Local and General.

Samoanische Zeitung, Volume 22, Issue 35, 1 September 1922, Page 4

Local and General.

Formation of a branch oi the L.OX. in Samoa is the subject of an advertisement in today's Times.

A notice of interest to all employers of Chinese labour is advertised to-day by the Chinese Commissioner,

Owing to the receipt of serious news regarding the health of his brother and sister-in-law (in Sydncj') the Rev. F. P. Joseland has found it desirable to ante-date his departure from Samoa. He will be leaving Apia for Sydney, via Suva, by this month's "Navua," (29th instant).

By this week's New Zealand mail word arrived of the bankruptcy of Mr. D. S. Wylie, wal-known in Apia, and at one time secretary of Merediths (Bamoa) Ltd. Mr. Wylie resigned his position with the above firm several months ago, since when he has been practising in Auckland as an accountant and auditor.

"Is he a has-been?" "He's worse ; he's a honest-to-good-nessdoesu't-want to-be."

Mr. Fred E. Syddall, our local architect, has received instructions from Sir Mayuard Hedstrom, of Fiji, to commence work in connection with erection (for the Vacuum Oil Co. Pry., Ltd.) of a large warehouse which will carry 50,000 cases of benzine and kerosene, etc. The building will be situated close to Apia.

Life Assurance.—The Directors of the National Mutual Life Association of Australasia Ltd. are celebrating the 53rd anniversary of its existence by reducing the period of allotment of surplus from three years to one. The distribution as at 30th September next estimated to yield Two Millions of Reversionary value will be the last under the old system. —Advt.

Two Warsaw boys, Bernard Zuch ter, aged 15, and his brother Henry, aged 9, were drowned while having a bath at their home. Their mother tapped at the door of the bathroom to ask how they had enjoyed the bath, but no answer came, and she forced the door open. She found her two sons dead in the water, embracing each other. The elder boy had died of heait failure. As he was collapsing, he cinched at his brother and dragged him below the surface.

The law of Tonga provides that each male Tongan, upon attaining the age of 16 years, shall become a taxpayer, and shall contribute to the general revenue of the kingdom a yearly sum of 36/-, which may be paid in quarterly payments. For this amount he becomes entitled to occupy and hold, at a small rental, a plantation area of acres, and a residential village site of a quarter of an acre. He also receives for himself, wife, and family free medical,attention, free drugs, and free education for his children.

In a note on the disease of tuberculosis, "O leFa'aton" (Pago Pago) says:— "The lung sickn ess is easier to prevent than to cure. The Public Health Departinet is always ready to help Samoans help themselves. It has been brought to the writer's attention that several people sometime sleep under one mosquito net, that this is done in the interes of economy, it is a bad practice especially when young children and babies sleep with their parents; there is the contact of bodies during the sleep, breathing in each other faces, likewise coughing and in this way the little aninals pass from the one with "too much cough to the one who has no cough." The close contact of bodies also spreads yaws, ringworm, impetigo, whooping cough, colds, bronchitis, pneumonia, and measles. In a letter from Honolulu (to Mr. G. E. L. Westbrook) Mr. W, F. Wilson makes the

falowing references to local ™»<* and to Samoan folk"re- Financially speaking, tunes are still somewhat dull e - Ibe price of sugar has S a bit, but most of our Plantations are not paying dividends, and those that are declare but small amounts, inis does not apply to the pine-apple business which is and has been coining money tor the last half dozen years, rhen there is a wonderful amount of ready money put in circulation by the army aud navy. However to one who is not keeping a store or who has nothing to sell, all this ready money put in circulation does not benefit one. Our territorial bonded debt is gradually rising and now amounts to about $15,000,000 or a good deal over three million pounds. I read your story of the goddess Nafauua which is quite interesting. You ought to continue your studies on the folklore ot the islands. Even though not a money making proposition, it will divert your mind from other worries. I have a good book in German about the islands (in 2 vols) by Kramer. It is the most complete work that I know about Samoa and has a great many fine illustrations in it."

Australia's Prime Minister, Mr. W. M. Hughes, had a busy day in Sydney one Saturday. He draws crowds wherever he goes, and his speeches are not less characteristic for humour and apt remarks than they were in the times before he was within reach of Prime Ministership. One of the speakers at a meeting he attended at Crow's Nest, a Sydney suburb, reminded the audience of a particularly telling retort he made to President Wilson of the United States, who questioned the status at the Peace Conference of a representative of a hundred millon people with one vote with that of a man representing five millions given the same. "I don't represent five million people," said Mr. Hughes, "I represent sixty thousand dead!" How many dead do you represent?"—" Sydney Mail."

