MISSIONARIES V. TRADERS.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 4, Issue 173, 20 November 1880, Page 2

MISSIONARIES V. TRADERS.

'l'd TUB KDITOIi or THE SAMOA TIMER. Sir, —In your issue of August Mth last, (here appeared a letter signed by John l'rout, William Price, and Frank Vnlliero, European traders stationed on the Island of Peru, Gilbert Group. That letter desired to " make known the proceedings of the Saninan missionaries who are placed there by there by the Mission Society." During my recent visit to the Tokclau, Elliee, and Gilbert Groups, it was my duty as deputation of the Samoan District Committee of the London Missionary Society to make the fullest enquiries into everything affecting either the character or standing of our Samoan pastors, &c. Accordingly, on arriving at Peru, on the 12th ult., my first business was to investigate the serious charges against the three men wo have there. After listening carefully to all that Messrs. l'rout, Price, and Vollicro and the three accused pastors had to say, cross-examin-ing both Europeans and natives, as well as making further enquiries, I am forced to the following conclusions:— 1. That our Samoan pastors had neither ''taken trade from vessels;" nor have they to the ''disadvantage" of European traders been "trading with natives;" nor, "instead of spending their time and energies on the welfare of the Islanders' souls, and the teaching of their children" has "their time been spent in obtaining as many coeoanuts from the people for cloth, tobacco, &c. in their possession as they can." All that the Europeans could state was that they saw our three pastors on board the Venus when trade was being given out. Price himself, evidently the prime movnr in publishing these charges, was obliged to admit that he had no proof whatever of the pastors trading, nor of their having received any emolument for so doing. The only evidence any of your correspondents could furnish was mere hearsay. Tho facts of the case are these: —That our Samoan men went on board the Venus to see if there were letters. <fcc, from their distant relatives in Samoa, and while doing that, at tho captain's request they gave him names of two trust worthy natives with whom he might leilVo trade, they also translated for him. Against the man who was best able to translate sot one of the three Europeans could in (he least, and in my presence, bring a charge of trading or interfering with trade.

2. That our pastors have never " taken upon themselves to impose a line upon Europeans for launching a canoe to go off to vessels on u .Sunday;" nor on on Byron's Island were " the natives incited to violence because ho (the Kuropeiui trader) refused to pay a line, &c." At the investigation your" three cormpon.lunta iiifurmod mo that it was solely

I on the authority of an American trader on Byron Island they published this aoI count. They had never used means toj ascertain fact*. The bad character of I this man—their informant—»i» so well 1 known, that his stories are by no means to bu credited: I aswrtattwd th« ttu« version. In tin.- Gilbert Island* witfves usually go off to vessels on Sunday nut to render assistance hut to tiacir. Consequently, like the British Parliament (vide column 4, pago '2, Samoa Times, August 14), the Christian chiefs of Byron's Island have resolved to make a law " in favour of closing Sunday trading." But wishing to show kindness to captains of vessels approaching these islands, whoso " reefs and shoals " are said to be so very dangerous to strangers that tradors think it to be their duty, whatever the day of the week, to go oft" to them," the Byron Island chiefs allow a white man to take a canoe on Sundays, with siillieient natives to carry him on board, should it vessel bo oil" the island on that day. But this bail man on Island, who is there, ns he was while he lived at Peru, a hindrance to every good ! work, defied the laws, boarded a vessel with a large party on a Sunday, and so exaspeiated tho natives that, but for the intercession of our Samoan pastors, he might have lost his life. ~~- Tlie above facts speak for themselves. I may, however, just add that Mr. John Prout, tho writer of the letter you published, assured mo that he had written on tho representations of Price, that ho had only recently become acquainted with Price, but, that us during the investigation Price's prevarications were so evident, he had done with him. For the information of your readers I may also state that each of our pastors on his appointment to a station receives printed instructions in Samoan, one of which is to this effect: —"No pastor is permitted to attend to any work by which he can acquire property. Suoh work as tho making of boxes for sale, or the selling of foreigners' properly, or giving instructions concerning the disposal of property belonging to foreigner's vessels, or any other occupation contrary to that for which he was sent out, and that will prevent him from keeping up schools or attending to other work, is strictly prohibited." Had 1 during my late voyage been able to discover that this rule had been been broken by our Peru men, most stringent discipline would have been exercised, and probably the whole of the culprits brought back to Samoa in disgrace.

