Party Skirmish

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 409, 18 July 1928, Page 1

Party Skirmish

HOUSE DISCUSSES SAMOA Mr. Holland Promises More (THE SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter.J WELLINGTON, Tuesday. PARTY keenness became evident, for the first time this session, when the report of the Royal Commission on Samoan affairs, a document which has not previously been before Parliament, was placed on the table of the House of Representatives this afternoon. “There is plenty more criticism to come,” said the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. H. E. Holland, when the Hon. W. Nosworthy, introducing the report, said Mr. Holland had criticised the Samoan Administration from one end of the country to the other.

In another sharp retort to Mr. Nosirorthy, Mr. Holland said not a statement in his pamphlet, with which he had supported his political speeches, had been denied. The responses of the Hon. W. Triggs, M.L.C., were personal attacks, not replies. Mr. Nosworthy said the campaign of misrepresentation over Samoa had been, to him. one of the sad episodes of New Zealand’s history. He was Stad the general eleotion, thanks to the commission, would not have to be fought in a fog of misrepresentation. The Government had been charged with Moscow methods. Mr. Holland: That wasn’t fair of Sir Joseph Carruthers. He was the man who said it. It wasn’t fair to Moscow. Mr. Nosworthy referred to the rejection of Mr. Nelson’s pleas by tne PriTy Council, the highest tribunal under the British flag, upholding the highest princicles of British justice. A Labour member: You’re veiy British. Quite British Mr. Nosworthy, Yes. quite British. He went on to say the attiude of the Leader of the Opposition had been to uphold every country but his own, and attack his own at every possible opportunity. . . Mr. K. E. Holland said the Minister should give up talking nonsense. In its supreme egotism the Reform Party thought any criticism directed against it was directed, first against the country, and then against the British Empire. “It’s a gross violation of British justice, ” said Mr. Holland, referring to the trials of Messrs. Smythe and Gurr, prior to their deportation. Exchanges of interjections, as Mr. Holland proceeded, led the Speaker to call firmly for order Mr. Holland protested against th foct that the report of the Commission had not been given to members of Parliament for some time after it was delivered to the Government. He himself was not concerned with, the individuals concerned in the agitation, exin the upholding of whatever Principles of liberty and justice New Zealand at present possessed. After discussing the origin of the bauble, and the scope of the report the Commission’s investigation. ® r - Holland said that every answer a negative. The Prime Minister: There is nothlnS in that. Holland: No, nothing at all. Questions of primary importance, e contended, had been overlooked. these was the question of auishments before the formation of the Mau. He commented on the Minister’s re3al. in the face of persistent reto furnish the balance sheet bai 6 reparati °us estates. Were those aiance sheets not forthcoming be inrntk** 16 -Administrator had dipped th« q C funds of the estates whenever short^ m ° aU * reasury happened to be

ministerial chorus: No. bot>> r * u P ' Lee ant * Sir John Luke A ri . the policy of the Administration. thr^ L J n f ? f a ,k as been the football of dona 1 . e world’s most powerful nac<W<Wh .i* r ' B - J ’ Howard, who that General Richardson,

rather than being the actual cause of the trouble, was the victim through his inheritance of earlier mistakes. Mr. Howard denied that the Labour Party was inconsistent in supporting the rich traders. The Government had no more right to wrong the rich man than to wrong the poor man. Prime Minister’s Reply Mr. Coates, replying to Mr. Holland’s criticism, said that Mr. Holland had a heavy responsibility on his shoulders. His words went far afield to many parts of the British Empire. He would say that if the worst happened, and blood were shed in Samoa, the responsibility would be on Mr. Holland’s shoulders. The natives of Samoa believed Mr. Holland had a big following. Mr. Holland: You’re not denying that, are you? Mr. Coates: I’d be sorry to think many people shared Mr. Holland’s opinions as to Samoa. Mr. Holland, he said, was employing a smoke screen to hide the real issues. To advocate self-government in Samoa was to advocate the impossible. The Mau hardly represented 50 per cent, of the Samoans. Mr. Holland: Ninety per cent.

Mr. Coates: That is an exaggeration. If you gave Samoa self-government to-morrow you would have civil war at once. Mr. Holland has not made any contribution to peace in Samoa. I should like to see the election fought on the Samoan issue. Mr. Coates said that Mr. Holland had agreed to accept the decision of the commission.

Mr. Holland: I won’t permit you to put words in my mouth that are not in Hansard Mr. Coates disagreed with the Labour view that copra was not the direct cause of the trouble, and charged Mr. Holland with making generally misleading observations and quotations from the commission's report. Mr. J. A. Lee: I don’t care what any commission or judge may report. I am not going to agree, and I don’t think the people of this country will agree to the abrogation of the principle of trial by jury. Mr. Coates: Do you say the banishment cases should have been tried by jury.

Mr. Lee said that he certainly thought so. What was good enough for the people of New Zealand was good enough for the people of Samoa. Mr. W. D. Lysnar complimented the Government on the change of control in Samoa. He believed the trouble largely originated with the Minister of External Affairs,' the Hon. W. Nosworthy, and the Administrator. The powers of deportation given the Samoan were altogether too wide.

Mr. D. G. Sullivan twitted Mr. Coates with misrepresentation of Mr. Holland. The debate then was continued on familiar lines by Messrs J. Mason. J. Bartram. C. E. MacMillan and the Hon. R. A. Wright. Labour interjections were frequent when Mr. Nosworthy spoke in reply to criticism.

Mr. Nosworthy quoted from the Royal Commission’s report to show that not one allegation of the Citizens’ Committee regarding Samoan finances had been supported by evidence. There was no excuse for misleading the Samoans, who were a childlike people and had been dragged into trouble likely to lead to bloodshed. New Zealand was in Samoa to govern in the Samoans’ interests. At 11 35 the motion that the report lie on the table was agreed to on the V °The debate concluded toward midnight.