Mrs Tainasese Arrives

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 567, 21 January 1929, Page 1

Mrs Tainasese Arrives

HOW HUSBAND WAS ARRESTED ‘‘MAU CANNOT BE BROKEN” r ., Th , e wife and family of High Ghief Tamasese, Mau loader in Samoa, arrived in Auckland by the Island steamer Tofua early this morning. Masi°f° (Mrs.) Ala Tamasese is no stranger to Auckland, as she spent a few years of her girlhood here. The Mau leader’s wife is a handsome type of the Samoan race, and one whose profile would appeal to an artist. Her riaive replies to the inquiring pressmen showed a sense of humour, with an earnest desire to convey some burning resentment against certain matters to which she took strong exception. Masiofo Tamasese explained that she had come to town to stand by Tamasese ln his hour of trial, and that it was a relief to get; away for a while from the oppressive atmosphere of Samoa. With Mrs. Tamasese are her three children—two sturdy young boys and a baby in arms, and also a sturdy Samoan nurse wearing a lava-lava. The wife of the Mau leader appeared to regard the imprisonment of her husband as something which had followed on his Mau activities. Some years ago he had been banished to Savaii on account of an argument about the boundaries of his property, which came to Tamasese by hereditary right from his grandfather—King Tamasese—and which right he refused to surrender. ___ Speaking of her husband’s arrest at Vaimoso, Mrs. Tamasese bore out the report published from the Apia correspondent of The Sum and stated that while Tamasese was away cm his plantation the military police had visited her fale (native homestead) in the dead of night and had flashed electric torch lights on her, the children, and the household, after drawing the mosquito curtains aside.

After fruitless attempts Tamasese was finally arrested at daybreak, everyone being awakened by the noise of the three motor-lorries and a car conveying the O.C. and 40 members of the Military Police. After Tamasese was in gaol in Apia Mrs. Tamasese received an intimation that she and her children could visit him there, but before she had an opportunity word reached her that he had been conveyed to the Tofua to finish her sentence in a New Zealand gaol. Now* she lias come over to stand by her husband and hopes soon to take the children to meet their father.

After the departure of Tamasese the military police, according to Mrs. Tamasese, became very active at nights, in search of Mau members who had not paid their poll tax. Visits to fal.es, where the women and children were asleep, became very common, and the excuse for flashing torch beams on -the sleepers was always the same—the missing taxpayer was wanted. A few Matais (heads of families) were secured, and also a sprinkling of young men, but out of 8,500 native payers of dues only 500 had paid taxes, and these were composed of native employees of the Administration, with a few Mau members who had to pay up their taxes to secure passports. x The position now. according to Mrs. Tamasese. who takes quite a keen interest in the political situation, is that the Mau has become more consolidated than ever, and could “never be broken” except the terms of settlement were agreeable to them. Mrs. Tamesese and her family are staying privately with Samoan friends in Auckland.