SAMOAN NEWS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 642, 19 April 1929, Page 9

SAMOAN NEWS

TRADE RETURNS GOOD RECORD YEAR FOR EXPORTS ADMINISTRATOR’S SURPRISE TRIP (Special to TUE SI S) APIA. April 33 The sole topic of conversation on th« Beach to-day is the surprise visit i . the Administrator to New Zealand, at the request of the Prime Minister, and no mention was made of the Administrator’s intention until just on the point of departure, although a rumour of his trip was current before th* Tofua left last month. Mr. Allen mud no special effort to get into communication with the Mau leaders befor* sailing and, although Dame Rumour is as busy as ever working overtime . nothing definite is known of the purport of his Excellency's journey to Wellington. He has not been of communicative type during his first year of office, and has made no public pronouncement of his views on tin long-standing troubles which worry us all. THE TRADE RETURNS In spite of all our troubles, and Undisturbed state of the territory from time to time, it is good to know that the external trade returns for the y< 3 928 make, such a splendid show inExports aro easily a record for tinperiod the mandate has been in operation. reaching over the £400,000 mark for the first time, although copra prices have been below normal. The total exports amounted to £ 4-2.175. as compared with £335,978 in 1927. and £320,783 in 1926. Imports amounted i ■ £326,553, compared with £304,369 tin previous year. Of this amount. Nov Zealand only supplied £96.412 last year, and there is still a good margin of our trade which could be secured l*> the Dominion if her business firms were more enterprising. The United Kingdom sent us goods to the value of £71,253, Australia £68,426, and the U.S.A. £49.606. Import duties to the amount of £51,306, and export duties of £18,300, were collected during the year. THE MAUI POMARE EPIDEMIC There is grave concern here at tin brief news received that the crew of the luckless Maui Pom are have been stricken down in Auckland with influenza, and that the Niue “boys’* are finding it difficult to get proper treatment. Since the devastating scourge which swept across us in the 191 S cpi demic took its toll of 8,000 lives, the very mention of influenza revives ghastly memories, and every precaution will be insisted upon to ensure that there is no possible risk taken of reimporting the disease. The hold-up of the Government vessel means a dislocation in the growing banana trade, but growers will be satisfied to wait until they are assured that she is a clean ship again. The Maui Pomarc is also to take away the repatriated military police who are returning to New Zealand, and there has been no friction whatever between the Mau and the police for some weeks. UGLY CHINESE FRACAS Our Easter calm was seriously disturbed on Good Friday night by an outbreak between the rival “tongs” among the Chinese coolies at Taufusi. There were some 250 mixed up in a clash which was getting beyond the control of the native police when Inspector Braistoy arrived with eight of the Samoan Military Police and arrested 16 of the leaders. They pleaded innocence next morning, but were fined 10s and costs and detained in, custody till sundown. One coolie is in hospital with a knife wound, but the real cause of the fracas is a secret of the mysterious Chinese societies which clashed. NATIVE DEPARTMENT CHANGES The abolition of the faipules and fa’amasinos was indicated in the last letter, but nothing official had then been made public. The Native Department now announces that all native district councils are suspended. It is intended to appoint European district officers, who will exercise the functions of the former district councils, faipules, and fa’amasinos (local justices), and supervise the collection of taxes in each district. The two Pautuas (selected high chiefs) will continue in office as personal advisers to his Excellency on native affairs. Seventeen of the 33 dismissed faipules have been appointed to act as native advisers when required to the new district officers, whose names and districts are not yet announced. The wholesale retrenchment of native officials will mean a saving of their salaries, but those of the new district officers have to be allowed for. and it is not known whether the cost of the n< w civil police will be a charge against the local Treasury or borne by the mandatory, as in the case of the mUitary police. DISGRUNTLED FAIPULES After swaying so much power and authority in the “good old days,” the disbanded faipules and other native officials are not taking their dismissal with very good grace, and at a meeting at Mulinu’u last week strong speeches of protest were made, with suggestions that those removed from office should go over to the Mau in a body. Some wished to remain loya I Malo and adopt a “wait-and-see” policy, believing they would be reinstated before long. Others also realised the possibility of the Mau refusing to admit their former opponents into membership, and this idea is confirmed by remarks dropped by some of the prominent Mau leaders. # HOPES OF A SETTLEMENT There is much speculation as to the probable outcome of the Administrator’s trip to New Zealand, and. apart from rumour, there is a strong feeling abroad that there will be a settlement of all the unrest, with a restoration of peace and harmony following the drastic changes in the personnel of tie Public Service. The former Citizens' Committee has commenced meeting again, but nothing Is known as to tic direction of their activities, and they are not seeking publicity. It ithought by many that the centre of Unpolitical cyclone has shifted from here to New Zealand, and that with th< present and past administrators. Tamasese, the Hon. O. F. Nelson, and Mr. E. W. Gurr, all with you in New Zealand, it should ' not be difficult to hold a fono in New Zealand! and effect a settlement on his Excellency’s return. It appears to be a matter of , healing old sores by washing-out deportations and banishments, with an | assurance they will not be again im- ; posed, and giving the natives some j measure of local government, with a | say in the running of the country and j the spending of the revenue which | they contribute to the Treasury. But j the general opinion, outside official circles, is that there will be no re--1 sponso to the Prime Minister’s re--1 peated insistence on the Mau obeying 5 law and order (and paying taxes) until they have some definite assurance of j exactly what concessions the Govern - 1 ment is prepared to make. That is the deadlock at present; but it should not be difficult to overcome, as the Mau and Citizens’ Committee are just as anxious for peace, and goodwill as th*harassed Administration.