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Hon. Sir James Allen, in reply : Speaking to you on behalf of the members of the New Zealand Parliamentary Party who have come here to-day, we are very grateful for your good wishes, and are thankful that we have come in good health and find you in good health. It is a unique occasion that you and we should be sitting here to-day to discuss these questions. You and we rejoice that the war has come to an end and that peace may now be with us. You have placed certain specific proposals before us, some of which can be answered at once and some of which will require consideration. You have asked that you should receive satisfaction and that you should not be held under oppressive rule. 1 give you the promise from New Zealand that no oppressive rules will be imposed upon you. It is our desire that you should continue your government —your own local government—in very much the same way as it has been carried on in the past. You have referred to New Zealand as your father, and yourselves as sons of New Zealand, and the father cannot oppress his son. The father loves his son and will do all that he can for his good. He may not give to the son all that the son asks, because he thinks it may not be good for the son. But whatever he does it will be out of love for his son. As regards the Samoan Government—the Civil Administration —I am not in a position to-day to tell you that we can institute in the whole the Civil Government because we have not yet complete authority to do so. We have been making ready to institute the Civil Government, and we are waiting an order from the British Government, when we will immediately proceed to act. We are acting through King George's Government and under authority from the League of Nations. You perhaps know that there has been some delay in instituting the Council of the League of Nations, but that is no fault of King George and his Government, and no fault of ours. We have been very anxiously awaiting word from King George's Government that we might complete the Civil Administration. Twice since we left New Zealand I have asked the Right Hon. the Prime Minister to communicate with the Secretary of State for the Colonies asking whether the complete Mandate cannot be expedited. If, therefore, we are not able to do all that we desire to do it is not our fault. lam hoping that before we leave Samoa the Order in Council will have been received from the British Government, and we will immediately complete ours in New Zealand. I want to give you the assurance that it is our desire to secure your protection and the betterment of the people of Western Samoa. With regard to the wishes of the members of the Samoan Parliament, J am glad to know that the people have obediently accepted the order issued by King George's Government placing Samoa under New Zealand. New Zealand accepts that care as a sacred trust. We have experience of the Maoris in New Zealand, and so we do not come to you to help you without knowledge. lam confident, therefore, that the latter part of your first resolution will never trouble you, because lam sure we shall so act that we shall give you not dissatisfaction but satisfaction. On consideration I do not think the alternative will appeal to you. If you are ruled from England by the Colonial Office we cannot come and meet you and hear what you have to say. You like to see us here and we like to see you, and we can help each other. It could not be so under the Colonial Office. In your second resolution you ask that the name " Fautua " should be abolished. I suggest to you that you should retain the name of " Fautua." It is a name that we respect, and always will respect. You ask that the salaries of the " Fautuas " should be increased each to £500, and that dwellings should be erected, and that allowances for their maintenance should be made. I cannot give you a definite answer just now about the increase in salary. I shall have to consult the Administrator and the Parliament of New Zealand before any definite answer can be given about this. In regard to the erection of dwellings, might I give my own personal opinion that I would rather meet you in this dwelling than in a European dwelling. In your third resolution you ask that the power to hold meetings by the Faipules of Samoa be recorded in the Constitution of the Government. I do not think this is necessary, because it would probably restrict your powers. It is better that you should carry on your Government as in the past, and that we should not interfere, except that later on we may come to the conclusion that an alteration should be made in the Constitution. As regards your fourth resolution, I regret that I cannot agree with this, for the reason that there are white men in Samoa who are under our care also, and to put all the power in the hands of the High Chiefs without considering the whites would not be fair to them. You have two chiefs who are advisers to the Administrator, and they will continue to be advisers. You also have your Faipules, who are in touch with the Administrator, and I think, that for the time being will be sufficient. Your chiefs can be placed in the Legislative Council and sit with the Administrator if you so desire. As regards your fifth resolution, we should be very glad indeed to see two of your members attend the meetings of the New Zealand Parliament, but Ido not think it is practicable. I will submit the matter to the Right Hon. the Prime Minister when I return to New Zealand and give you a definite answer later on. With regard to your sixth resolution, we are already sending some of your boys to New Zealand to be trained in departmental work for work in Samoa, and we will continue to do so. We are anxious that your own lads should carry on your works, and we will carry out that proposal. As regards your seventh resolution, the matter is one to be submitted to the Administrator. As regards the appointing of a surgeon, where a man is really required the New Zealand Government will sympathetically consider the question through the Administrator. In your eighth resolution you ask that a college should be erected in Samoa and that Samoan boys should be educated in New Zealand as school-teachers. I do not quite understand what you mean by a " college," but perhaps you will explain later to the Administrator. We have brought to Samoa an Inspector of the New Zealand schools, who has come down to ascertain your needs, and when his report is received it will be carefully considered. With regard to Samoans being educated in New Zealand as school-teachers, if we are not sending them already we will do with you what we are doing with the Cook Islands : we will accept some of them in New Zealand for further training as teachers. As regards your ninth resolution, I regret that I cannot agree to this. It would not be fair to the