BOYCOTT IN SAMOA

Wairarapa Age, 28 January 1928, Page 5

BOYCOTT IN SAMOA

MAU MEN ARMED WITH STICKS PARADE IN APIA NATIVES KEPT OUT OF STORES. MR. GURR ON PAROLE. (Received Friday, 7.55 p.m.) (Special to the Press Association —By Wireless.)APIA, January 26. The latest development of the Mau movement is a boycott of storekeepers throughout Samoa. A hundred uniformed Mau men, carrying big sticks, parade the Apia streets, and prevent Samoans from patronising Apia stores. The proper police have warned the Mau that this action is illegal, and. further developments are expected. The failure of Mr. Gurr to leave Samoa within the allowed thirty days rendered him liable to arrest, but he has been granted parole on condition that he keeps out of Apia, communicates with no Natives, and leaves by the Tofua for New Zealand in February. Mr. Gurr announced that he was settling in American Samoa, but the Ameri-.-an Governor announced that Mr. Gurr would not be allowed, to land there. ADDITIONAL POLICE. TO MAINTAIN LAW & ORDER. STATEMENT BY PREMIER. *• •* n WELLINGTON, January 27. The Prime Minister announced today that the Government had decided to reinforce the white police force in Western Samoa with several constables from New Zealand, to assist in the maintenance of law and order amongst the Natives. Observing that he had referred in his statement of Monday last to the effect of the Mau activities on health administration, Mr. Coates added: “I expressed the opinion, speaking with a due sense of responsibility, that many innocent lives must be lost in Samoa as tho direct result of the Mau’s influence in destroying the confidence of. the natives in our health administration. I am very sorry to say that I am now in receipt of advice from pamoa that an outbreak of mild bacil-

lary dysentery has occurred at Savai’i, where it was anticipated. I sincerely trust, that this will not develop into a serious epidemic, and I need not say that I have no feelings other than sincere regret that my fears on the subject should be justified at such an early date.”

The Prime Minister also touched upon the fapt that the activities of the Mau had now extended to American Samoa. Observing that the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Holland) persisted m attributing the troubles in Western Samoa to alleged acts of maladministration, Mr. Coates said: “I do not propose to explain why American banioa should be involved. I think tho public are quite competent to draw their own conclusions.”