AN ISLAND OFFICIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19125, 17 September 1925, Page 8

AN ISLAND OFFICIAL.

DISMISSAL FROM OFFICE. . "A GRAVE INJUSTICE" REINSTATEMENT RECOMMENDED. [BI TELEGBAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER. ] WELLINGTON. Wednesday. A former Resident Commissioner for Savaii, in Western Samoa, William Saunderson Cooper, who was compelled to resign from his position in May, 1923, petitioned Parliament some time ago asking that he be reinstated in an equivalent administrative position. To-day the petition was returned from the Petitions Committee with the following recommendation : " That the committee is of the opinion that thp petitioner has suffered a grave injustice, and is entitled to reinstatement in an administrative position in the Island service, and therefore recommends this petition to the Government for urgent and favourable consideration." Mr. Cooper is now a resident of Wellington, and last session he petitioned Parliament for reinstatement. * Although on that occasion the committee recommended the petition for favourable consideration, no action was taken by the Government. Mr. Cooper stated that after 10 years of faithful servico he had been virtually dismissed unheard on charges which were respectively six and eight months' old when they were preferred against him, and of which he had no warning, formal or informal, spoken or written, during all those months. The petitioner also alleged that Colonel R. W. Tate, who asked liim for his resignation, showed an incredible ignorance of the fundamental facts of the case.