SAMOAN COMMISSION

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 21 September 1927, Page 7

SAMOAN COMMISSION

SUPPLY OF INFORMATION.

METHOD OBJECTED TO. AN OPPOSITION PROTEST. (BY TELEGRAPH - PRESS ASSOCIATION.; WELLINGTON, Sept. 30. The Prime Minister moved, according to inotioe, that Standing Order No. 237 be so far suspended as to permit the supply, confidentially, to members of the Royal Commission appointed to report on certain matters rebating to the administration of Samoa of printed copies of the evidence adduced before the joint committee (to which was referred the petition from Samoa) together with a printed copy of flip address of counsel for petitioners. The Leader of the Opposition said lie had hoped the Prime Minister would have given some reason for such an extraordinary motion, which lie described as a back-door method. ITe hoped the House would insist upon the report from the committee' being made avail aid ato the House. He asked how it was that the Prime Minister had put into public print a 'recommendation by the Samoa Committee. How did the Prime Minister get to know the decision of the committee, which tlie members of the committee themselves were not permitted to give?

Mr Holland isaid he was referring to the statement made by the Prime Minister in a r'ifercnce he had made in regard to the Samoa Commission. If the motion were carried it would defeat its own .purpose. The commission was to .sit in public, but tlie evidence of the committee was to lie submitted to members of the. Commission confidentially. He asked j.f it were proposed that every document submitted to the committee shoui’d Ixj _ placed before the commission. No decision had been made bv the select committee authorising the evidence to he transmitted to Colonel Hutchen at SSlinoa. under seal until released to be handed to the commission.

He stated that neither lie . or any other member of the committee had been able to <?et corrected copies of the evidence, and he wanted to know whether it was corrected or unoorrected copies that were supplied td the commission and what bearing that would have on the deliberations of the commission. He also wanted to know whether the commission was ' going to the House or the Leageu of Nations. The Prime Minister remarked that the import would certainly go to t!he League of Nations. Proceeding. Mr Holland said the Government had limited the order of reference rto the Royal Commission by eliminating all reference to tihe deportations of Europeans. For this reason the evidence taken before the Parliamentary Committee would be of little use to the commission. General Richardson had at first refused a commission. Then he had applied for one, and that was because the Government did not want the committee to report to the House, because they knew that if it did so they would have to recall General, Richardson from Samoa. The Prime Minister:- Nonsense 1

Mr Holland said _Jdiat when -the House set up a committee for thp purpose of reporting to it, when great expense had been gone to and when tlie committee had almost readied the reporting stage, the Government had then suddenly changed its front and determined on a commission, so that the committee could -not report. If that was not the true mason, he then invited the Prime Minister to state what the reason was. Mr H. L. Tapley: Has the Parliamentary Committee finished its investigations ? Mr Holland said he was not permitted to say what the committee had done, but he maintained that this motion should not he agreed to until that committee, had brought, down its report to the House. Then the House would know wliaf the committee had ’Mr Lvsnar questioned the wisdom of passing the motion. It was against ali precedent that anything should go before a Judge of the Supreme Court confidentially, and the Chief Justice should refuse to receive the evidence on tliat condition.

Sir Apirana Ngata said the House would have to consider the question For the House to -debate the committee’s report while the matter was being investigated by the commission in Samoa, he believed would have a prejudicial effect on the Samoan people, whose interests it was their first duty to consider. For that reason the Government had quite rightly decided to obviate the debate. The only part ot the resolution lie did not. like was thj3 word. 4 ‘confidential.’ ’ He did not tihink the commission should be tied down by that word. Mr T. M. Wiford said he had looked up the authorities and he could find no precedent for such a motion as was moved by the Prime Minister. _ At the same time he was of the opinion that it would be wrong if the Royal Commission did not have the evidence before it for the benefit both of the commissioners and of counsel for Samoa. Mr P. Fraser said the motion was simply another move to cover up the Government's past blunders in connection with the Samoan administration, and its dealing with the crisis at present agitating Samoa. He protested against such a method of over-riding the House’s authority to get a. motion passed. ■ Mr J. McCombs said that the information could not he supplied by the committee if the resolution was carried, hut in that event it- cow'd also suppl} the information to anyone else confidentially. Mi McCombs protested that the members of the House were being gagged in another way. No Minister had given anv reason for the resolution. so members were unable to- examine or criticise them. The Prime Minister, replying, said hi; thought the resolution itself answered all the questions. It- was for the express purpose of preventing discussion, on Samoan affairs at the present stage. Those who had teen speaking could liardlv he said to have shown that thev had the interests of the Samoan people at heart. Such a discussion at this stage was wrong. ■

The fair, broad and national attitude to adopt was to accept the resolution -and '/it the commission get ahead with its inquire. Suggestions of “sinister” things were likely to have a detrimental effect on the' Samoan native mind. The only thing that affected the House was to stye that the native petitions in Samoa received the fullest consideration. The committee had not considered the evidence it heard^because the commission had .been appointed. There was no reason, however, why the committee should not report to the House. He would be readv to agree to cutting out the word ‘confidentially” from the” resolution -if a general discussion coud be- prevented before _ the House Committee had submitted its report Peplvinv to a question hv Mr W afford. the Sneaker ruled that the omission of the word “confidentially would remove all restrictions on what use the

commission might male© of the evidence. , ~ The Prime Minister said lie \voird be prepared to omit the word “confidentially” if this found pel-mission after the legal authorities had been consulted and the House would agree to a resolution so amended being re-sub-mitted. ; Later. Mr Holland isaid there mould! be no objection to such a course. The motion was then carried by 57 votes to 4. ' ■ "a