RIOTOUS COOLIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 208, 3 September 1929, Page 7

RIOTOUS COOLIES.

WILD SUNDAY IN APIA.

Police In Awkward

Corner.

NATIVES RUSHED TO HELP

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

APIA, August 12,

Still clinging to good old-fashioned beliefs, Sunday in Samoa is generally a day of pervading quiet and rest. Ths natives spend most of the day in and about the churches, while the white people indulge mildly in sport or take themselves to some spot where their activities are unlikely to offend the religious minded. With the Chinese coolies it is different. They seem to be quite oblivious to what the conventions require and-deem the day a suitable time for shopping, gambling, and holding meetings of their tongs. Last Sunday they overdid things a little and caused such a disturbance that oven the Sunday-sober Samoans o!T their gloom in order to take part in the fight that resulted; For some time past in Samoa the Chinese have been restless and inclined to assume an independence which their position in the "Happy Isles" hardly warrajits. Be it understood that the coolie is a labourer brought from Hongkong 011 a three years' contract, at the end of which period he is supposed to be returned to his own country. In . Samoa he is well cared for, more or less guaranteed employment, and if by any chance out of. work he is taken to prison as a sort of honoured guest. Employers and their overseers are obliged to treat him kindly and are not permitted to inflict corporal punish: | ment. Even a well-deserved application of boot is frowned on by the Court. Imagine, then, what a paradise Samoa affords to the coolie and compare the conditions with those in China. Perhaps the coolie is too well cared for in Samoa. A number of the planters and residents seem to think so, and consider that stricter supervision and more scope for the employer to enforce discipline would result in better if not more contented coolies. Objected to Foreman. The recent outburst is attributed to the coolies 011 one of the main plantation groups objecting to working under a Chinese foreman who had been censured by the Court for talking roughly to and threatening his sensitive charges. They asked that the foreman be removed, and followed \ip their request by ceasing work. At first only a few men were affected, but when the Administration refused to consider the demand of the strikers others came out in sympathy, until all told some 200 coolies left their jobs. It appears that all those on strike belong to one political faction or tong. which would seem to operate on similar principles to a trade union. Now, a strike in Samoa is a much different affair to one in, say, New Zealand. A striker in Samoa can hardly be starved into submission, for the kindly tropical climate provides by ths wayside enough food to feed an army. Nevertheless, after a few days, most of the mango ±rees around Apia were stripped of their fruit and the coolies, accustomed to rice, were not taking too well to a diet of mango, coconut and banana. On Sunday their anger came to a head, and a crowd of them, irritated further by the arrest of a number of the agitators, gathered about the office of the Chinese Commissioner and demanded an interview. Fight in the Street. The Commissioner, Captain ■ Carter, apparently offered no concession, for when his decision was given by ah interpreter to the waiting mob there was a howl of rage, and the coolies broke in a disorderly mass about the road.'* How the fight commenced is not exactly clear. Two Samoan policemen were on duty and these endeavoured to maintain order. Possibly they enjoyed their task and were somewhat over-zealous, for suddenly one was seen sitting on the road trying to repel a number of coolies who seemed bent on giving him a bad time. Two European 1 policemen rushed to the rescue and momentarily repulsed the mob by firing revolver shots over their heads. The lecumbent Samoan was gathered in just before the coolies recovered and rushed the_ police, who, wcilding batons and plying their fists, beat a steady retreat. Matters looked dangerous, and when the coolies armed themsel?os with stones the police found themselves in an awkward position. Tliey were gradually forced against th- wall of the Commissioner s office, and hemmed in by the maddened coolies, "who endeavoured to drag them to the ground. In this extremity, and in order to repel two coolies who had their arms round him, one of the policemen fired into the mob with his automatic. Before many shots were fired reinforcements foi tunately arrived and the ooolies beat a hasty retreat, though not before four of their number received bullet wounds. One of these was dangerously shot through the lung, but, with the others, seems to be progressing favourably.

Mau Steps In,

The cooTies did not escape scot free. A number of Samoans, including women and members of the Mau, arrived with the reinforcements and deemed the opportunity a fitting one to show their opinion of the Chinese.

A number of the Chinese ran up a narrow alley, which proved to have no exit. . Before they turned a few policemen stationed themselves at the entrance, and not a single coolie rained his freedom without a thorough hiding. A striker's life is a hard one in Samoa. Since the incident a circular letter has been forwarded to His the Administrator expressing appreciation of the prompt action of the police on duty. The police had no -iption but to use their firearms, and it is considered that they acted with admirable constraint. Information since available points to the fact that the coolie* were , in a ripe mood for any sort of

miscmet, and fully intended to wreck the Commissioner's office. 4s there were about 200 in the inob it is probable that once their feelings were aroused they would not have stopped there.

One result of the action has been the return of the Chinese to their work. They received no concessions, as far as is known, from the Administration, and it is probably due to the strict handling of the police and the non-committal attitude of the authorities that the trouble has been settled. In any east the coolies should realise -.lie futility of similar action in future.