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to be exercised on his behalf by the New Zealand Government, a mandate for the administration of Western Samoa. By the Samoa Act, 1921, New Zealand made provision for a civil Administration to replace the wartime military regime. The new Constitution provided for a Legislative Council with unofficial members, and the Administration began to carry out a plan of building up a system of representative local government. Schemes for economic development were also undertaken. For some years considerable progress was made ; but in 1926 and 1927 the Administrator found himself faced with a growing body of opposition among both Samoans and the European community. It found an organized outlet in the Mau. The faults of the Administration had been in the matter of tactics, rather than in the over-all objectives of policy. But, for the time being, the opportunity for further progress was slight. In 1927 the Mau embarked on a programme of civil disobedience which lingered on until 1936. In 1936 agreement was reached with the leaders of the Mau, who thereupon re-entered political life. During the three years that followed, various preliminary steps were taken towards making the Samoan Administration more effectively representative. The participation of New Zealand in the Second World War from 1939 then restricted any further advancement. In December, 1946, the Trusteeship Agreement for Western Samoa was approved by the General Assembly of the United Nations, and the New Zealand Government, as the Administering Authority, formally committed itself to promote development of the Territory towards ultimate self-government. In accordance with the policy of the Administering Authority, the representatives of the Samoan people were consulted as to the terms of the Trusteeship Agreement when it was in its draft form. They declared that they recognized that the Agreement marked a considerable advance on the terms of the former mandate, and they expressed their appreciation of the sympathetic attitude of the New Zealand Government; but they concluded that their long-term aim of self-government would not be furthered by their acceptance of it. They asked instead that Samoa be granted self-government, with New Zealand remaining as advisor and protector. New Zealand's obligations to the United Nations did not permit of the withdrawal of the Territory from the scope of the Trusteeship system, even had the Administering Authority been willing to agree to such a proposal. It was therefore agreed with the Samoan representatives that the Trusteeship Agreement should be proceeded with, but that a petition containing their opinions should be forwarded to the Secretary-General of the United Nations through the New Zealand Government. This was done in January, 1947 ; the terms of the petition had already been informally communicated to the Sub-committee on Trusteeship by the New Zealand delegate in November, 1946. The petition was duly considered by the Trusteeship Council on 24th April, 1947, and, on the invitation of the New Zealand delegate, it was resolved to inquire into the matter on the spot. In July a Mission, led by the President of the Trusteeship Council (Mr. Francis B. Sayre), arrived in Western Samoa. It was accompanied by a representative of the Prime Minister and by the Secretary of Island Territories, who, like the Administrator and local officials, made themselves available for constant consultation. On 27th August, 1947, just before the Mission left Apia, the New Zealand Government's proposals for political development in Western Samoa were outlined in a statement in Parliament by the Deputy Prime Minister. The Mission published its report in October, 1947, and it was considered by the Trusteeship Council in the following month. The recommendations of the Mission were found to be closely in line with the policy of the Administering Authority. The constitutional framework for implementing these new proposals was established by the passing by the New Zealand Parliament on 25th November, 1947, of the Samoa Amendment Act, 1947, which came into force on 10th March, 1948.

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