HUMOROUS INCIDENTS WHILE MATUA AT APIA

Chronicle (Levin), 5 January 1948, Page 5

HUMOROUS INCIDENTS WHILE MATUA AT APIA

Press Association)

(Per

AUCKLAND, Jan. 4. Samoaus dressed in wliite iuedica/ gmvns and masks greeted the Union Compauy motor ship .Matua when slu called at Apia on her Jatest islands trip. Iufautile paralvsis precautious in the islands resnlted in a close quarantmc for more tlian 40 children taken by the IMatua to Fiji but nobody was allowed to land when the ship w'ent tc Samoa. Members of the crew of the Matua wlnch returned to Auckland on Saturdav , said tlie Samoan observanee of the infantile paralvsis precautious had ea

iivencu their stay at Apia. The natives had clearlv been verv much impressed by the proper decisions of the authorities. Xative . zeal, howev'er, had brought coniic results. Tlie 2ilatua arrived at Apia on tlie evening of December 23 and because there was to be no direc-t contact with tlie shore, anchored in the harbour. About an liour iater a party of bamoans wearing wliite gowns and masks cante out by boat to take the mai! ashore. Tliev were equipped with disinfectaut, a stirrup pump and bucket. As eacli mail bag was lowered into the boat it was spraved with a solntion of disinfectant and salt Watei from the liarbour. Those watching from the Matua were amused to note that the mail bags were spraved 011 one side onlv. A tropical downpour took place while the first eonsignment of mail was lieing taken ashore. Although their white garb was soaked the natives did not discard it when they returned for the second load. Samoan poiice took their ' duty ot keeping a close watch 011 the Matua very seriously. A launch with a search light circled round the ship and two members of the crew who ventured t( take a swim were appreltended for poi luting the harbour. They were return ed after much persuasive argument. A worse fate threateiled two local Europeans who cruised round the shij in an open boat fitted with an outboard motor and were arrested for going toi close. As there was a prospect that they would spend Christnias Day Jockeii up, tlie Matua oificers who observed the incident, sent a message that the mei: had kept outside the 100 vard limit placed on the ship. .... Tlie Matua brought 103 passengers to Auckland on Saturday but there were fewer children tlian usiial aboard owing probably to the infantile paralysis epidemie.