Please insert this letter in an early issuu of your verv useful paper.—l am, oic, " S. 11. Daviks. Secy., Samoan District Committee. Apia, Kith November, 1880,

Sin, —My position as master of the John Williams, sailing in these seas, has given mo a pretty general acquaintance with the traders and trading agents residing upon islands which are out stations of the London Missionary Society, and upon which native pastors are placed. These islands are about thirty-live in number, and are scattered over such a space that they can only be visited annually by the Mission barque, on which occasions a European missionary attends to the wants of the teachers, and by his presence and counsel either encourages them in their work, or, if necessary, removes them from the position of responsibility which they may have proved unlit for. On- these annual visits I frequently see and converse with the Euro pean traders and with vnnr of these men am 1 at enmity, while for many of them I have a feeling of respect and friendship, and I believe that of them would acknowledge that the visit of the Mission vessel is a source of pleasure to themselves. Under these circumstances 1 was not a little surprised at a letter, signed by three European traders on I'eru, which appeared in your paper of August 1 Ith last, and which contained grave charges against our teachers there. Tho writers of such a letter should be prepared to prove their statements when culled upon to do so. In this they have utterly failed: the Rev. S. U. Davics will, however, give the result of that inquiry. Permit me to state that the competition amongst traders on the islands referred to is becoming so keen, that there aro somo among them who would not hesitate to tell a lie. or do worse, if they could thereby secure a larger share of the trade. They also endeavour to get the influence of the teachers exerted on their behalf, and in some cases have succeeded in bringing tho teachers into trouble in this way. There aro others who deem it their duty to bring forward some charge or other against the teachers on each annual visit of tho Mission vessel. Some of these charges are rather amusing. One quite recently made was that the teacher did not make the people dress well enough Considering that fifteen years ago ssj per annum would have paid for all the clothing used on the island, and that niw thi'oo European traders have stores thore, and that the complainant is one of them, the caso speaks for itself. Theso and similar charges may bo met with indifference. Not so, however, charges of such a nature as were contained in your issue of August 1 Jib last. Another coso was that, in which a Captain Winants, of an American schooner, who published statements concerning our teacher at Penrhyns Island in the 'Frisco papers of the early part of the present year, and gave as proof the name his supercargo, who, ho said, was a witness, This miporeargo (Mr. Moorhouso, I think) was living on Penrhyns Island on my 'ast visit, and in writing denied somo of iho most important statements of Captain \\ inants. The teacher had, no doubt, behaved in such a manner as 1o rondo

his removal necessary, and it was So no; but a true statement of the ease would have been very different from thi. loose and flippant style of Captain "Wijaants. I visit annually about fifty of th«w native pastors, and I writ* from the experienco of twenty-five years wbeu 1 say. thai m a chv>3 they are doing u good work uu these islands. Their position' is sometiroes a trying one, anil that there nru among so many, some failures, is not to he wondered at. They are forbidden to trade, and are certainly not supplied with any by the L.M.S., nor would any facilities for doing so be afforded by the Mission vessel. They deserve to bo fairly and kindly treated by passing vessels, but are not dependent upon then), and as a mil' are kind and obliging to white men living on the inland, Indeed, it is owing to their labours that such openings for the trader exist. This may readily be seen iii the consumption of European and American produce, such ns clothing, stationery, &c., and material used in the construction of their houses, schools, chapels, <&e..imported from the Australasian colonies, and for which enormous prices have been paid by the people. This trade is increasing yearly,and it is not the fault of the teaoliora if competition is rapidly reducing the comparative valuo of Manchester goods. It is simply the inevitable result of increasing trade. We are assured in an Auckland paper of the present year that the "beach combers of these seas had passed away and their places were filled by educated gentlemen." Ijft me remind tho writer of that article that a love of truth and fair dealing is one characteristic of a gentleman, and atso state that 1 could, if necessary, convince him that there is still very much loom for improvement on more than one island of those I allude to. My object, however is. not attack, but defence of those who are unjustly accused. I would like also to remind Mr. Price, of Peru, that such infamous statements as he is endeavouring to spread concerning a gentleman well known in these Islands, and wherever known respected, may yet require to be answered before an authority which, as a Hritish subject, ho may find extends over him, even though be resides on the island of Peru. As an instance of the eagerness to spread damaging reports concerning Mission work in those seas evinced by some people, I ruav mention that since I sailed from Sydney in March last, articles accusing the John Williams of trading in these seas with spirituous liquors has appeared in the Colonial and Home papers, all founded on the fact that the iSytlnry Morning Herald inserted the manifest of ' the Au re voir schooner for Fiji under the heading of tile John Williams; both lioth vessels having cleared on the same day. Such statements need no refutation where the vessel is known, but, like a dog vane, serve to show the direction from wherict' the wind blows, and leavesa certain sign that it would blow hard from tint quarter if it cnnihl.—l inn 01l , Ko(;i:r Tl'Kl'lK, Master 1..M.5. barque, John Williams. Apia, November loth, IHBO.