TALK ABOUT TOWN.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 3, Issue 116, 20 December 1879, Page 2

TALK ABOUT TOWN.

♦ ■ > "Thorn's a chiol ainang yo takin' notes, And faith he'll limit then." The Municipal Elections. As yet there is not so much apparent interest taken in these elections as one might expect, notwithstanding the fact that these are the first elections of the kind here, —the laying of the foundation' stone of a Municipal Government in Apia. Still, there is undoubtedly an undercurrent of opinion and feeling, judging from the difficulty experienced in picking up any information or expression of opinion from tho voters; but this will all iind a vent hole on the night of the meeting; and I can safely predict that the office of Chairman on Tuesday evening n?xt will be far removed from a sinecure. \Vo cannot expect to havo everything shipshape at once; and although it may be regretted that, for the sake of simplifying matters the ordinary course had not Leon adopted, viz., nomination and polling days whon the voters know some time previous to their going to tho poll, who are the respective candidates : still, perhaps, under all tho surrounding- circumstances, a public meeting will be more satisfactory to the majority of the rosidouts, more especially to those who delight in taking overy opportunity of ailing their eloquence before their fellow-townsmen. And I hear of one or two citizens who are burning the midnight oil in preparing terrific speeches in opposition to the whole of the proceedings which are calculated, according to their proud fond hopes, to successfully turn the tide of the meeting by engaging the sympathies of fully two thirds of those present. One of these orators is already • iu bis war paint aud fairly on the path, and has been ventilating the principal heads of his great speech ou more than one occasion during tho past few days, with varied success. This is only tlie lightning threats of "illegality business," " wo arc not slaves," "we won't bo the tools of tho Consuls who have overything -*ut and dried," &c, &0., ad. lib., will; in,his peroration, belch forth his thunder in a great and astounding succession'of- adjectives and superlatives•calculated to completely sottlo tho hash of all those who persist in being slaves instead- of joining his free and independent: flag. Gentlemen of delicate constitutions are warned not to.forget to bring their smelling salts with them '. But it seems to me, from what little I can learn about town that there will be quite onough roal business to attend to on Tuesday,— business propor to tho purpose for which the mooting has been convened, and which will take soveral hours to"aoooinplish—without listening to orations,'' the: subject matter of which is outside' 'the business of thu meeting to entertain. A proposer and uuooudcr of a candidate will, of course, have perfect liberty to inform tho mooting of the merits of their man; but whuu the speaker commences to travel over other aud irrelevant grouud, be should bo at ouco called to order,—union tbo ineetiug propoßos to lit for about a week. Now as to the probable winner*. Those who really have the welfare of tho place at heart will put aside any string feelings in favour of any one nationality or othor, but will onduavour as far ii pouiblo, to have ono member of each of tho turco great iiatloni fitting m supervisors on

the Board. Very little has been said as to probable candidates, so them is not a large field for me to piok the probable > winners from. In several places I have [ heard both Mr. Agar and Mr. Trood mentioned in "British interests; both are' "good men and true"," and if they both I stand they will run pretty close. Mr. I Volkmann or Mr. Drier are both fit men I iu the German interests, and Mr. Williamson, who ought to be unopposed, for the Americans. There may be other dark ones that I know nothing about; but I am quite satisfied to take my pick out of the lot. I am not quito sure whether Mr. Trood will contest; if he declines I think it's a .pretty sure thing for Mr. Agar. I am given to understand that Mr. Drier is going home at the oarliest opportunity, so 1 do not see what is to prevent Mr. Volkmann from being oleotod as ouo of tho thrco supervisors. Mr. Williamson is also eminently fitted, from his wellknow integrity, independence and other qualities to sit on tho Board, and I have no fear, if he will only consent to run, of tho result of tho polling. I believe .<we should havo two. assessors instead of one ; I am assured the, property owners woiildfoel more satisfied with' the assessment if it is the joint opinion of two competent men than of only one. That '•jolly young waterman," Tom Young, has deservedly a very largo number of friends who will plump for him as collector, and I look upon his cloctiou as a dead oertainty. My tips, out of the meagre number of men mentioned as likely to ho in the field aro: — Supervisor's Plate. (No stakes. Houornblu Mention.) Mr. W. E. Agar, British Mr. Ad. Volkmann, German Mr. Williamson, American Assessor's Handicap. (Value SIOO, if two accepted 8200.) Messrs. Alvord and W. Johnston for the double event; Mr. J. E. V.' Alvord for single place. ■ ■ Collector's Stakes. (Of- tho value of §100; tho winner to furnish bonds to the amount of $5000.) Mr. Thomas Young, American TRKASVT.TSIt'S Ctt. (Valued at 5 per cent on amount received in Collector's Stakes. The winner to he heavily weightod in bonds boforo acceptance.) Mr. August Godelfioy, German That, you see, will come as near as possible to the idea of equal representation ; although, in point of fact, the nationality of tho three paid officers will not make any material difference as they will be amenable to tho orders of tho Board. Departure of General Bartj.ktt. • lam heartily glad, for the gentlemnn's own snke, that General J. J. Bartloll is fairly on his way to his own country,— the United States. His career here as adviser and instructor of laws to the old Malo was not a brilliant nor yet a veryprofitable one. Ho was induced to leave the Slates under the false representations of some unscrupulous men who have been here; and under tho impression that he was to enter upon his official duties with the old Malo at a large salary immediately after his arrival here. Instead of which, after wasting eight long months at the pleasure of a parcel of kanakas, they agreed to accept the General, at a great reduction of salary upon the amount he had been led to expect. Even then the times wore not healthy; ho had a combination of ignorance, stupidity and deceit to deal with, which rendered his connection with the natives anything but a pleasant one. Considering the position this gentleman has held in tho States, his rank as a retired General officer of the Northern army, his .' social qualities, and all round general mental ability, it is really pleasing to those who havo any sympathy with him ' that be has at last broken his association : with the kanakas, and is returning to the States to resume Ids fit and proper social station. I have, many times, thought it ray duty as town-talker to take exception to some of the acts of the General; but they were written in tho spirit in which I always express myself in these letters,— without malice. I now wish him, as I have no doubt many others do, —Bon voyage! It is sincerely to be hoped that we shall have no more citizens of tho Unitod States to follow suit. I think we have seen the last of dictators and instructors to Jho Snuioans from tho XL S. for, after tho General exnl<tins matters wlifnjie gets back, any other aspirant in this line must surely cry,—"l pass!" Cyril.