SAMOAN COMMISSION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20222, 7 October 1927, Page 9

SAMOAN COMMISSION

OBJECT OF THE MAU. SAMOAN SELF-GOVERNMENT. (Special to Press Association-.)

(By Radio.)

APIA, October 4. Leilus, living in banishment, attributed his situation to another native and a chief, against whom witness had taken court action because of abusive language. Cross-examined, witness admitted that nine of his -relatives had petitioned for his banishment and for his title to be taken away. Vevesi, formerly a pukenuu, deposed that he had been deprived of his title for no reason of which he knew. He had approached the Native Department with grievances against certain Faipules, and had been told to go back and reconcile them, but he had refused. He was a member of the Mau. He was unaware that the Government of Samoa by Samoans was the object of the Man, bid if the Mandates Committee gave Samoa the same privileges as Tonga had that would be all right. In answer to Sir Charles Skerrett, he said that he came to Apia yesterday from his home. Nobody had told him about the Mandates Commission. It was his own knowledge. Sir Charles Skerrett: ‘‘Very well.” Tagaloa Taloaina said that be had been imprisoned for refusal to obey the Administrator’s order to return to his home. He deposed that h<. knew of no acts of his or of the Mau to justify the order. They had been erviug for peace, order, and good government of the territory all the time. He admitted that the Administrator undertook to meet them and to listen to them in the towns and the villages, but that was not what they •wanted, so he had stayed on in Apia. The Government of Samoa hv Samoans was the general object of the Man. EVIDENCE TO BE CLASSIFIED. AVOIDING REPETITION. APIA, October 5. Tamaseu Taifu, a member of the Mau, informed the commission that Samoans wanted self-government. The Mau had told the neonle in the villages not to pay taxes and not to hand beetles to the Government officials but to the Mau representatives. Lavea Tauantino gave evidence that he was sent to prison for contempt of court. He had informed the Commissioner of the High Court that he would not allow his sons to appear in answer to a summons. Ail members of the Mau were told by the Mau to accept summonses from the High Court. He regarded the Citizens’ Committee (six Samoans and six Europeans), with the chiefs of Samoa, as the head of the Mau. The whole of the Mau, at a meeting at Lepea, had decided upon matters concerning which he had given evidence. The commission, at 4 o’clock-on Wednesday, rose an hour before time as a native witness was not forthcoming. Mr Meredith said that permission had been granted to certain banished chiefs to reremain in Ania for the purpose of giving evidence, and there seemed a danger of the concession being abused. He referred to Faumauina and Lagolago, leaders of the Mau movement, who, instead of giving evidence and then leaving Apia, were showing a tendency to stimulate the Mau movement. Sir Charles Skerrett; " We*must insist that the assurance already given is strictly observed.” Mr Slipper undertook to call them the next day, and said fjjat all his witnesses seemed to be attending a native reception to Mr Nelson at Lepea village and forgetting their duty. The commission, after a discussion, agreed to the proposal of counsel to consider and classify the evidence and to record it in order to avoid tedious repetition. ANOTHER BANISHED CHIEF. A LIST OF CONVICTIONS. (Special to Press Association.) (By Radio.) APIA, October 5. (Received Oct. 6, at 8.35 p.m.) Lagolago, formerly Afamasaga, gave evidence that he was twice banished, the first time from Pesega vilage, two miles from Apia, to his home village a few miles from Apia. He had lived at Pesega for six years, and had there a modern house. He and his wife lived in European style. Owing to the loss and inconvenience caused he went bankrupt, and was kept to assist the assignee in the store, and his banishment period expired without his having actually to live in banishment. The second banishment was in July last, from Pesega to the small island of Apolima. The Administrator alleged that witness and Faamuina were-leaders of the Mau, and had failed to use their best influence to disperse a large gathering from Apia. Cross-examined, witness admitted that he had been convicted for illicit brewing, theft of church moneys, and in connection with two native companies which were short of £3500, possibly lost in trading. He was unaware that his family’s request for the restoration of his title to him had been withdrawn until the last-named affair should b# cleaned up. He favoured the Legislative Council for Samoa, including three elected Samoans. The Administration’s proposed land law would turn the Samoans into the European way of thinking and caring for nobody but themselves. The Mau had been formed to ventilate the grievances of Samoa. The grievance against New Zealand began in 1918, in consequence of the influenza epidemic.