17—A. 4b.

A. —4b.

been nothing taking place to disturb them. Now that the people are dissatisfied with the Government it seems necessary. Mr. Baxter.] What is your rank, Tuisila, fa'a-Samoa ?—I am a matai, a head of a family. Do you hold any other rank, other than that of a matai ? —My standing in Samoa is that I rule the family, the village, and also the people of the country. Are you a chief or a tulafale ? —A chief. Where do you come from ?—Mutiatele. Do you want to tell the Commission anything about the cancellation of the " fine mat " malagas ? —That the custom of the Samoa " fine mats " should be maintained. It is not proper for the Government to disregard the " fine mats " of the Samoan people, because that is one reason why the people of Samoa meet together in a friendly manner. Have you anything to tell us about the medical tax ? —lt is my opinion that there should be no tax as regards hospitals. Why not ?—That the matter be the same as in former days; that a person will pay his own medical fees. Do you wish to say anything regarding the proposal to cut up family lands by the Government ? —The lands of the family should be under the control of the matai of the family, and that he will apportion the land amongst the various members of the family. Regarding the Faipule, your Faipule will be Mata'afa ? —Yes. How was he made a Faipule : do you know ?—He was appointed by the Governor. Did not the district have something to say about that I—No.1 —No. Do you wish to say anything about the Fono of Faipules ?—I have no opinion to give, except this: that I consider there should be no Faipule ; that matter should be as in former days. In other words, you want the country governed not by the Faipule, but fa'a-Samoa ?—ln days gone by the Faipule was appointed by the unanimous wish of the people. In these days the Faipule is appointed by the Governor, and we are not satisfied. Is there anything you want to tell the Commission about any individual Faipule ?—There is nothing, except that I consider the Faipule should be removed. Do you remember the night of the first meeting in the Market Hall ? —Yes. You went to that meeting, and you were elected to the committee : what did you go to that meeting for ? —I went to this meeting because I had been selected as the representative of my district, and, I may say, also of the whole country. When you say " the whole country," what do you mean : do you mean all Samoa, or do you mean Atua ? —I represented my district of Atua. It has been agreed upon by the people of Samoa who were present at the meeting. Why did your district want to have a representative at this meeting ? —The people of my district wanted me to represent them in this because the people were dissatisfied, and they wanted me to represent them. You went on the committee, and then there were certain reports drawn up, I think, and you helped with the one on the Legislative Council. Then those reports were brought up at a second meeting—the ■papalagi reports and the Samoan reports. Were those reports, or were they not, considered by the committee before they came up before the second meeting ?—Yes. When ?—-I cannot bring to mind. At the second meeting you decided to send a delegation to New Zealand for the purpose of putting these reports before the Minister : that delegation did. not go, because the Inspector of Police refused you passports ?—I was one of the delegates appointed, and I went before the Inspector of Police for a passport, and I was refused. The Chairman : Does he know anything about it ? Mr. Baxter : He was present at the interview with the Inspector of Police. The Chairman: That is not the whole history, as we all know. He was not refused absolutely the passport. Mr. Meredith.] Is not the Faipule of your district Tafua ? —Tafua is the Faipule of Aleipata. That is the Faipule of your district, the district to which you belong ?—Mata'afa was the Faipule originally for the district of Aleipata. Some time before the beginning of the Mau Tafua was appointed Faipule by the Administrator, and he is now the Faipule for Aleipata. Was Tafua appointed before the beginning of the Mau or after ? —Quite recently, since the Mau has begun. .Judge MacCormick: What became of Mata'afa ? Mr. Meredith: Mata'afa is now Faipule for only two villages, Amaile and Samusu. (To witness :) Will you read that letter ?—I cannot read it without my glasses. Is that not a request to the Governor, signed by the chiefs and orators of the district, to appoint Tafua ?—I have no recollection of this petition. The Chairman: Do not bother with it, Mr. Meredith. I think you should ask some questions about the appointment of Mata'afa. Mr. Meredith.] When was Mata'afa appointed ?—I do not know. It was a long time ago. Were you a matai when Mata'afa was appointed ?—I have long been a matai. Were you a member of the District Council when Mata'afa was appointed ?—I had not been appointed by the district. Were you a member of the District Council when Mata'afa was appointed: that is what I asked ?—No. You were appointed by your people to attend the meeting at the Market Hall called by the Citizens Committee I—l1 —I had been selected by the whole committee to represent my district,

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