SAMOAN GRIEVANCE

Hokitika Guardian, 19 January 1929, Page 3

SAMOAN GRIEVANCE

AV ASTFFUL EXPENDITURE ALLEGED. AUCKLAND, Jan. 17. “New Zealand has established tor Samoa machinery almost c-ostly enough to run the North Island. There is a costly Government House, there are upper ami lower Houses of Parliament, high courts and low courts and appeal courts,'chief judges and puisne judges, magistrates, police inspectors and the whole paraphernalia of a highly organised European country, and only 8500 taxpayers.” This was a statement made by Mr A. Hall Skelton, president of the Samoan Defence League, when lie was referring to Samoan grievances this afternoon. “Tfie ruling cause of discontent and passive resistance to, taxation, said Mr Skelton,, is the boiTOwing by the Adnplustration and the wasteful expenditure of running the administrative. system. The. money spent in governing the mandated territory is out of all proportion to the size and importance of the, country, which has a population of only -iO.OOf). people all told, only 300 cvf whom are Europeans, and these mostly Government officials. “Samoa is a poor country. I doubt whether the total production reaches £300,000 per annum. They have no gold mines, herds of cattle or flocks of sheep. Fruit and copra are the main items of trade and there are only 8500 persons in a position to be taxed, and yet. this territory is asked to support a Government House costing £SOOO per year, including on the domestic staff over a dozen Chinese servants. The Public Service Commissioner, Air Versoliaffeit, and his associates who have been in Samoa recently investigating the finances and administration of the mandatory, must haw been very surprised at what their inquiries disclosed and the investigation is being continued in Wellington. The public are likely to get something of an eyeopener when the report is -presented to the Government, and released lor publication. “Samoa had no national debt when New Zealand took charge. On the other hand it had £2oo.(X>:> invested in New Zealand bonds. These have been sold and the money dissipated and there is very little to show for the expenditure. On the public works policy inaugurated by the Admnistration I understand that another £150.000 has been borrowed and has gone the same road. On March *ll last the Administration was £38,000 to the bad. Section 32 of the Samoa Act of 1921 states" that all moneys coming into the Samoan Treasury may he expended by the Adniiiistrator for public purposes as hq thinks fit. The Now Zealand Minister of Finance, under Section 33, by Order-in-Council may pay. out of the New Zealand Treasury moneys by loan for capital expenditure for public works. These loans have to slio\v the rate of interest payable and the terms of repayment and have a sinking fund to extinguish them in thirty years. The vital importance of the financial question rises from the clause which states that to meet emergent necessities the Minister of Finance may make temporary advances to the Samoan Treasury out. of the public account for unauthorised expenditure, but all such advances must be repaid within six months after the making thereof. The investigating committee will, nq doubt, have found that advances granted under, this section have not been repaid and that the financial sections of the Act generally have been flagrantly broken. As far as the administrative.cost of running this handful of poor people is concerned I have not the slightest doubt that it will be found that Samoa is in a state of complete bankruptcy. Until an inexpensive and simple form of administration is inaugurated to supersede the present spectacular and expensive system, and under which Samoans will be invited to take part under proper representation, there will be discontent and grumblings. “It is reported,” concluded -Mr Skelton, “that immediately after the inquiry committee left Samoa an important Government official committed suicide. This news was not -published in New Zealand at the time, due no doubt, to the strict censorship maintained.”