THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn to no Master. of no Sect am I." SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 1879.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 76, 15 March 1879, Page 2

THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn to no Master. of no Sect am I." SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 1879.

Prom sill tropical and semi-tropical countries w.>uies the samecry, "Send us labour." "With, the exception, perhaps, of Fiji the demand is uiade upon the same ground, viz., tlie unreliable nature of native labour. It is impossible to calculate the amount of available native labour in Fiji owing to the restrictions imposed by Sir Arthur Gordon. As, however, long before His Excellency made his appearance in Levuka the planters had been importing laliour from the New Hebrides and elsewhere, it would seem as if the rule applicable to most tropical countries holds good there likewise, and that there, as in niauy other places, the native labour market could not, even if thrown open be relied upon. It is not to our purpose to follow tip the cry and see whence it comes, and whether it is trustworthy. The facta are too well known to require any publicity at our hands. Our object to-day is rather to deal with what lies before our own eyes and at our very door. There are in Samoa very extensive foreign interests connected with laud. In spite of most strenuous exertions on the part of one firm at least, the increase in the number of imported labourers is very inconsiderable. Anxious as wo aio to see this country advance, wo recognise this fact, that the only progress possible at present is on the port of the foreign element, and yet week after week and month after month we see efforts for advancement paralyzed by want of labourEventually the supply will be drawn either from China or India. The recruiting field in either country is practically inexhaustible. Many porsons, howovcr dislike a gang of Chiiiatuon a thousand strong on a plantation, as sometimes, if things are not to their liking, they have a triok of assuming command thcmsolves One thing at any rato is certain ; Samoa cannot advanco unless from some quarter Of the globe she obtains a constant aud reliable supply of labour. At present, droughts and hurricanes are her best roci uiting agents.

I'iiANs-.—The thaukt cf tlie cooia.J-j nitv at ki-jfe are affaiu due to iho tim of j Messrs. G>HleH'roy and Son !o» L.«vlag -Jie j bridg* between Matafelb and Apia re- 1 pnired. Tlse wor« effected is substactial | !•;. 1 *'«! no doubt be tho wean* of sav-1 tng the bridge for some eoasiderabi* time to come. In our last issue we celled for subscriptions to repair this structure, but I before nnvt'.iiog oculd be dene iu the j matter, this firm came forward in a praiseworthy manner, fur uie second time, aud did the work at their own expense, there- i foro tin.- public are uow uouLly indebted i to theia.

Rumour.—lt in rumoured about town, ai.d to give it for what it is worth, ths,: at a meeting of the "Government,' held at Muliuur. yesterday, Tamascse had Ivm eleoted lung, and that Messrs. Kartlett. Young, and Coe, were to form a jojt of the GovaraiuenL

The Wkathkr.--During the past fortnight it lias been raining almost incessantly, and we havo scarcely seen old Sol for more than an hour together during that time. On Thursday it eleawd up siv.i continued fine that day and throughout yesterday, but the weather certainly does not look at all promising us yet, tha clouds which occasionally cover the sky appearing to havo a quantity '<f water in them which they are desirous «f dif poking of.

The " Blow."—From information ro ceived from various potato to tho westward, wo conclude that the centre of tho bale which visited us on Tuesday week iast passed through the Aana district. A huge number of trees and houses were blown down in that district, while on the s.iuth side of Savaii little or no damage was done, and the wind, at its highest was from the N.W. We learn that at if ulifanua and Manono very little damage was done beyond several trees being •blown down.

Obituary.—Tho old hands in Samoa •are fust " shuffling oil this mortal coil." The Vavau, which arrived here from ■Quiros, on the 7th inst., brought the information that Mr. Eli Jennings had taken his departure from this world of trials and troubles some three months ago. This gentleman, although living for some years past at Quiros, was looked upon as one of the oldest residents of Samoa, having lived here for many years in the " good old times." Ho is spoken •f by many of his old companions as a man with a large heart, who never allowed an opportunity to pass without allowing his hospitablo nataro to show itself. He was one of those few men of whom it may be said, that, though " the place that knew him once shall know him no more," his memory will live in the miuds of many for years to come. On Monday morning last another old resident—Mr. A. Schmidt, of Savaii—departed this life, at Matautu, having suecumhed to the consequences of abscess of the liver. The Emperor ok Germany.—Next Saturday will ho the eighty-seeoud anni- : versary of the birth of the Emperor of Germany, or, as ho is more familiarly and deservedly styled, " William the Good." We have no doubt but that our German , fellow-residents will honour the diy in the same loyal manner as is their wont, notwithstanding that they are so many thousands of miles away from the Fatherland. In order that the whole of the foreign residents may be enabled to show their appreciation of a Monarch who has L adorned the throne upon which he sits, airtl has proved a blessing to the country over which he reigns, we would Buggest , that Borne kind of sports be gut up for that day. Trespass.—Some few weeks ago some nine natives from Faga entered upon the land of Messrs. Hayes and Soroggs, at Fagalei, and commenced building a house. ' Mr. Hayes went to them nud protest ed that the land belonged to him, and ordered them to removo their house within a certain time. Instead of doing this they proceeded with thoir building, and, when the time given them had expired, Mr. Hayes paid them a visit and pulled their ' house down about their ears, whereupon one of tho scoundrels rushed at him with a tomahawk. Fortunately for all parties concerned, ono of his mates seized him

and prevented hiiu from doing any damage. Mr. Hayes, a few days after, lodged a complaint with Mocpau, the chief of the district, who proceeded to Kaga and fined each of these trespassers something like S3O. This, we are informed, has had a very good effect upon the natives in that quarter, as they have not molested Messrs. Hayes and Scroggs in any way since, r>ut on the contrary are much more respectful. More power to Moepau.