NATIVES OUTWITTED.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 75, 30 March 1929, Page 11

NATIVES OUTWITTED.

ADMINISTRATOR'S QUIET WAY

HELPING HARASSED PLUMBER

-PEACEFUL SCENE, ISN'T IT?"

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

APIA, March 15

The reputation which Mr. S. SAllen, C.M.G.. D.5.0., acquired during the war of being a man who epoke little but thought a lot, and 'hat to much purpose has been well confirmed in Samoa. To say that his Excellency has puzzled the Mau is putting it mildly. Formerly the Mau thrived on the attention given it. and used to enjoy causing excitement in Administrative circles by demonstrations andbbo'i o ' ta'alolas. Mr. Allen quite ignores these functions and the Mau awoke some time ago to the fact that their activities were not arousing, openly, at any rate, the slightest interest. Consequently, open parades have become a thing "of the past now, and the Mau has had to think up other forms of amusement. Vaimosa village, the late home of High Chief Taraawse, has been causing most of the "flutters" in the last few months. This village harbours all those natives who are wanted' by the police for unpaid taxes and similar otfences, and to protect these refugees, the natives mount guard and keep patrols going continually as if the village was liable to be attacked at any moment, lo this move the Administrator replied by taking no notice whatever, very sensibly, too, as the position of the village renders a surprise attack without casualties almost impossible. His Excellency, however, like the proverbial camel, has his limit and the last straw was laid on hie patient shoulders, when the natives hindered a plumber who had been sent out to cut off the water supply. This occurred some time ago, but the story is just leaking out now. Apparently, on receiving the news the Administrator was incensed, but calm withal, and he immediately motored to Vaimoeo to see for himselt. The advices were correct. The plumber was trying to do his work among a crowd of amused Samoans, who, while

not exactly preventing him from working, managed to keep continually in his way. "Send up the military police," snapped his Excellency, and the car sped back to Apia to give the order, leaving the Administrator alone to deal with the village. What the Mau expected his Excellency to do is not recorded, but the story says that he calmly wandered from fale to fale, all full of dignified Mau chiefs, ana without taking tho slightest notice of the occupants exainined the structure of the roofs and walls, and prodded here and there with his cane, for all the world as if he were an architect on tour. Finally he spoke, but not on politics. "What eort of wood is this?" he said. "It seems very hard." At this point the plumber suddenly discovered that the natives no longer got in hie way and he was able to turn off the water supply. The military police, with rifles and bayonets, rushed to the scene on two big lorries, and an anxious load of officers and police officials reported to the Administrator, who was sitting by the roadside. "Peaceful scene, isn't it?" he remarked, "When this is finished you can f*o up~ to Lepea and turn off the water supply there. I don't think there will be any trouble." And there was none.