General elections were held in

Western Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); a ...

on 23 January 1924.Lauofo Meti (2002) ''Samoa: The Making of the Constitution'', National University of Samoa, p18

Background

A Legislative Council was established by the Samoa Constitution Order 1920, which provided for an unelected body of at least four 'official' members (civil servants) and a number of nominated 'unofficial' members, who were not allowed to outnumber the official members. The first Legislative Council consisted of the Chief Judge, the Commissioner of the Crown Estates, the Secretary to the Administration, the Secretary of Native Affairs and the Treasurer, with Arthur Keeling, Fred E. Syddall and Alfred John Tattersall as the unofficial members.Meti, p17 The Samoa Constitution Order 1920 was superseded by the Samoa Act 1921, although the membership of the Legislative Council remained unchanged until 1923, when an amendment (the Samoa Legislative Council (Elective Membership) Order 1923) increased the number of members to twelve, with six official members and six unofficial members, three of which were to be appointed and three of which were to be elected.

Electoral system

The franchise was restricted to European men aged 21 or over that owned property with a value of at least £200, or had an annual salary (in Samoa) of at least £200. The qualification criteria excluded a significant proportion of the European population from voting.Meti, p19 A total of 214 voters were enrolled, 85% of whom were based in

Apia Apia () is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Samoa, as well as the nation's only city. It is located on the central north coast of Upolu, Samoa's second-largest island. Apia falls within the political district (''itūmālō ...

.Elected Members Of Samoa's Legislative Council
Samoanische Zeitung, 25 January 1924

Results

Nine candidates contested the elections. The three elected members were the merchants

Olaf Frederick Nelson Ta'isi Olaf Frederick Nelson (24 February 1883 – 28 February 1944) was a Samoan businessman and politician. He was one of the founding leaders of the anti-colonial Mau movement. Biography Nelson was born on 24 February 1883 in Safune on th ...

and

George Westbrook George Egerton Leigh Westbrook (1860–31 January 1939) was a Western Samoan businessman and politician. He was a member of the Legislative Council from 1924 until 1929. Biography Born in Camberwell in London England, Westbrook sailed to New Ze ...

, and the plumber Arthur Williams.

Apia

Results for Apia were published in the '' Samoanische Zeitung'' on 25 January.

Aftermath

On 2 February 1924 the Governor-General of New Zealand appointed the Chief Judge, the Collector of Customs, the Crown Solicitor, the Secretary to the Administration, the Secretary of Native Affairs and the Treasurer as the official members. The Collector of Customs was replaced by the Public Trustee at a later date.

References

{{Samoan elections

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

Elections in Samoa