" I have a boy four years of age, a regular live young Yaukee," said Mr. D. F. Wilbur, American Consul-general, at the opening of the Auckland Winter Show, " and the other morning he left his bed early and tried to waken his mother. She led him to believe she was still asleep, and after all other attempts to" rouse her had failed, he said, ' Mother, I am going to siug " God Save the Kin g." Stand up.'--(Laughter.) Now, there isa great deal of significance in that. I come over here, a fullbred Yankee, with a Yankee child, aud just see what environment will do in a year and three months 1" Loud applause greeted Mr. Wilbur's remarks,

i lie Government of American Samoa (says "0 le Fa'atonu") has always considered the matter of education of extreme importance. To this end some nineteen schools have been established and every child cau obtain a rudimentary education. The Chaplain, otherwise known as the Superintendent of Education, has always been handicapped in his work because there was no real teacher available. To remedy this need the Government of American Samoa undertook the problem of getting a man experienced In teaching. On 3rd August, 1922, there arrived on the "Ventura" Mr. J. F. Harris, his wife and child. This gentleman has had fifteen years' experience as a teacher, principal and superintendent. Both he and his wife are graduates of the University of Oklahoma. Until their arrival here they were teaching in the schools of Hawaii. Chief Pharmacist's Mate Corder, U.S. Navy, who conducted the Payer School for the past eight months, returns to the Medical Department. His work was very much appreciated. The Chiefs of all villages are expected to take a real interest in school attendence. Every child over six years of age should be in school.

A judgment debtor who appeared in the court recently showed a fine appreciation of the value of waste materials, states Thursday's Taranaki Herald. In the course of being examined he stated he had made a gramophone out of kerosene tins, which was worked by a weight. He had received an offer of for the piece of mechanism, but a death had interfered with the transaction and he still had the gramophone. The amount of the debt in the case included the cost of some records with which it had been intended to give the machine a good trial. Later, when asked if he owned the house he lived in, he stated he did not. He lived in a small wharc in the coastal district, the structure being built by the debtor principally out of kerosene tins. No order was made in the case.

In the Church of Eugland Assembly the report of the committee dealing with supernatural, psyrhic, phenomena was introduced by the convener, Professor D. M. Kay, St. Andrew's. Professor Paterson, who h?s rr?.de a deep study of the questior, declared that the existence of spit its was extremely problematical, he had gone into the matter and he did not like the odour of the whole business, There were facts that were certain, but their explanation was very uncertain. Some things might be due to devils, some to disembodied spirits, In the professor's judgment, _ most were due to the activities of that extremely elusive entity, the sub-conscious self. Sup*

posing, he said, spirits existed they were not sure about their character. Que man he knew who had investigated the subl ject, said he was sure that most of them were of the very dregs of the spiritual universe. If people trafficked with them they might be getting into touch with malicious imps that might take pleasure in deceiving and luring them to their ruin. He advised them to have no traffic with what he called bastard mysticism. To men of science he could say "Investigate." To the people! Do not cultivate this as a means of grace."

It is stated that the island and residence of Kawau, connected in the minds of New Zealaudcrs with Sir George Grey, is to be resold. The place has mauy historic connections. It was there that Sir George Grey entertained the late Duke of Edinburgh, uncle of King George V., wheu he came to New Zealand in the warship Galatea, over 50 years ago. It was there also that the Maori " King " Tawhiao, who was about to proceed to England, went to seek the advice of Sir George as to certain matters. The latter, knowing the weakness of his visitor, agreed to become a total abstainer, in order to prevail upon Tawhiao to do the same. The " king's" word was pledged, and loyally kept throughout his visit to Britain. It was likewise from Kaivau that in ISSO Sir George wrote a lengthy letter of advice to King Malietoa, of Samoa, in connection with his dispute with Germany. Sir George bought the property in 1852 from a copper miningcompany. About twenty years ago it was sold to Mr. James Thompson then resold to Mrs. Burton, Melbourne, for

" Have you any chances of promotion ?" asked the old gentleman of the aspirant to his daughter's hand. The youth addressed was one of those bright optimistic souls. "Rather!" he exclaimed. " Except for the office boy, I hold the lowest position in the firm!"

Jimmy, who was inclined to be a braggart, was telling his father and mother of his experience while outcampiug. " And all at once I stepped ou a big rattlesnake," he began. " How did you know it was a rattlesnake, Jimmy ?" asked his father, sceptically. " I could hear its teeth chatteriu the minute it saw me," replied the youth.