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Samoa Under the Sailing Gods

IV

IV

At the half-yearly Faipule Fono—June 1924—the Administrator said:

"During this Fono you will be asked to convert your past discussions into deeds, and to make regulations on many matters for the benefit of your people. When these regulations have been passed you will proceed to your districts and see that action is taken to give effect to them."

Thus he proceeded, through the Faipule Fono, by means of "Regulations," to legislate, without reference either to the Legislative Council in Samoa or the Minister of External Affairs in New Zealand. An assault was now launched on the native social system.

It was decided (Samoa Times, June 20, 1924) that "District Councils be established in each District to assist the Government in controlling Native Affairs" … to be presided over by the Faipule, and to see among other things to the remodelling of villages. District Councils to have the power to suspend a chief or official for "not doing his duty" pending final decision of His Excellency. Fines to be inflicted for the non-observance of regulations, one fourth of the money to be paid to the Government and three-fourths to Village Committee and used for the benefit of the village. Native land to be divided up….

District Councils and Village Committees were, in 1925, legalized by Order-in-Council, New Zealand.

At the Seventh Session of the Permanent Mandates Commission at Geneva the New Zealand representative explained that the Administration had succeeded in inducing the natives page 176to adopt a policy which had for its object the abolition of the communal system of the ownership of land.