SAMOAN FAIPULE

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 12016, 19 December 1924, Page 10

SAMOAN FAIPULE

VISIT TO MASTERTON INTERESTING, TOJ7R OF WAIRA- / RAPA DISTRICT. ENTERTAINED BY CITIZENS' (By Telegraph—Special to ‘‘Times.”) • MASTERTON, December 18. ■ •. The Samoan Faipule who are making' a tour of New Zealand as. tlie guests of the. Government arrived in: Masterton to-day, and wore, entertained as the gufests of the municipality. The party I were motored, to the municipal buildings where there.- was a large assemblage ;of< thek-ipublic. Mr Pragnell, Mayor of Masterton;‘tendered a hearty welodme - to - thd ’-visitors, who .' were; greeted as the legislators of the native' race of Samoa. Mr.P.ragnell said they, were unlike the Mloris (who were their, hrst oousins), in tljat they had a .Par-' liament of their own > and were not, merged- into one parliament with the white population' like the Maoris were.: The speaker, hoped the time was not far distant when they would he merged, with the whi tie population • in one parliament, and he hoped they would prosper under the Union Jack, the rule of Great Britain, and that they would progress in every way.! GRATEFUL. FOR RECEPTION. ~ Toelupe, in reply,;' said . the kind. re-: caption had touched'tHeir 'Hearts, and they thanked'kthein in Samoan ; fashion bv placing their hands, on theiii heads; They hadTiad"an idea" that the towns Of!' New Zealand were all round the coast,' but now-they, found- after travelling so' many miles by. rail such a lovely city as -Masterton. They; had come today with, their Samoan mother, Mrs Richafdson,. and-' their hearts were 'filled with gratitude : for all that had been done fo# Sampa by New Zealand, and also for the‘receptions accorded them' since, their arrival here. SATISFIED'WITH GOVERNMENT.

They . would like to express their * utmost satisfaction with the Govern > ment of Sanloa, especially the adminis . tration of. General Richardson. They hoped that on this visit 'they, would learn, much- about the. industries of* the Dominion, ~ some of whioh could be carried on in * Samoa, and they had only irae thought jlpd one prayer: “May the ■British flag- ay over them forever,” for ■j was it nop.GiTeat* Britain that had -first taken Gospel, and they still' Stuck to.the Bible as the foundation oftheir beliefs * and progress. .GOD NEW ZEALAND. Great Ryitain also sent her sons to -take Sajnoa? f3’om the- and this was why*Sartioa wanted to stiek to New Zealand! - They thanked-.'them Tor the invitation to. New .Zealand, and intend®d to any information gain*ed increasmg their. m hrolth matters adff'in education., 'ln; .conclusion; "he' - would say: ."May Gdd' ,bless Now Zealand, and may she *con fmue to prospey.” - . The visitors were entertained at. luncheon: and were later motored to 'Tyneside 1 station to witness shearing .operations, and returned to Wellington un the afternoon. ' ~-* <