A.—4b.

I suppose the same applies to Mr. Williams ?—I think so. Do you know that there is no objection to Samoans standing as elected members of the Council 'i —Well, Ido and Ido not. As far as I remember Sir James Parr What has Sir James Parr got to do with it ? —He mentioned in 1923, I think, that there was no objection to that. Why is it that there have been no Samoan candidates if they are so tit and so desirous of serving on the Legislative Council ? —I do not think it has ever been put up to them. Ido not think the Samoans know the law. I want to put it to you quite frankly : do you suggest that they are likely to be knowledgeable and industrious members of the Council—l am not questioning the propriety of their being 011 the Council I—l1 —I think so. You know that the Administrator has only a casting-vote and not an original vote ? —Yes. You advocate that the Legislative Council should be composed of an equal number of elected and nominated members with a casting-vote with the Administrator I—Yes.1 —Yes. Do you know of any self-respecting man who, under those conditions, would take the position of Administrator of the Samoan Government ? —I do, in this way : that if there were four elected and four non-elected Ido not think there would be any opposition. I think they would be more in agreement than they are at present. Well, Ido not want to make any comment at present. You know that Germany acquired sovereignty over Samoa in 1900 ? —Yes. Any you know that there was a great trading German organization operating here, referred to as the D. H. and P. G. ?—Yes, I was here. If the war had not broken out what do you say as to the possibility of the German Administration and the D. H. and P. G. squeezing out the rest of the traders of Samoa I—l1 —I never felt that. Ido not think there was any probability of it. You never had any anticipation of the D. H. and P. G., with the cognizance of the German Administration, squeezing out other traders ? —Germany was allowed to annex Samoa with the permission of the other two Powers. A treaty was drawn up and signed by the British Government, which made provision for trading rights. Everybody had the same rights. You are very trusting, are you not I—l1 —I had nothing to complain of. Of course you had not because the time had not come. lam putting it to you as a man whether it was not generally anticipated that the time would shortly come when, with the connivance of the German Government, this firm would squeeze out all its trading competitors ?—I did not think so. Mr. Baxter: As I will be calling Mr. Nelson on this point, and the Natives are sure to have something to say on it, I will leave it now, and I propose to call Mr. Williams on the medical question. Arthur Williams further examined. Mr. Baxter.'] Referring to the medical question in this country, who is the gentleman who occupies the position of Chief Medical Officer ? —Dr. Ritchie. Of course you are not in a position to say what type of work Dr. Ritchie is doing ? —I think he is doing administrative work. Does he attend to any clinical work or does he do any surgery ? —I have never heard of any. How long has Dr. Ritchie been here now I—l1 —I do not know exactly—about five or six years. And during the whole of that time has he been doing administrative work, do you suggest, or has he been doing other work ?—I understand that for the first year or two he was the Medical Officer of Health, but afterwards the position was altered and he was made Chief Medical Officer. Do you or do you not consider that it is necessary to have a man here doing purely administrative work ? —I do not think so. Why not ? —The place is not big enough. The Chairman : But what qualifications does this witness possess that enable him to deal with medical work ? Mr. Baxter: I have called this witness in order to give my learned friend an opportunity of cross-examining him. Judge MacCormick.] What does " administrative work " mean—control of the hospital I—Clerical1 —Clerical work, I understand. The Chairman.] In connection with hospitals and health ? —Yes. Judge MacCormick: Does he perform duties usually performed by the superintendent of a hospital ? Mr. Baxter.] Is Dr. Ritchie in charge of the hospital ?—No, there is a Resident Medical Officer. Judge MacCormick : There may be a great many resident medical officers in a hospital. If the hospital only calls for one, then, of course, there is only one; but in most hospitals there is a superintendent of the hospital, and one or two more, according to the size of the hospital. Mr. Baxter.] What is the exact type of Dr. Ritchie's work ? —I understand it is clerical work. Judge MacCormick: The Superintendent of the Auckland Hospital has, I dare say, thirty medical officers under him, and the Superintendent of the Wellington Hospital has about the same. It is impossible for him to do any quantity of clinical work. We are anxious to know exactly what the scope of Dr. Ritchie's work may be. That is why I asked. Does he control the hospital ? Mr. Baxter: Does he have direct superintendence of the hospital, or is the work done by somebody else \ The Chairman : Does he know anything about it ? Where does he get his knowledge ? Mr. Baxter.] Do you know what the Medical Department is doing ?• —It has been brought up in the Legislative Council for discussion.

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