The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-04-16
BOODLiNG IN SAMOA.
twenty Thousand Dollars Shortage and
No Report of Expenditures.

twenty Thousand Dollars Shortage and
y" kePor. of Expenditures.
APlA, Samoa, March 31.-Chief Justice
oedercrantz and President Won Sentf, of
the municipal council have applied to
hing Malietoa to write letter requiring
that all the money paid into the municipal
iunos Tor customs duties should be handed
over to the Samoan government. When
the customs system was first started the
OPINION OF the chief justice was
asked both by the council and by
the consuls as to whether the Gus
TOMS belonged TO the Samoan government
or the municipality. The chief justice de-
cloed that the revenue went to the munich
panty. Consul-General Sewall argued the
point with the chief justice as the consuls
peiieved that the revenue belonged to the
oamoans. The government treasury was
empty and the reversal of his former deci-
sion by Cederkrantz is ascribed to this fact.
Inc Samoan government has managed to
expend S2S 900 in United States coin, and
ali 1t has to show therefore is a residence
Tor the president of the council costing
S5,OO and Jail which cost $1,000. No
statement of expenditures, as required by
the Berlin treaty, has been made by the
president
The first intimation the citizens and
council had of the intention to divert the
revenue was at the last meeting of the
council, when the question of expanding
about $1,000 on public works as recon-
Mended by the public works committee,
- brought mp, the expenditures being
4n1y for bridge over Yarsigaro river,
k1h was urgently needed. The bill was
- unanimously By the cQnucii, the
resident alone objscting On the ground
that the council might mot have the funds
to carry It cut. The councillors appeared
astonished, as they undeSstood there wss
900 in gold in the Treasury, and Mr..
Moore asked the president for an
explanation, which the latter de-
clined to give. Considerable dis
cussion followed, the president losing
his temper. When the consuis met to dis
cuss the resolutions passed by the council
two of the consuls voted against the de-
sired improvements, on the ground that
the municipality would lose the customs
revenue and they were not justified in
making public Improvements that could
not be paid for. The British consul sought
to have the resolutions passed, but was
outvoted. One consul claimed that 5000
year was ample revenue for carrying on
the municipality, but the British consul
pronounced this statement absurd, plac-
ing the amount at $4,000.
The idea of taking funds from the
municipality is to pay the faipule (mem-
bers of the government) and the magis-
trate salary. 1t has been seriously con-
sidered by some of the leading citizens as
to'the ACCESSIBILITY of seizing the treasury
and putting a trustworthy person in
charge; bonds to be given that the
money will be properly expended; also
that petition be forwarded to the treaty
powers, asking that the whole matter be
Investigated. Under the rules of the coun-
Gil any three members may call meeting
by giving two days notice. Three of them
did this on Monday, March %, calling a
meeting for Wednesday, March 80, but
the president absolutely refused to con-
vene the council, putting the meeting off
until April 1. 1t is claimed that the pay
ment of the members of the government
would do little good unless they are all
prepared to distribute about $1,000 per
month"; for if all the chiefs in the group do
not get share it is believed they would
immediately join Mataafa's party. The
report is current that King Malietoa does
not know what he signed and that he con-
siders that the Samoan government has
merely borrowed some funds. On May Is
the Samoans will be in arrears $1l3 900, not
dollar of which, it is claimed, can ever be
collected. This does not take into consid-
Grafton the gun tax, which all white resi-
dents are compelled to pay.
Mataafa is still at Malie. Some of the
members of the government and the
president would not hear of his coming to
Mulinun, so he is keeping up his court at
Malie. A large Westinghouse is being
erected, and he is appointing magistrates
and doing his best to gain the confidence
of the white residents.
United States Consul-General Sewall
leaves by the steamer Alameda for the
United States on account of ill-health and
Vice-Consul Blackjack will act as consul.
1t is rumored that the mail steamers
will discontinue calling here, it being said
that it does not pay them to make stop.
The wreckage company are quoting rates
on freight much lower than the steamship
line at present, but it is expected that the
former company will finish its iabors here
by the end of the year. leaving the trans
portation field clear to steamers.