A.—-Id.

Revenue and Expenditure: Mr. A. G. Smyth read comparisons of revenue and expenditure between the year 1915-16 and 1925-26. He made a special point of Chinese and Medical Department. Mr. 0. F. Nelson asked the Samoans what they thought of it. Samoans replied that, if they were to understand, it should be translated into Samoan, the same as was done in Fiji. They could not understand borrowing money from New Zealand ; if that was done, then Samoa would be in debt. Mr. A. G. Smyth commented upon Chinese labour and overhead charges, and said they amounted to £2 each coolie per year. Repatriation charges on old Chinese who had been in the country sixteen years was still being paid. Public Works Department could not keep a proper accounting, or they would not spend so much. If P.W.D. was a private firm, they would soon be bankrupt with the system they had. He would like to see a good road around Upolu. Mr. Kurt Meyer read a statement on plantations. (His English and speaking was so bad that much of it was not understood.) It appeared to be a history of bankrupt planters, overhead charges, roads leading to central group plantations, export-tax on cocoa, &c. Mr. A. Cobcroft spoke of 4,000 acres of central group exporting so many tons of cocoa; exporttax. Nothing spent on central-group roads, and the consequent heavy cost of transport. Said the profits from Crown Estates plantations was £10,000 per annum, which should be spent for the general benefit of planting. Mr. Williams read a long statement on Public Works Department, especially the wharf. Quoted unloading figures as supplied by stevedoring syndicate, showing that a wharf as proposed would not lighten cost of unloading. Said he had made inquiries as to what has been done about the wharf, but could not get satisfaction —too much secrecy about it—but understood that two piles were now necessary where previously it was only one. Considered that the expenditure of £1,000 on an Inspector's house at Savai'i was unwarranted. The luggage of Natives landing at Customs was subjected to close examination, and duty charged on all sorts of small articles ; this was not done in the case of Europeans. Criticized the purchase of the Alcazar by the Administration at such a low cost, criticized the large building now being built for Engineering and Transport Department, which was quite unnecessary expenditure. Understand that it was now New Zealand Reparation Estates. That must be where the Crown Estates profits were going. Spoke of the sea-wall and how much it was costing. Said that the Medical Department was unsatisfactory, and quoted a case of a person who had to go to Pago Pago for an operation for appendicitis and the doctor there said that they had just come over in time. Thought it would be better if the C.M.O. was first-class surgeon. It would be better to import one, even if it cost £1,500 per annum. Now that the hookworm and yaws were cured, so much expenditure was unnecessary. Samoans said they all paid the same medical tax, and some of them living in Savai'i were many miles away from a doctor and medical supplies, and still paid the same tax. Samoans handed in several typewritten pages of complaints. Lago Lago was the speaker for the Samoans. Mr. 0. F. Nelson translated the subjects and read them out in the Samoan language. The subjects were various and especially complained of the taking of ancient Samoan titles. A case was quoted of a Samoan Native (O'sea) being sent to prison for life, when a European (Snodgrass) who committed the same offence, was quietly allowed to slip out of the country. Model villages were very nice, but they could not afford them. Mr. Nelson when speaking direct to Lago Lago always addressed him as Afamasaga. Mr. Williams : Samoan boys were sent to New Zealand for education, and when they returned it was found that they knew no more than the boys taught in Samoa. Mr. Joe Stowers spoke of half-castes inheriting from their mothers. He was ruled out of order. Prohibition: Mr. Nelson then spoke on the subject of prohibition ; referred to newspaper reports that had appeared in Samoa Times. Mr. Williams read correspondence from the Administrator on the subject, also from Colonel Hutchen. Mr. Nelson discussed his interviews with the Prime Minister and others in New Zealand. Said that Europeans had the same right in Samoa to decide the question as they had in New Zealand. The law was not intended to operate as now. Then they could buy good liquor, but now they had to content with fa'amafu. Mr. Cobcroft said that other mandated territories with the same law were not prohibited. If League of Nations checked out imports, did they check other territories on a European basis ? Mr. Nelson asked Mr. Butler, President L.D.S. Mission, to speak. Mr. Butler said that he did not come to speak, he was a missionary (only one present). He was in favour of Europeans having a say in prohibition, but he was absolutely in favour of prohibition. Samoans were asked by Mr. Nelson what they thought about it. They said that, as the Europeans brought the liquor to Samoa, in the same way that the Samoans should have a say about their ancient customs, so the Europeans should have the say about the liquor. Mr. Nelson then addressed the meeting and suggested that a committee of Europeans and Samoans be formed and the various subjects be gone into and prepared, then to be submitted to the public for approval, and, if approved, to be mailed to the Minister. Fifteen European members were first suggested, then ten ; then it was decided that the elected members of Legislative Council should act on the committee ex officio, and to make the total number ten ; Samoan members to be six. European nominations were then received, and the following appointed: Messrs. A. G. Smyth, Baxter, A. Cobcroft, Sam Meredith, Kurt Meyer, I. Carruthers. Samoans elected : Faumuina, Tuisila, Leta'a P.F., and three others. It appeared that there was some doubt among the Samoans as to the procedure. Faumuina made a speech and the election went on. The general conduct of the meeting was orderly. No opposition was made to any of the subjects. The programme had obviously been arranged in detail. A. L. Braisby, Inspector of Police.

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