THE HUMANITY OF THE SAMOANS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9369, 20 May 1889, Page 12

THE HUMANITY OF THE SAMOANS.

His Worship the Mayor (Mr. A. E. Devore) has received telegrams from the Mayors of Christchurch, Invercargill. and .Napier, in reference to the Samoan Relief Fund. They express the highest admiration for the conduct of the moans during the late hurricane at Samoa, but consider it advisable to await further information from the Inlands as to the necessities of the islanders before opening subscription lists. Bishop Cowie lias received from Colonel Lean a telegram, asking him to invest in stores for the Samoans the sum of £10, and to send the stores to Samoa by the first opportunity. This sum was contributed on Easter Day at the offertory collection, in the volunteer camp of North and South Canterbury. The Bishop lias communicated with the' Mayor on the subject. In his letter he says, As lam informed that you are arranging to send stores to the Samoans, may I ask you to be so good as to invest Colonel Lean's £10 for their benefit, in the same manner as similar funds are being invested by you." The Mayor refrained from making' any investment with the money until' the arrival of the steamer from 'the islands, when full and definite information as the necessities of the Samoans was expected to come to hand. As His Worship the Mayor (Mr. A. E. Devore) has received information from Samoa showing that there is little distress at Samoa, he forwarded on April '26 the following circular telecrara to the Mayors of the various Southenrboroughs with whom lie had formerly communicated : —" Thank you for offer"of assistance, but information from Samoa, received this morning, shows little distress there, and no present, necessity for subscriptions. Will your city join with Auckland in expressing" to the Samoans admiration of their brave behaviour during the late hurricane ?" The following motion was submitted to the Auckland City Council on May 2 by the Mayor :—" That this Council desires to place on record its admiration of the brave and humane behaviour of the Samoans in saving the lives of drowning men, regardless of nationality, during the hurricane in the harbour of Apia on the 10th March, ISS9. That a copv of this resolution be forwarded to Matmifa, the King of Samoa." Mr. Devoi-e thought, that the motion would commend itself to everyone. 1c must have been a surprise to the civilised world to see the way in which these so-called savages behaved ; they acted as men in the highest, rank of civilisation. As Auckland was more closely connected, commercially and otherwise, with Samoa, it was fitting that such a motion should be passed in this city ; but be had nevertheless communicated with Southern municipal bodies on the subject, and they were all willing to cooperate except that of Wellington. The Wellington Council thought it beyond their province to take notice of the matter. The motion was seconded by Mr. Hewson, and unanimously agreed to.