A.—4

Address by the Chairman of the Faipules in Reply to Administrator's Address. Your Excellency has ended your Address, and the Cbuncil are all pleased to have it on this happy morning. We render thanks that we have met this morning, and the Fautuas and the Faipules now see Your Excellency and the Heads of Departments of our Government with pleasure. The sight is pleasant to our eyes, our ears are full of joys, and all hearts are satisfied with your fine speech. In our last meeting you have decided that Ma-lietoa, Toelupe, and Malupo, with the Interpreter Tu'u'u, were to travel to New Zealand, as the representatives of Samoa and Tokelau, to meet His Royal Highness the Duke of York. We have read the report of that Mission with great pleasure, because of the respect and kindness shown them by New Zealand, and we are thankful and pleased that they have returned safely. Our Government waited and prayed for Your Excellency while you went to the New Hebrides in accordance with the instructions from His Majesty the King and the Government and also the Governor-General of New Zealand, and we are thankful that you have come back happy and well. We are proud that all those occasions gave honour to Samoa because of you, as that is your desire, to lift up Samoa, the country you govern. Thanks. We are all sorry for the death of Mr. Griffin, who was much loved because he had worked hard with faithfulness and love to Samoa. We did pray for his strength to be restored and that he might return soon, but the will of God was different to ours, and we know that his illness was caused by the strenuous work he did for Samoa. We will always remember him in our hearts, and his name will not be forgotten. We are thankful that a successor —Mr. Lewis —has been appointed, and this is our second meeting since he has been with us. Thanks for appointing him soon to deal with the hard work concerning Native affairs. We hope that we will have patience, and pray that Elisha will do more than Elijah, whom he succeeded. We are very pleased when on your way back you called at Makogai and brought Tuatagaloa with you. We learn from the Bible that there was no cure for leprosy, and we also did not believe the announcement about the new medicine for that sickness, but it is now fulfilled. We agreed that Tuatagaloa and other Samoan lepers should go to Makogai with regret, because we thought that we would never meet them again, but now we meet together with happiness, the door is opened, and there will not be much sorrow for those who are to go to that island, because we hope they will be returned like Tuatagaloa. We pray for him to have good health. We are pleased to receive the new Faipules —Tupuola and Tafua—who are now with us. We will join and work together for the welfare of Samoa. The' seats of Lemalu and Sala L., deceased, are vacant, and we feel sorry ; we miss them in our Fono ; but what Almighty God has done is right, and His will must be carried out. The matters you have put before us in our Fono we will consider, and discuss them carefully, in order to have our way to gain prosperity. We are now always faced at present with that committee of some Europeans and some Samoans which-has misled the number of people who have joined it by wrong and sweet words. We know that we will have the victory and they will come to follow us at last, because we are working for the good, and the good conquers the bad. The only trouble is it will hinder our work for prosperity ; and although our journey is fraught with difficulty, because the wind blows adversely, yet we believe your words, that the journey will reach the land called " Manuia." There is one thing : though many obstacles may delay the journey and cause lots of work, yet the crew have put their confidence in their captain, and they will not give up pulling, no matter how • big in number, but keeping united will have a good result. Long life and happiness to Your Excellency ! God save the King ! [Note. —Here followed lengthy addresses by heads of Departments explaining details of the work of the Administration.]

FONO OF FAIPULES, MAY, 1927.

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Resolution or Proposal. Decision. 1. That a doctor be stationed at Neiafu and The first Native doctor who qualifies and can be stationed in an Faiaai out-district will be sent to this district. His duties will extend to Asau, which cannot be conveniently reached from Safotu, and will continue until such time as the Vaisigano district has its own doctor. 2. That the second-grade school at Tutaga be Approved if satisfactory arrangements can be made by district made a Government school regarding supply of land and fales. 3. Tokelau village in Samoa : A number of His Excellency when next on malaga to get the opinion of Lefaga, Tokel au-Islanders are here without land, Falealili, and Aleipata districts as to the establishment of Tokelau - and in future years when more Tokelau- Islanders in one of these districts. Islanders are brought to Samoa the difficulty will increase 4. Attendance at Fono called by Faipule .. That a new regulation be drafted making attendance of Ali'i and Faipule compulsory at all Fonos called by Faipule, non-attendance without reasonable excuse to be punishable by fine as under Reg. xlii, Sec. Ill (11). 5. Collecting funds from Samoans .. .. That a regulation be made prohibiting any one from collecting money from Natives without the approval of the Administrator, except for religious or charitable purposes. 6. Letter to H.M. the King .. .. .. That a committee prepare a letter for H.M. the King, to be agreed to and signed by all members of the Fono, conveying birthday greetings, &c. (Toelupe, Leilua, and Laupue.)