''Widen Samoa Commission's Scope"

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 144, 8 September 1927, Page 11

''Widen Samoa Commission's Scope"

HON. 0. F. NELSON’S PLEA NEGOTIATIONS WITH PRIME MINISTER ' “JN the hope that the New Zealand Government may be induced to make the scope of the commission wide enough to include all questions which led to, or which arose out of the present unrest in Samoa, i have been negotiating with the Prime Minister through my counsel. Sir John Findlay,” said the Hon. O. F. Nelson this morning. T° Sa3r the Royal Commission would not be competent to deal with the deportation of Europeans, as j that point has been decided on by j Parliament, is not logic,” continued j Mr. Nelson. “The banishment of natives from one part of the islands to j another has also been decided on by j Parliament in the Samoa Bill just i passed, yet the Royal Commission is empowered to inquire into that.’ BEARING ON UNREST. “No guarantee has yet been offered j that the disaffected majority of the j people of Samoa would be given free scope to gather witnesses and collect j evidence aided by counsel and unfet- i tered by restrictions. Neither has the request made by Sir John Findlay to allow the Royal Commission to inquire into certain alleged corrupt practices by government officials in Samoa been allowed. Yet this has a great hearing on the present unrest. “It is a great pity, to say the least of it, that men of undoubted integrity, such as Sir Charles Skerrett and Judge MacCormick be asked to undertake an important inquiry on such a momentous question with the limitations now imposed, and under conditions which might well arouse the suspicion of the people of Samoa, thus resulting in discredit ori their mission. “It is hoped that the New Zealand Government, even at this late hour, will show the necessary goodwill and impartiality by allowing the commission and the Samoan people the time, scope and freedom of action to get to the root of the trouble,” concluded MiNelson.