Samoan Affairs

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 179, 14 July 1927, Page 5

Samoan Affairs

Matter for N.Z. Government

COLONIAL SECRETARY QUESTIONED. NO COMPLAINTS RECEIVED. (By Cable —Press Assn. — Copyright.! (Received 14, 10.46 a.m.) . London, July 13. Replying to a question asking for details of the working of the Samoan mandate and whether complaints had been received, the Rt. Hon. L. M. Amery said the mandate was conferred by the King on behalf of the New Zealand Government, and not on behalf of the Government of thia country. “1 am therefore not in a position to make a statement. I have received no complaints. The New Zealand Government is the responsible one,”

Asked if he was aware that there there was much dissatisfaction regarding a particular administrator and not the New Zealand Government, the Hon. L. M. Amery answered that this must be raised in the New Zealand Parliament, to which th® administrator is responsible. Mr. P. A. Harris (Lab., Bethnal Green) said that the right place to appeal was the League mandates committee. Lord Apsley (Con,, Southampton) asked: Is it a fact that the New Zealand Government was short of trained civil servants? Could not we assist them? Mr. Amery replied that he had heard only the highest praise for the administration. Replying to Mr. J. H. Thomas, Mr. Amery said it was possible to raise the question in the House of Commons affecting territory for which the British Government was a mandatory, but not for that Government to question the actions of His Majesty’s other responsible Governments. He said Mr. Thomas was wrong in alleging that such a mandate was only given to New Zealand with the sanction of the House of Commons.—(A, and N.Z.)