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upon his recommendation. During the year the High Commissioner has not found it necessary to refuse either his assent or his recommendation. Certain existing Ordinances give the High Commissioner power to make regulations upon matters of detail—for example, regulation of motor traffic. Some New Zealand Orders in Council relating to such matters as price control empower the High Commissioner to make certain executive orders. The Council of State The Council of State is composed of the High Commissioner and the Fautua, Appointment to the Council of State is made by the Governor-General, who, in an appropriate case, would invite the Samoan members of the Legislative Assembly and the members of the Fono of Faipule to submit recommendations. At present there are two Fautua, Tupua Tamasese and Malietoa, the representatives of the two Royal lines of Tupua and Malietoa. As members of the Council of State, and in many other ways, they give full-time service in the performance of many public duties. The Council of State itself endeavours to meet regularly every week, but owing to other engagements, such as sessions of the Legislative Assembly and the Fono of Faipule, this is not completely possible. Nevertheless, thirty-five meetings were held during the year. The Secretary of the Government of Western Samoa is normally present at the meetings of the Council of State to provide information and note decisions, but he is not a member and has not a vote. The High Commissioner is directed to consult the Council of State upon all proposals for legislation to be submitted to the Legislative Assembly upon all matters closely relating to Samoan Custom, and upon any other matters affecting the welfare of Western Samoa, which he considers proper. The year has shown that the Council of State is an institution of great value, providing the High Commissioner with direct contact with important Samoan opinion and enabling him on a number of matters of policy to receive valuable advice. The Legislative Assembly The Legislative Assembly is composed of the members of the Council of State, twelve elected Samoan members, five elected European members, and six official members. The High Commissioner, as President, has a casting but no deliberative vote. The other members of the Council of State have the voting powers of ordinary members. The right of electing the Samoan members was conferred by the Samoan Amendment Act, 1947, on the Fono of Faipule. This is a system of indirect election, but is in accordance with existing Samoan opinion. It gives the Fono the opportunity of appointing to the Assembly men with standing and experience which would enable them to take a full part in the proceedings of the Assembly. No conditions are imposed by law as to the manner in which the Fono of Faipule should exercise its right of election, but the number of Samoan elected members was originally fixed at eleven, partly to enable them to provide for the separate representation of each of the traditional districts if that should be their wish. In the first election under the new Constitution, members were actually chosen on the basis of these traditional districts. Selection was determined at this election by the traditional Samoan custom and not by secret ballot, as is now employed. When the Samoa Amendment Act, 1947, was passed there were three Fautua, who, together with the eleven Samoan members, made fourteen Samoans'in the Legislative Assembly. One of the Fautua, Mata'afa, died in 1948, and the Fono of Faipule passed a resolution requesting the amendment of the Act to provide for the election of an additional Samoan member of the Legislative Assembly to bring the total Samoan members up to fourteen in number. This proposal was accepted by the Administering

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