SIR FRANCIS IN AND SIR FRANCIS OUT.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 5 September 1929, Page 7

SIR FRANCIS IN AND SIR FRANCIS OUT.

CRITICISES COMMISSION APPOINTED BY HIS PARTY

HON. T. K. SIDEY IN REPLY, WELLINGTON, Last Night. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 io-day. Replying to Sir Francis Bell’s criticism in support of'his motion expressing regret that the recommendations of tho ■officers who recently reported on the Civil Service and finance in Samoa had been made without due regard for the principles hitherto observed in the performance of the Dominion’s duties under the Mandate, Hon. "T, K. Sidey said he wanted to show there was another side to tho question. Sir Francis Bell had said he did not wish to attack the officers who had reported, but Mr. Sidey submited the charges could only bo construed in that way. Sir Francis Bell’s speech was one of the .most extraordinary he had heard for the officers criticised had oeon appointed by the Reform Government of which .Sir Francis was a member. He asked what more competent officers could have been found for the purpose than the Public Service Commissioner and the second in command of tho Treasury, and, he added, it was only natural the third member should have been the Secretary of the External Affairs Department. Mr. Sidey. pointed out that the recommendations had been generally endorsed by the Administrator, who had also been appointed by the late Government.

Sir Francis Bell then was on the horns of a dilemma. Either he must accept the recommendations or condemn the Government of which he had been a member. He wont on to reply in turn to the various points of the criticism made by Sir Francis and said while he could not refer to them all, he was satisfied there was a sufficient reply in each case. The recommendations of the committee must be regarded ip the light of the trouble existing Ip Samoa. He contended the Members q| the committee had acted with the best intentions and could not. bo blamed if in some respects they had shown lack of judgment.

Complaint had been made of the military spirit of the administration in

Samoa, but how else were the natives to be dealt with when they refused to pay their taxes 1 The conditions in Samoa were entirely different from normal conditions we were accustomed to in New Zealand and had to be viewed in that light. In regard to one main point of Sir Francis Bell’s criticism—the recommendation that the Samoan Budget bo balanced without aid, from New Zealand—Mr. Sidey pointed out that Mr. Coates Had instructed the officials before they left if possible to eliminate or reduce the financial calls by Samoa on New Zealand taxpayers, Mr. Sidey said he had been wondering what would have been Sir Francis Boll’s attitude to the report if tho late Govcrnmbnt had remained in office. Sir Francis Bell: “It would not havo been published.” Mr. Sidey said Sir Francis Bell could not have taken up the same position in the Council without being disloyal to the Administration of which ho was a, member. In reply Sir Francis Bell asked leave to withdraw the motion. He expressed disappointment at Mr. Sidey’s reply on certain questions and said he had meant in his motion that certain of the recommendations in the report wore inconsistent with our duty under the Mandate. He had not been convinced that Mr. Sidey did not entirely agree with him in that view. In fact, ho believed he did agree although it was difficult for him to say so. Sir Francis said he had not attacked the integrity of the officers, only their ignorance of the duty we had-undertaken as a mandatory and their ignorance of tropical conditions. The motion was withdrawn and the council adjourned at 4.20 until to-mor-row.