“SHEER GUSSEDNESS”

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10740, 10 November 1928, Page 10

“SHEER GUSSEDNESS”

PASSIVE RESISTANCE OF SAMOANS.

(Special To The Times). AUCKLAND, Nov. 9. According to the Apia correspondent of the Star, affairs in Samoa seem to he still at the stalemate which has prevailed for so long. The Administrator would doubtless he glad to come to some sort of an agreement with the Alan, but the difficulty is to obtain a conference with the big committee which, for some reasons best known to itself, seems disinclined to come to a settlement. The Administrator, Colonel Logan, has shown in many ways that he is able to take a broad-minded view of things, and certain steps lie has taken cannot fail to have appealed to the Samoan mind. Against this, it is clear that many Samoans aro ignorant of the real "state of affairs, and hardly know what their grievances really are. Tho notion that Air Nelson is going hack to Samoa soon persistently prevails, and some of the rumors concerning his arrival are absurd in the extreme. A recent one is to the effect that he is due to arrive at Samoa, next month, accompanied by warships representative of severat potions. Possibly rumors such as this are circulated to encourage tho Natives in their refusal to pay taxes, which, latterly, has meant imprisonment for a few.

Consequently, the fairly general feeling at present is that the Man attitude is just “sheer cussedness” and, until the committee comes to a more reasonable frame of mind, the present form, of mild passive resistance will continue. *

At the same time, it is noted that tho Alau is not altogether a happy family, two of its big chiefs having lately been deposed from high authority. •