A. —4b.

Regarding the Natives who spoke to you about the meeting, you said that they were Natives of Apia : by that do you mean residents of Apia or Natives who happened to be in Apia ? —Natives who happened to be in Apia. You also state that there was growing unrest from the date of the public meeting ? —-Yes. What was the cause of that unrest ?-—Well, first of all it started with most of the committee being sent back to their villages and Natives being banished. Referring to Mr. Cobcroft, did Mr. Cobcroft speak at the first meeting at all ?—Yes. In favour of the Government or in favour of the Mau ? —ln favour of the Mau. When Mr. Cobcroft and Mr. Meyer severed their connection with the committee it was done by letter ? —Yes. And that letter will probably be on Mr. Nelson's file ? —Yes. Referring to Mr. Brewster, is Mr. Brewster the type of individual you are in the habit of associating with ? —No. Would you be likely to discuss matters of importance with a man of Mr. Brewster's type ?—No. Regarding this pamphlet that was sent round the island, Mr. Williams, and of which a translation has been read out to you, were you .given a written translation to consider or was it just interpreted to you ? —Just interpreted. You have nothing very clear about it ? —No ; I understood that it was just a summary of the public meeting. George Egerton Leigh Westbrook further examined. Mr. Baxter.] You remember Mr. Nelson's return to Samoa after a trip away near the end of September, 1926 ? —I do. Now, regarding what he told you about an interview he had had, did you do anything then or did Mr. Nelson do anything then ? —I advised Mr. Nelson to call a public meeting. I thought it was necessary. I conclude then that you and Mr. Nelson discussed the matter : was the other elected member with you ?—Yes, I think so. Now, Mr. Westbrook, that public meeting was called, I believe, on the 15th October, 1926, in the Market Hall ? —That is correct. There were present at that meeting Europeans and Natives I—That1 —That is correct. How came it that there happened to be there both Europeans and Natives, particularly with reference to the presence of the Natives ? —The convening of the meeting was advertised. Did you request Natives to go ? —No, certainly not. Some of them had spoken to me and told me that they had heard there was to be a meeting. I said, " Yes," they could come along. I did not see any harm in it. What type of person was present there : was it a good type, or a poor type, or just a general average public meeting ? —Just an average public meeting —a good type, I think. A number of officials were there. Was the meeting orderly or disorderly ? —Orderly. In the course of the meeting, I believe, there was a committee elected (you need not give us the names, as we already have them and there is no dispute on that point) ?—Yes. How were these committeemen elected : were the Europeans voted for by both Samoan and Europeans members, or did the Samoans vote for their half and the Europeans for their half ?—The Samoans voted for their half, and I think the Europeans voted The Chairman.'] Was there any contest for the office ? —There was a vote on the Europeans. How many were nominated by Europeans in excess of the number of six ?—I think eight. Eight nominated and two rejected ? —Yes. Mr. Baxter.] How about the Natives ? —The Natives were elected on a show of hands. What number were nominated ?—I do not remember. The Chairman.] Are you sure that two names were rejected by the Europeans, or were those two names withdrawn before it came to the vote ?—I think Mr. Irvine Carruthers was nominated, but withdrew. Who was rejected ? —I cannot remember. Mr. Baxter.] These committees were set up, Mr. Westbrook, and they proceeded to draw up these reports that were put in ? —Yes. In order to do this work they split up into sub-committees ? —Yes, that is correct. Those sub-committees consisted of the names and divisions mentioned by Mr. Williams ? —Yes. Do you remember how the two gentlemen mentioned withdrew—verbally or by letter ?—By letter. Have you any idea of when ?—After the second meeting of the committee. Regarding the second public meeting, which was held on the 12th November at the Market Hall, at that meeting I believe, the Acting-Secretary at the time read a message from the Administrator, and I believe also that there were quite a number of police there taking notes I—Yes.1 —Yes. What impression did you gather from the police being there ? —I thought that the Administrator must have misconstrued the objects of the meeting, as though he expected it to be a riotous one. At that meeting it was decided that a delegation should be sent to New Zealand to interview the Minister for External Affairs : how did you propose to collect funds for such a delegation ? —Generally, from both Natives and Europeans. Were any steps taken to collect such funds ? —Yes. Those steps were ? —I think Faumuina and Ainu'u and Matau were deputed to collect the funds, and Mr. Smyth was to be the treasurer. Well, did Faumuina and Ainu'u take any steps towards collecting these funds ? —Yes. Faumuina and Matau went to Savai'i. Ainu'u was going, but he was stopped by the police.

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