SAMOAN HAPPINESS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20538, 12 April 1930, Page 14

SAMOAN HAPPINESS.

Sir, —A remark by Dr. Peter Buck during his Auckland lecture has been seized upon by a number of people as an argument against New Zealand rule in Western Samoa. As one who attended the lecture, may I say that at the outset he stated clearly that he had no comment to make in regard to Samoan politics. Later he spoke of the culture of the Samoans as adequate for their happiness and asked what more could we give them. To anyone not blinded by prejudice it was clear that the "we" meant Europeans in general, and that no charge against New Zealand was implied. It was the old cry of regret that European culture had been imposed upon a primitive people, and it was hardly necessary for the lecturer to inform an enlightened audience that the imposition began with missionaries and traders 100 years ago, and that it. was no more possible to wipe it out now in regard to Samoa than it would be to remove the European and all his works from New Zealand. Tho chief point of difference between the German rule and the New Zealand rule in its effect upon Samoan happiness has been that New Zealand has removed the ravages of yaws, hookworm and tona, but did not' succeed in keeping out the influenza of 1918. The troubles of the last few years are passing disturbances which have been manufactured by the trading interests. Under Dr. Buck's ideal these interests naturally would have to be uprooted and entirely removed from Samoa, The introduction by traders of money, corned beef, cloth and gee-gaws has done more to change the essentials of the original Samou3 life than any administrative action of the Powers, Germany or New Zealand. Context.