Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-30
TROUBLE IN SAMOA.
A German Official Who Virtually
Assumes a Dictatorship,
CALLED DOWN BY THE pONSULS,
In Case Of War the Whites Will Not Now
Be So Safe as Formerly.
OUR TITLE TO PAGO-PAG0 VERY GOOD

APIA, SAMOA, Oct. 15.-Baron Senft
Won Pilsach, President of the Municipal
Council and adviser to King Malietoa, has
resigned. The reason he assigns is that
certain white residents of Samoa have been
writing letters to the King about German
currency and other matters and that the
King wrote direct to them in reply. Pill
Sach claimed that no one should either
write or speak TO King Malietoa before first
securing the Presidents permission, thereby
actually assuming the position of dictator
of the islands
Before he resigned a memorial to three
powers had already been prepared by the
Consuls of three treaty powers and will be
forwarded The memorial petitions the
three Governments for the recall of Baron
Pilssch on account of 'inexperience and
reckless behavior in Office The memorial
is also signed by Robert Louis Stevenson
and by nearly all the residents of Apia,
with the exception of some of the Germans
THE DISPUTE WITH THE CoNsULs.
The Baron intimated to the Consuls that
he would hand over the funds which are
here and at Sidney to them, but afterward
wrote saving that in looking over the
treaty he could not see that he had power
to do so, although he had drawn $1,000 from
them in the form of duties collected by them
before the arrival of the President, and two
davs before he resigned Baron Pilbach
stated that he intended TO hand over the
archives of the municipality and funds to
Mr. Weber, manager of a German trading
firm, who had been appointed President pro
tenn
The Consuls, however, contended he was
exceeding his powers, and that while he
remained in the country he could not rele-
gate his powers to others, as the treaty does
not make provision for case of this kind.
He afterward requested permission to with
draw his resignation, but the King told
him it was out of his power and must go to
the treaty powers. 1t is conterded that he
is incapable of filling the position, and it is
further contended that the position should
not be filed at all, and that taxpayers should
be allowed to elect Mayo: and allow him
a small salary for expenses.
REVENUES CONSUMED IN SALARIES.
The papers are full of discussion as to the
expenses of the Government, and it was
shown in one communication that while the
total revenue collected was but $40, 900 the
expenditures to October 1 amounted to over
So, 900 for salaries for officials under the
Berlin treaty, with many items for which
no provision had been made.
Mataafa has at last been proclaimed
rebel, all chiefs who are supporting him
have had their lands confscated and every
body is forbidden to assist them in anv wav.
The American Consul has been instructed
bv his Government to inform Mataafa that
the Government was ANNOYED at the latter's
attitude, and that he should at once break
Up the party at N[alie There are only
about 500 in the party, but it is stated that
fully half the population are against the
Mulinuu Government, chiefly because of its
inaction.
The attitude of the natives in the
Samoan group has changed toward the
whites in the last few months, much of the
former friendliness having died out
wPITES ARE NOT so SAFE NOW.
This some of the prominent chiefs ascribe
To an impression that the whites were re-
sponsible for all the trouble in Samoa, and
they express the opinion that if another
war broke out the whites in some of the OUT
LAYING stations would not be as as safe
as formerly.
The United States Government has per-
fecteG its title to import and commanding
points at Pago-Pago, and the coaling sta
tion is regarded as one of the strongest posi-
tions in the South Pacific. The matter was
adjusted before Consul General Sewell left
here for the United States.