THURSDAY, DECEMBER SO, 1894.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10237, 20 December 1894, Page 2

THURSDAY, DECEMBER SO, 1894.

We have on a previous occasion expressed our opinionu in reference to a political connection of some kind between Samoa and New Zealand. We hare pointed out that the expense of New Zealand governing that island would be small, while the results would be advantageous in many ways to this colony. Samoa would purchase a considerable quantity of our manufactures, while most of its trade would be done through our commercial houses. It would, under a settled Government, afford scope for enterprise in the way of planting, and this ( would afford an opening for the young of our population. Samoa might grow rich by the growing of fruit alone, as is now the case with Jamaica and other West Indian colonies. With its affairs administered by New Zealand, Samoa would prosper, its native inhabitants would become more and more civilised, and the wars which, unhappily, have taken place at various times within the past few years would finally cease. We think there can be no doubt tha.t New Zealand is ranch better fitted to govern Samoa than a nation like Germany, which is unaccustomed to deal with colonies and which has not been successful >vith those it has. Nor has the United States the experience necessary. Consequently we thoroughly agree with some of the comments made by the Melbourne Age in its issue of Thursday last, and which we published on Friday among our cablegrams. But there are others to which we must take exception, and which we consider to be unwarranted and likely to have an ill effect. "When Lord Eosebery made the speech which has been so much talked about he was evidently ignorant that the New Zealand Government had a short time before that date made a proposal that they should govern Samoa. We cannot see, however, that this shows that "little or no interest is taken in colonial affairs by Imperial Ministers." The practice of ■ the various Government departments in England in reference to matters with which they deal is well known. Everything of minor importance is dealt with exclusively by the department to which it belongs, and it is only matters of very great importance that are brought before the Cabinet. The Secretary of State for the Colonies may have thought that the proposal made by New Zealand was not a matter which needed to be brought before the Cabinet or told to the Premier. The officials of the Colonial Office no doubt were of opinion that Germany would not consider the proposal of the New Zealand Government to administer the island on behalf of the three Powers as being essentially different from the annexation of Samoa by the British Empire. Quite recently—a considerable time after Lord Koseukbt's remarks, and a long time after the proposal of the New Zealand Government was notified to the Colonial Office — there was cabled here the fact that the President of the United States in his Message to Congress advised American withdrawal from Samoa on reasonable terms and without prejudice to treaty rights, suggesting this action because the present arrangement had not stimulated American trade or corrected the evils of Samoan administration. But it is quite probable—judging from the conduct of the United States in the past—that, if Britain had taken any