd tolerate tlio presence in this 1 Dominion of any oiit- ! Rider, no matfiqr if ho were Bhitishborn, if liis \im were to promote political revolt 'to the extent that he counselled .its presidents to 'disobey the laws and sen np a. rival Government, As, far as \apy revolt amongst tin? Maori ; peoplej , were concerned, measures would, .'assuredly, bo hastily token to. /suppress: it if it, went to such length’s, \The only possible

weakness in connection with the Government’s deportation decision lies insofar as it affects Mr Nelson. It is quite possible That the, adherents of the Mail may regard him as a “martyr:”* Should such be the case the «Mau may persist, continuing to prove a thorn in the side of the Government. In the long rim, the Government will probably have fo adopt the , advice of Sir Maui Pomare and Sir A. Ngata. and adopt means to cultivate, in greater degree, the genuine : friendship of , the Samoans.