SAMOAN AFFAIRS.

Grey River Argus, 13 October 1922, Page 3

SAMOAN AFFAIRS.

DEBATE IN THE HOUSE. WELLINGTON, October 10. The House of Representatives discussed the report of the Department of External Affairs on Samoa. The Hon. E. P. Lee explained hat the report was the second that had been prepared by the Department for submission to the League, of Nations concerning the administration of the Mandated territory of Samoa. The first consideration of the New Zealand Government in the task allotted to it by the League of Nations was the good of the Samoan people. He regretted that the Prime Minister had not been able to visit the islands as intended, to personally investigate th-' position there, but his visit, though delayed, was not abandoned, and he hoped that next year he would be able to carry out his intention to go to Samoa. He referred to the two meetings which were held in April and June at which native representatives had carefully considered the Samoan Act passed by the New Zealand Parliament. The result of those consultations and considerations was that they had dispelled any fears and doubts which hau arisen and the natives now came to the conclusion that New Zealand’s administration was acting solely for their benefit and everything was now going on smoothly and satisfactorily, under the administrator, of whose services he spoke in highest terms. Proceeding, he defended the Medical Service against the series of charges brought against it at various times by various people. Referring to the stall required to carry on the administration, he declared that it had been reduced fb a minimum and that good service was being given by the officers employed. As to the Chinese there, those who had previously expressed the opinion that this class of labour was not detrimental to the Samoan people, had not changed th-eir opinion in the least. So far as the Chinese themselves were concerned, their conditions were infinitely better than if they had remained in their own country, and they Dad no grievance. The position was that the plantations could not be carried on by white labour. They must therefore employ Chinese labour or abandon (Tie plantations. If the Chinese labour was taken away from Samoa, the islands would become a prey to the rhinoceros beetle. The Minister stated that Colonel Tate, the Administrator, was retiring at the end of the year. He had been in charge of the islands for about seven years. Mr H. E. Holland said the issue between the Govern m er. I and the Labour Party was one of slavery, and they proposed, before the debate closed, to get a division on the question of" indentured labour. He deprecated the proposal to flog Samoans for thefts, contending that they were in a condition of tribal communism, and could not understand the meaning of personal property. Under the circumstances, the. suggestion in the report was a brutal one, which he hoped would not bo carried into effect. Dealing with indentured labour, Mr. H<>l

land declared that the Chinese were increasing, with the result that crime ! and disease were also increasing. Tie | position of these men was one of vir- ■ trial slavery, and here, as well as . everywhere where oppression and repression took place, secret societies . were called into existence. He quoted j Tie ordnances for the purpose of re- ■ pressing these societies, declaring that tlf-cse ordnances were copied from the . German law. He declared that full in- : formation was not given to the League of Nations. The League was never | told that Chinese were allowed 10 ■ marry native women, and that when the time came to repatriate the Chinese labourers, husbands were taken away from wives, and fathers from children. If the League was told that, he felt confident that it would stop the I scheme at once. If he was asked I what the Labour Party would put in the place of indentured labour, he would say that not a single plantation j was worth the state of degradation : and immorality which resulted from . that form of labour, and that it would | be better to let the plantations go back to nature rather than make the sacriflees which the present sysem caio ! for. He was fully convinced that the Samoans could, be induced to work tire plantations if they were offered suit able conditions, but they would not | work for 30s a mouth, the wages that | were paid to the Chinese coolies. To i th-e motion that the report do lie on the table, Mr Holland moved tue fol lowing amendment: — “This House is of the opinion that there should be no further importations of Chinese or other indentured labourers into Western Samoa, nor any reindenturing of time-expired indentured labourers. Further, that this House deplores the proposal contained in the report for the year ended March 31st, 1922 to resort to the punishment ot whipping (or flogging) in the case of young Samoans convicted of theft.” The amendment was seconded by Mr Munro ,who said he was anxious to know whence the indentured labourers came, since no indentured labourer could be carried in a British ship. Mr Sidey complained that as in New Zealand, the Government had not made adequate efforts to economise in Samoa. 'With a falling revenue, no attempt had been made to meet it. On the other hand the expenditure had

gone up which did not look, as if the Government appreciated the situation. He maintained that the money found i for expenditure on public works in ■ Samoa was being found out of Now I Zealand loans, and declared that it was ! time that the finances of the island were carefully looked into, because so ; far as he could see, no attempt was ‘ being made at economy, and the islands were likely to become a heavy burden on this Dominion. To h> ; ; Blind the menace of Chinese in Samoa i was a moral menace, and he wanted jto know to what extent the Chinese . labourers had been permitted to bring their wives with them. The methods of destroying TTie beetle were described as primitive, and ho regretted that the report had nothing to say on the important subject of the population ot I these islands. Was it or was it not I increasing?. He agreed that Colonel Tate had accomplished good work as Administrator, and he agreed that the first duty of the Government was to : carefully guard the welfare of the i : Samoan people. I Mr McCombs declared that the British Government had forbidden indentured labour, and it was a reflec- • tion on the honour of New Zealand I. that it should carry it on in the face of that prohibition. After Mr Lysnar had supported the ! policy of the Government ,a division was taken, when Air Holland’s amend- ; nient was defeated by 27 votes to 9, those votiag for the amendment being: Messrs Sidey, Masters, Edie, Veitch, Holland, Fraser, Barry, Munro and -McCombs. The motion was agreed to. “I have noticed,” said the Hon. E. P. Lee, replying after the division on Air H. Holland’s amendment had been taken, “how several of the Liberals have allied themselves with the opinions expressed by the Leader of the , Labour Party and his followers. I note among those who supported the Leader of the Labour Party the actin g-Leader of the Opposition (the member for Dunedin South, Mr Sidey), and i one or two others whose names the ’ i public will be able to ascertain from : looking at the division list. I Air R. Masters: There is no need ; 1 for you to worry about it. | Air Lee: No, I am not worrying 1 about it, and I hope the gentlemen, on the other side, who voted with the Labour Party; will not worry;.