H.—l4.

Samoa and Cook Islands. During the year an inspection was made of the staff at Cook Islands, Nine, and Samoa. The relationship of the Commissioners is defined by section 19 of the Finance Act, 1931 (No. 2) : — 19. Public Service Commissioner to control Cook Islands and Samoan Public Services. —(1) On and after the first clay of May, nineteen hundred and thirty-one, the Cook Islands Public Service and the Samoan Public Service shall be under the control of the Public Service Commissioner, who shall for such purpose with respect to each such service have the powers and authorities and exercise the duties and functions vested in or imposed on him by the Public Service Act, 1912, with respect to the New Zealand Public Service. (2) The provisions of the Cook Islands Act, 1915, and the Samoa Act, 1921, relating to the Cook Islands Public Service and the Samoan Public Service respectively, shall be read subject to this section. (3) The Governor-General in Council may from time to time, on the recommendation of and for special reasons assigned by the Public Service Commissioner, exempt any officer or class of officers in either of such services from the operation of this section. Samoa. —The position at Samoa was somewhat complicated by the necessity for preserving uniformity between the Administration staff and those under the control of the General Manager, New Zealand Reparation Estates. This, however, was achieved and scales applicable to both staffs were adopted. In Samoa, which embraces the Island of Savaii, there are three staff groups : — (1) Officers seconded from New Zealand service. (2) European staff, mostly locally enlisted. (3) Samoan staff. The New Zealand officers receive their New Zealand salary plus a tropical allowance and, in some cases, a special allowance in recognition of added responsibility. The review was aimed at a valuation of the various positions, and a total remuneration has now been approved for each officer on this basis to include all allowances except tropical. This will not, however, affect the substantive grading as disclosed by the New Zealand classification list. The New Zealand salary will be subject to the usual review in conjunction with other officers of the New Zealand Service. The scales for the European Staff were made after a complete review of rates being paid in the Territory by firms and in sympathy with regrading salaries adopted in New Zealand. There is now ample scope and encouragement for European officers to qualify by examination and otherwise for advancement. There was evidence that some junior officials had been attracted to the trading firms by the offer of slightly higher salaries. The new scales should prevent this drift. There is a large Samoan staff, particularly in the Education Department. It was particularly for this group* that a strong effort was made to adopt a standard which could be applied to New Zealand Reparation Estates, Niue, and Cook Islands. This has been done and should in future work without anomaly. The policy of the Administration is towards the education and encouragement of Samoan employees in qualifying and for accepting positions carrying greater responsibility. It becomes increasingly evident that the appointment of officers to the Samoan and other Island Administrations for short terms is not in the best interests of the work. By the time officers reach their maximum usefulness their term of three years is completed. It should not be difficult to find men who are prepared to make the Island Administration their life work provided the salary inducement is forthcoming, and some such arrangement will have to be made. Representation was made by a number of officers for an increase in the tropical allowance which is granted to seconded officers in order to cover the difference in the cost of living. Very full information has been collected and a complete review of this allowance should shortly be finalized. Comparison is being made with New Zealand and Rarotongan costs.

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