"MAU VERY CHEEKY."

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 104, 4 May 1929, Page 15

"MAU VERY CHEEKY."

POLICE WORK IN SAMOA.

PLENTY OF XAI-KAI.

AND A FEW STONES. (S~ Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.} CHE.ISTCHUR.CH. this day. Thirty-two men who did service in Samoa as military police returned to New Zealand by the Government shin Maui Pomare yesterday. _Jhese men. whose homes are in Christcliurch, Dunedin. \Y ellington. or Auckland, came on to Christcliurch. and underwent medical examination at King Edward Barracks. Last evening they were paid off after over a year of service. The North Island men spent the night on the Maui Pomare, which will take them back to Wellington and Auckland. Fruit brought by the boat consisted of 8.300 cases bananas, which arrived in excellent- condition. Most of the men were cheerful about lite in the Islands, but many .of them said they found police work there uncongenial. •'Life in the Islands is wonderfully fascinating, and I wouldn't mind going back to Samoa as a civilian. for a time," said one of the men. The natives, he said, were very hospitable, and one could ahvavs get plenty of kai-kai (food). Civil police work, however, was not congenial, as most of the natives were hostile. The police were stoned sometimes, but there were only a few disturbances of much consequence. The natives thought they were much superior to the whites, and police in particular were none too popular. . "Things are impossible over in Samoa," stated another. "The Man are very cheeky, and anything is likely to happen." The North Island men spent the night cn the ship which will take them back to Wellington and Auckland. She may clear port this evening.