ON THE DECLINE

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 17 July 1929, Page 5

ON THE DECLINE

MAU IN SAMOA. 0 THE NEW ADMINISTRATOR. An impression that the days of trouble in Samoa are now nearing their end was guinea during a short visit to the islands by Dr. S. G. Trail, once Chief Government Medical Officer at Samoa, who returned to> Auckland by tlie Tof.ua. It appeared to him that tlie - Ma.u movement was on the deoine, . and that the Administrator, Colonel S. 1 S.. Allen, had the situation weld in hand. : “He is an ideal man for the jab,” - Dr. Trail said'. Although it was siix , years, isinco lie served in Samoa., Dr. r Trail dhl not notice many changes). On ! Ids visit the influence of the Mau was . apparent in some instances. A great j demonstration, extraordinairtiy well ory ganised, greeted Tamasese, the native r leader, on his return from Auckland ’ after serving his sentence of imprisonI ment. Tlie natives seemed to. set themselves out to impress European visitors ’ lor propaganda purposes and the whole 1 ceremony took place just as tlie Tofna ’ reached Ania, Tamasese having Left the ’ vessel at Suva and travelled on to Ania ; by a small', coastal boat. Tanuaisese ' was very haughty in his bearing, Dr. Trail said, but the reception passed . off without any untoward incident. Another indication that the parity feeling was still running on the island lay in the fact that chief® who favoured j the Administration and the Ma.u re- I I sipectively would not recognise one another. Quite frequent'iy he had been talking with a Man chief, and had hailed another chief, who acknowledged the Administration, and the former would walk away. There was a strong feeling of suspicion between the two sides. “However, I gathered from those fully in touch with events that the influence Q'f the Mau is definitely on the wane, and that the natives are beginning to question the use of the organisation,” Dr. Trail said. ‘‘Man natives are now voSunta-ri'y searching for beetles, a task which they refused ' at the time of the most serious trouble. The native women appear to foe fed up with the Mau. Their men folk go. away and attend meetings' for days at a time, leaving the women to do all the work of the villages. If the women set * themse'veis definitely against the move- _ ment its downfall seems more or less i predestined. My impression is that the J Man movement would not be. serious j at. all if iit. were not for the influence 1 of some Europeans behind the natives. The Administrator puzzles the Samoans, j and this is the best way to gain their ! respect. Tie will listen to them and «■ act. but lie will not talk, and the re- ( suit its. that his authority is increasing all the time.. Mr Allen still had a 1 hard task ahead of him, but his work i up to the oresent had been splendid.” c There way not the slightest- sign of f on influenza, epidemic on the island, p Dr. Trail said, and the reports: that e there had' been a .serious outbreak were s utterly unfounded. The health of the f, natives was good, and lie had been t pleased to. see the clear shiny of the l: men at the reception to Tamasese. This I c was proof that _ the medical service j t was curing the skin diseases with which ! the Samoans had .been inflicted. | t “General conditions, in Samoa. ap- ( ~ pea reel to he fairly quiet,” Dr. Trail G said. “The market for copra, is poor at j, present, orices being only about £12).. nor ton instead of £l6. The natives | will orohahlv blame the Administration j for this, but it can remain safely ini possession of n clear conscience.” ]},