CONDITIONS IN SAMOA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22345, 17 February 1936, Page 12

CONDITIONS IN SAMOA

Sir.—Reporting on the minute# of the 28th session of the Permanent Mandates Commission, held from October 17 to November 2 of last year, the Herald correspondent in London quoted references by Sir James Parr at Geneva to the last annual report on "Western Samoa, in his support of that report before the Mandates Comniission. The report states: —"The Man is moribund; the great bulk of the Sa moans go about their daily occupations unconcerned with it, and practical administration is in no way affected." But the great bulk of the New Zealand people who voted the late Government out of power also went about their daily occupations before the general elections as if they were unconcerned with the political situation in New, Zealand. Would anyone suggest that the Labour Party was moribund at the time? If -it were, whence the wonderful victory scored at the polls? Would not the Mau score an even greater victory if an election were held in Samoa to-day on similar conditions to those in New Zealand? Sir James Parr is quoted to have said that "If Lord Lugard were to land in Samoa to-morrow and ask what is the grievance of the Mau, he would be surprised, just as M. Palacios was surprised at the 26th session, to find that he could get nothing clear or explicit on the subject." Copies of the Samoan petition of 1931 to the Powers were supplied to the Government and press in New Zealand, the High Commissioner in London, and the members of the Mandates Commission. Would Sir James Parr or Lord Lugard or M. Palacios say there was "nothing clear or explicit" in the 134 clauses of that petition? I respectfully submit that the grievances of the Mau have h 6 ® ll given much more clearly and explicitly in documentary evidence than have the Mandatory's annual reports in regard to the prevailing unrest and'tho long-standing political controversy. 0. F. Nelson.