SAMOA TO-DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 25, 31 January 1928, Page 5

SAMOA TO-DAY.

"POSITION VERY SERIOUS."

ONE POLICEMAN KNIFED.

PICTURE THEATRE CLOSED,

TO PREVENT NATIVE ASSEMBLY.

ißy TeJegrapb.—-Press Association.)

DUNEDIN, this day.

Following is an extract from a letter, dated January 11, received in Dunedin from Samoa:—

"Business is very slack here. The picture theatre has been closed down, by order of the Adrainstration, so that the natives won't meet in large crowds. One night, just outside the picture theatre, tlio band (it constists entirely of natives) was playing prior to the beginning of the picture programme, and the police arrested two members, who were also members of the Man. When the Man Committee heard of this they all went to the police station intending to burn up the building if the prisoners were not set free that night. When the crowd returned to their homes some met a policeman on duty at the Customs. They attacked him and badly wounded him with a knife. A reward of £20 has been offered by the Police Department for information regarding his assailants.

"A reward has also been offered for information regarding the 'licking' of a Chinese coolie, and a reward of fIOO for information regarding a double murder has not yet been claimed.

"No clues have been given in respect of these three crimes, so the position in Samoa is to be reckoned very serious."