SAMOA NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 258, 31 October 1929, Page 22

SAMOA NEWS.

CAPSIZE OF A LAUNCH.

FORTY PASSENGERS SAVED.

GILBERTIAN DETAILS.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) APIA (Samoa), October 15. Twice in the last few months launches have capsized in Samoan waters, and, althougn eacli was carrying numerous passengers, no lives have.,been lost. It can almost truly be said that a Samoan child can dance as soon as lie can walk, but can swim long before he can dance, and these two instances seem to prove the statement. The latest boat to capsize was the launch Lagaala, owned, manned and officered by Samoans, and carrying 40 passengers, a heavy cargo and considerable luggage. The launch is licensed to carry 17 passengers and a crew of three, so under the circumstances an inquiry is hardly necessary to establish the cause of the disaster. When the capsize was first reported in Apia it was stated that a Chinese child was drowned, but now it appears that the child managed to survive its death. In connection with this, it might be wondered how a Chinese child happened to be in Samoa at all, as according to the regulations there is no provision enabling the Chinese residents of Samoa to have chi'dren. I , •Jβ father of

the child, a carpenter, lost a large sum of money, which represented his wages for building a church, a profitable and never-ending occupation in Samoa. The whole affair t2nds to nave rather a Gilbertian aspect. Samoans, when they travel, usually take sufficient household goods to enable them to live in comfort until the return, and according to rumour the 40 passengers, all travelling faa-Samoa, were considerably laden with mats, taro and perhaj.s a pig or two. All this junk, together with the passengers, strewn about the deck of a small launch, would easily shift the centre of gravity of the vessel to a precarious position. The Samoan owners, who were probably ail ercw, all officers and all captains, no doubt relied on the others, in the usual good-natured Samoan fashion, to do the necessary work. And, as a last straw, it is stated that the captain was dea' and dumb. The Elections. The electoral roll of Samoa has closed wijth a total of 190 voters, a number which indicates that there is less interest being taken in the elections than in former years. The names of four candidates for election have so far been announced. These are: Messrs. A. Williams, A. W. Johnston, C. Gardiner and S. H. Meredith. Mr. Williams is a siting member, and Mr. Johnston, who resigned from the Legislative Council a short time ago on the grounds that elected members had very little say in Council matters, is offering himself for re-election. Sc far, none of the candidates bas anr.ounced a policy, and although there are sever.-1 matters in Samoa which urgently require reform, it would appear useless for any candidate to promise such reform, although he might endeavour to push it, as the Administration members of the Council possess an overwhelming vote A solid plank of every plo.tform will almost certainly be the Chinese question, a .matter which must claim the attention of the Administration in the near future. Wednesday, November 6, is the date of the elections.

Memories Revived. During alterations to the Market Hall in Apia several of the old residents received a vivid reminder of the good old days before prohibition, when they saw a number of concrete slabs lying outside the hall. These slabs, it appears, used to constitute the bar, and although they are not grooved or worn to The thickness of cardboard by the passing o p . innumerably bottles and glasses, they obviously did good service, judging by the comments. Apia at one fine possessed the unenviable reputation of being the "HeL-hol» of the Pacific," and doubtless things used to be much gayer than. they are to-day.. To call Apia by such a name now would only, be a sure means of raising a lot of derisive laughter. Undoubtedly prohibition has , taken the "kick" out of the place, but it is a moot point if it achieved the object for which it was imposed, safeguarding the natives from liquor. On the contrary, th<> natives seem to have learned as a consequence the time-honoured art of brewing, an accomplishment Avhich does the "papalagi" little harm, but which is dangerous for the native to possess.