INQUISITORIAL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17175, 27 October 1926, Page 7

INQUISITORIAL

THE LEAGUE'S QUESTIONS A CRITICISED DOCUMENT (Special to the Herald.) * . WELLINGTON, this day. The questionnaire from the League of Nations which came under the critical notice of the New Zealand! and! Commonwealth Prime Ministers at the Imperial Conference last week is certainly a formidable document, framed' on lines of a skilled cross-examination. It contains 118 questions, and as some are subdivided into numerous sub-headings, the total of the replies expected of the mandate authorities greatly exceeds 200. "It should 1 be borne in mind 1 that the mandatories are victims of much propaganda, aiming to prove that the mandatories are not discharging their obligations properly," was one of the points made by Mr. Bruce, and the nature of \the long questionnaire bears out. the suggestion that it might have been framed for the benefit of critics. • Not only does it go far beyond the specific matters on which the mandate authority lias to satisfy the League of Nations Assembly, but some of the questions are so wide that complete and final answers could not be given, thus leaving the mandate authority open to the suggestion, of lack of frankness.

ORGANIC LAW, i For instance, New Zealanders could give a very succinct answer to question No. 1: "Is there any organic law in which the Mandatory Power has laid down and defined the status of the mandated territory? Please forward such changes' as have been made in the organic law." Question 2.—" To what extent is the territory financially and administratively •,n<u>tononums?" Question 3.—" Has a special national status been granted*to the native inhabitants? If. so, what is the legal or current term used to describe this special status?" Question 4.—" Do natives of the territory enjoy the same guarantee as regards the protection of their persons and •/•property in the territory of the mandatory power and in its colonies, protectorate and dependencies as the native . inhabitants of each or any of the latter ? If not, what treatment do they receive * in this Tespect?" . Question 5.—" What international treaties or conventions (general or special) apply to the territory?" Question 6.—" How fully has effect been given, as a consequence of the simulations of the mandate, to the principle of economic equality for all members of the League of Nations?" Under the head of "General Administration," the League of Nations, not only asks for a description of the methods, and the powers of the Administrator, but- a census of officials, the conditions of their appointment, and "are they entitled to a pension?" CONDITIONS OF LABOR.

Over 20 questions relate to conditions of labor, though much of this subject is duplicated elsewhere under the series relating to the- social, jmoral, and material conditions of the natives. The, Labor section is completed with the "interesting question; "Are there any trade unions in the territory? If so, have*these unions put forward any protests or demands!" A question seeking to discover the general method of education of natives, . and the expenditure thereon mightregarded as a reasonable requirement, but the questionnaire includes twelvn other queries covering the most minute detail regarding staffing, syllabus, and provision for non-natives. Every possible phase of the question is 'covered in the section relating to land tenure. I,t opens with this question: "Is the Government's policy directed towards the exploitation of the arable land by the establishment of large agricultural undertakings under -foreign management, or by the develop- \ ment of the system of native small holdings V.' Question 106 is particularly interesting as, indicative of the possibilities of the questionnaire in the hands of hostile critios. It is as follows: " Has the Mandatory Power acquired on its own account (and not in its capacity as Mandatory) any property, oi *jghts whatever in the territory? U so,, what propertv on rights? "On what basis does the States' proprietary title rest? " " Is this property subject to the same Hues and charses as' the property oi private individuals? " Is the State subject to the ordinary regulations regarding the recruiting and employment of the labor needed •for the evploitation of these lands? " How is the revenue of these lands employed?"

. . . MANY SUBJEOTR. Other subjects covered by the document are public finance, taxation (direct and indirect), trade statistics. judicial organisation, police. defence, aims and ammunition, liberty of conscienre and worship, alcohol, spirits and drugs; public health, forests, mines, and population. The mandate reports submitted by New have in the past b*>en the subject of favorable comment hecausp tljev have been so comnlete, but the task bv the current questionnaire would immensely increase the cost of printing and preparation, anavt Prem the fv*t that some of the nuestions arc practic'ly unanswerable. For n'intins alone. New 7ealand spent over C 7 OO on last year's Samoan reports, including the leifrthv federal report, and n specnl one of nearfv fifty pases. dealin? with the health of the Samoans. Oomrilicated documents of the kind "nder reV>iew will cause~ the representatives of Mandate Powers to r<"-j,-e tlieir /X - criticism of ?" expensive burpa"-racv at Geneva, which creates for itself an immense task in collating and re-pub-lisbino' the voluminous info-mation demanded from the Mandate Powers.