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years, the Fono submits nominations for the appointment of Samoan District Judges, the Samoan Plantation Inspectors, and the Samoan Associate Judges of the Land and Titles Court. Super-imposed upon all these functions is the duty cast upon the Fono by the new Constitution of electing the Samoan members of the Legislative Assembly. ■■■ ii rer At present the Fono has forty-one members, representing territorial constituencies based on the traditional districts and sub-districts of Western Samoa. Each constituency returns one member, who must be supported by a majority of the matai in the constituency. The franchise is confined to the matai, who constitute about one in four of adult males. The reasons for the retention of this restrictive suffrage were discussed in the last report. (See page 15 of report for 1948-49.) It is interesting to note that the Fono itself has in recent elections adopted the method of secret majority ballot as its internal procedure, and this method of election may perhaps in future become firmly entrenched enough in Samoan thought to be considered for fairly general adoption. Many of the Faipule continue to exercise the old historic duality of function —namely, that of representative of the district to the Government, and a representative of the Government in the district —a situation which cannot completely disappear until adequate organs of local government exist throughout Western Samoa. At its sessions the Fono of Faipule discusses a very wide range of topics, which fall under two main heads ; first, interest in the developing participation in self-government; and second, matters of district welfare, such as roads and water-supplies. Under the first head, the Fono has several times during the year discussed with the High Commissioner questions involving increased participation by the Samoan Judges in judicial work. It has also been suggested that representatives of the Fono be appointed to sit with the Standing Committees of the Legislative Assembly, and to discuss the progress and policy of the scholarship scheme for Samoan students in New Zealand and the Public Service policy giving maximum employment to Samoans. The Administrative Structure The work of the Executive Government is carried on, under the High Commissioner, by a Secretariat headed by the Secretary of the Government of Western Samoa and comprising suitable ancillary services. The general work of co-ordinating the policy is carried out by the Secretary, who is associated in certain matters with the Secretary of Samoan Affairs. This dualism in the realm of central control is of the usual kind found in territories in which a western system of government is functioning in a society where cultural patterns of non-European origin continue to guide much of the thought and action of the mass of the inhabitants. The Secretariat represents the apex of a modern type of administration ; the Secretary of Samoan Affairs links this with Samoan society. He, like the Secretary, is in direct contact with the High Commissioner in a way in which the more functional services are not. The Secretary of Samoan Affairs is necessarily, like the Secretary to the Government of Western Samoa, an advisor to the High Commissioner on matters of general policy, and not merely on those matters which relate to his own specific duties. The principal functional services are: Agriculture, Broadcasting, Education, Health, Justice, Lands and Survey, Police and Prisons, Postal, Public Works, Radio, Samoan Affairs, Treasury and Customs. The work of these functional services is discussed in other sections of this report. Here the services directly concerned with general policy will alone be discussed.

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