PETITION TO HOUSE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19699, 27 July 1927, Page 13

PETITION TO HOUSE.

CO M M ITT E E TO C OftS lOE R IT.

NINE • MEMBERS APPOINTED.

SCOPE OF. <ITS 'INQUIRIES,

[BT TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] « WELLINGTON-., Tuesday,

A committee of nine members, ,w,ith power to confer with any similar committee' which may be appointed by the Legislative Council, was ; set up by the House of Representatives, ithis', afternoon to consider the petition which ►has been received from, the disaffected .'persons in Samoa. The personnel of the committee is the Hon. W. Nosworthy,, Minister'of External "Affairs, Sir Apirdnau Ngata',. Messrs. G. W. Forbes, A. Hamilton,, F. F. Hockly,' H. E. Holland, E.', JV Howard, E. P. Lee and J. Linklater.. ' ' There-was some discussion on-the-final clause of' the motion, that', having received the departmental report, the committee deems'any further action necessary it shall refer the * petition to the Administrator of Samoa for his arid comment, the committee : to defer : making its report until it has. received a reply from the Administrator. The' Leader of the Opposition, Mr. H." E. Holland, said everybody would'agree with the setting, up of the commiitfee,' but' he objected to the last" clause, which, if he understood it correctly, limited the evidence which the committee could take. In one way it limited the committee to the departmental reports,' but' if ther« was any evidence from Samoa the committee would be compelled to send it to the Administrator, whose administration was being appealed against, and it'would have to rely on his report. The committee would not b% worth while setting up unless it had power to call evidence from .Samoa. The Primo Minister, Mr.. Coates: This is the procedure laid ,down /by the League of Nations. It does not ftaaitJthe committee in, calling , evidence., Mr. Holland: I should, lik« to-be clear on that., The Government will have'a majority on the committee, but, if we have the Primo Minister's assurance that they will not stand;in the way.of bringing in any evidence which a s.eotiOn of the committee may desire, I -shall not have any, objection. , .■* s .

The Leader of the National; Paijty, Mr.' G. W. Forbes, said it was unusual'to give instructions to a committee; as; to-what action , it • should • follow.; .• The Prime Minister said it. had been explained to him by the 1 Government's legal advisers that the procedure suggested was necessary. In order, to-comply with the. terms of the mandate petitions must be referred to the Administrator for his report and' comhient. Mr.. Holland: Has the committee - the right to call evidence?, The Prime Minister: Certainly. Its powers to call for papers and persons aro not limited. - • ■ s . The clause was then passed .and another was added making it clear that the . committee had the power to,caill forepersons and papers. REMOVED FROM APIA. SAMOANS ON THE COMMITTEE ADVICE OF IMPARTIAL CHIEFS. [BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER. ] • WELLINGTON, Tuesday., Several questions concerning events in Samoa, including the reported cancellation of the licences of two'traders, were answered by. the Prime Minister, Mr. Coates, in. the House to-day. Mr. W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne)asked whether 'it was true that one' of the Samoans.who had made representations to. the Minister of External Affairs on behalf of the disaffected- section had Jsihce- been deported. How many disaffected Samoans, he-asked, had been deported since clause 6 (1) of the Samoap Immigration Consolidation Order , had been amended so as to give power to the Administrator to order any person to leave Samoa, without trial ? He also agked under what authority the licences of two traders,: had been cancelled and whose trading licences, had been cancelled. The Prime Minister replied that no Samoans had been deported, but the Administrator had found it necessary, acting on the advice of an impartial committee of chiefs, to remove five native members 'of the Citizens' Committee from Apia. The remaining native member of the committee had been imprisoned after trial by the Court. ■ . I As to the trading, licences, Mr.,Coates said, these licences could be cancelled under the authority- of. the -Taxation, Licensing and Revenue Ordinance, 1924,' which provided that where the Administrator was satisfied that the granting to any person of any new licence or. the. holding of any existing licence, might prejudicially affect, the peace,,order.or good, government of the territory, he might, order that no such licences be granted; or. that such existing licence, be-.cancelled. No official advice had been reoeiyed as to the cancellation of trading' licences.-