A.—4b,

There is also in eacli village or town a Village Committee, consisting of the chiefs and tulafales, which supervises village or town affairs, and is entitled to send remits for the consideration of the District Council. The system of Village Committees was in operation at the time of the coming in force of the mandate, and probably for years previously ; but no positive legal sanction for its operation existed. The Village Committee carried on as before. By the Native Regulations (Samoa) Order, 1925, it was provided in clause 14, — The Administrator may for the more convenient government of the villages in any district appoint Village Committees with such constitution as he thinks fit, and may, in addition to the executive powers conferred on such committees by these regulations, confer on them from time to time such further executive powers as he thinks fit. Such constitution and further executive powers shall be such as may be notified from time to time in the Savali. Tliis power has not been exercised by the Administrator, but he has allowed the Village Committees to function in the same manner as they formerly did (page 379). The Administrator stated that he had not appointed any individual member of a Village Committee. It is clear that the committee is composed in the same way as formerly —of the chiefs and tulafales of the village or town. He also stated that he defined the duties of the Village Committees ; but the definition was not brought before us. 2. Faipules. —For each district or subdistrict there is, as before explained, a paid Government official known as a Faipule. His salary is £30 per annum. We will deal at a later stage with the controversy which has arisen as to the method of their appointment. This method is now regulated by the statute which also recognizes and defines the duties of the Forio of Faipules. Section 4of the amending Act of 1923 provides : — 4. (1) The Administrator may from time to time, by Warrant under his hand and the Public Seal of Samoa, appoint such number of Samoans as he thinks fit to be Faipules. No person shall be appointed as a Faipule under this section who is not qualified, in accordance with existing Samoan usage and custom, to occupy the position of Faipule in any council or body having advisory functions. (2) The appointment of any person as a Faipule (whether such appointment has been made before or after the commencement of this Act) may be at any time revoked by the Administrator for any cause that he deems sufficient. (3) All persons for the time being holding appointment as Faipules shall together constitute a Council of Advisors to the Administrator, under the name of the Fono of Faipules, and shall meet at such times and places as the Administrator from time to time appoints in that behalf. (4) The Administrator shall preside at any meeting of the Fono of Faipules at which he is present. (5) It shall be the function of the Fono of Faipules to consider such matters relative to the welfare of the Samoan people as of their own initiative they think proper or as may be submitted to them by the Administrator, and to express their opinions and make their recommendations to the Administrator. The duties of the Faipule are important, and are set out in the booklet referred to by Mr. Lewis, the Secretary for Native Affairs, in his evidence. He is the representative of his district on the Fono or Council of Faipules. 3. Fa'amasino. —As before stated, for each district or subdistrict a paid Fa'amasino or Native Magistrate is appointed. His jurisdiction and duties are set out in the booklet before referred to. 4. District Councils, how appointed.—Councils consisting of the chiefs and tulafales of each district were established. They were, as we have said, the counterpart of the old Native District Councils. They were regularized by the Native Regulations (Samoa) Order, 1925, which defined their constitution, functions, and powers. A copy of this Order is Exhibit No. 70. The functions of a District Council are set out in clause 6 of the Order :— {a) The more convenient administration of the district for which it is established and the maintenance of law and order therein ; and (ib) The making of by-laws for the district more particularly defining the duties of the Samoans resident in that district in regard to the matters set out in the next succeeding clause ; and (e) The exercising of the executive powers which are conferred on District Councils by these regulations, or which the Administrator shall from time to time, in his discretion, confer upon them. The Faipule of the district presides over meetings of the District Council. The power given to the Faipule to determine the number of the chiefs of the district

XVIII