SAMOA BANISHMENTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 259, 23 January 1928, Page 9

SAMOA BANISHMENTS

RECALCITRANT EDITOR’S CASE A LULL IN DEPORTATIONS A RADIO message from Apia, received in Auckland to-day, states that in regard to the Hon. G. E. L. Westbrook, the Hon. A. Williams and Mr. S. H. Meredith, who were summoned to appear before the Administrator on December 30 last, and show cause why they should not be deported on account of their hindering the Administration, the status quo continues.

A S stated in The Sun ou Saturday, -t*- the American Governor at Pago Pago has declined to vise the passport of Mr. E. W. Gurr, editor of the “Samoa Guardian,” whose deportation order was issued simultaneously

with those of the Hon. O. F. Nelson and Mr. A. G. Smyth, on Christmas Eve. Mr. Gurr’s intention was to live at Tutuila (American Samoa) until the deportation proceedings were finalised, but the refusal of the passport has result in the Administrator,, Sir George Richardson, ordering Mr. Gurr to proceed to Malololelei until the Tofua returns. Malololelei is a rest house in the hills, owned by the Samoan administration and situated about seven miles from Apia and three miles from R. L. Stevenson’s old home at Vailima —which is now Government House. The conditions governing Mr. Gurr’s compulsory rest at Malololelei are that he abstains from all political connections with the native organisation. The Administrator has also expressed his desire that the issue of the “Samoa Guardian,” published iu the native language, should be abandoned, and has also indicated that he may decline to approve of

the transfer of Mr. Gurr’s licence to publish a newspaper to Mr. W. Tarr, who was to relieve the deported editor. Mr. Tarr has been connected with the “Fiji Times” and other Pacific island papers for several years, and it was anticipated he would take charge of the “Samoa Guardian” while Mr. Gurr was absent.