WESTERN SAMOA.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 3 April 1929, Page 8

WESTERN SAMOA.

PROCEEDINGS FOR ALLEGED LIBEL WITHDRAWN. (By Telegraph—!*reiw Association.) AUCKLAND. April 2. The report that he had instituted proceedings for alleged libel against Sir .Joseph Carru thers, of Sydney, but had withdrawn them upon receiving a retraction, was confirmed to-day by Sir George Richardson, late Administrator of Western Samoa, Sir George said - “It came to my knowledge that Sir Joseph Carru the rs had charged me personally with being responsible for what was said to be the root cause of the agitation in Samoa — the influenza epidemic. His allegation in effect was that by officiousness and neglect of duty I had allowed the epidemic to get into Samoa, with the result that there had been a large number of deaths, for which the Samoans continued to hold New Zealand responsible. “As Sir Joseph had reopened the question and had declared me to have been personally responsible for the root cause of the whole trouble, 1 felt J should at least vindicate myself so far as this particular charge was concerned. I took steps accordingly, but a timely apology prevented further legal proceedings.”