The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, JULY 12, 1929. SAMOA’S FUTURE.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 July 1929, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, JULY 12, 1929. SAMOA’S FUTURE.

; An impression that the days of trouble in Samoa are now nearing their end was gained during a short visit to the Islands by Dr S. G. Trail (once chief Government medical officer at Samoa), who returned to Auckland by the Tofua on Monday. It appeared to him that the Mau movement was on the decline, and that’ the Administrator (Mr S. S. Allen) had the situation well in hand. He is an -ideal man for the job. Although it was six years since he served in Samoa, Dr Trail did not notice many changes during his visit. The influence of the Man was apparent in some instances, A great demonstration, extraordinarily well organised, greeted Tamase.se, the. native lender on his return from Auckland, after serving his term of imprisonment. The natives seemed to set themselves out to impress the European visitors for propaganda purposes, and the wdiole

ceremony took place just as the Tofua reached Apia, Tamaseso having left the vessel at Suva, and travelled oil to Apia, by a small coastal boat. Tama.se.se was very haughty in his bearing, but the reception passed off without any untoward incident. Another indication that party feeling was still running on the is.and lay in the fact that the chiefs who favoured the administration and the Mau respectively would- not recognise one another. Quite frequently he had been talking with a Mau chief and had haded another chief who acknowledged the administration and the former would walk away. There was a strong feeling of suspicion between the two sides. However he gathered from those fully in touch with events that the influence of the Mau is definitely on the wane, and that the natives are beginning to question the use of the organisation. The Mau natives are now voluntarily searching for beetles, a task which they refused at the time of the most serious trouble. The native women appear to be fed up with the Mau. Their menfolk go away, and attend meetings for days at a time, leaving the women to do all the work of the village. If the women set themselves definitely against the movement, its downfall seems more or less predestined. My impression iq that the Mau movement would not he serious at all if it were not for the influence of some Europeans behind the natives. The administrator puzzles the Samoans, and this is the best way to gain their respect. He will listen to them and act, but he will not talk, and the result is that his authority is increasing all the time. Mr Allen still has. a hard task ahead of him, but his work up to the present has been splendid. There was not the slightest sign of an influenza epidemic on Hie island, Dr Trail said, and reports that there had been a serious outbreak were utterly unfounded. The health of the natives was good, and he had been pleased to see the dear skins of the men at the reception to Tamasese. This was proof that the medical service was curing the skin diseases with which the Samoans had been inflicted. General conditions in Samoa appeared to be fairly quiet, Dr Trail said. The market for copra was poor at present, prices being only about £l2 a ton instead of £l6. The natives would probably blame the administration for this, but it could remain safely in the possession of a clear conscience.