The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-15
POOR KING MALIETOA
Samoa's Monarch Reigns for Moth
ing and Boards Himself.
His Kingdom Is Bankrupt and His Sub
jects Refuse to Pay Taxes-Scenes
from Life i'm Apia.
Apia Letter in San Francisco Chronicle.

| Apia Letter in San Francisco Chronicle.
Uneasy lies the head that wears a
| crown" whether said diadem be of gold,
solid, rolled or filled. or Of galvanized iron.
with copper rivets. never found a better
| Illustration than in the case of his oleagin-
Gus, maroon-colored Majesty, Malietoa Lau-
| pepa, King of Samoa. He is not delirious-
| ly happy, though he ought to be- for the
| downfall of Mataafa in the late civil war
| has left this proud monarch perched in
| peace on the bunged-up and battered throne
! of tottering oligarchy. In fact, it can
| not truthfully be said that Malietoa is fair
| to middlng joyful. No man, not even a
| thoroughbred king, can look on the bright
| side of life while tobogganing around the
| royal palace on his uppers and wondering
| what he can pawn next Although he has
signed to play the position another season,
| his royal nibs is dead broke He is the
| undisputed boss of a busted kingdom,
over which he reigns for nothing and.
| boards himself. If the government did not
| furnish the palace free of charge he would
have to move to save rent. This would
| place him on level with the common herd
in n free and glorious republic, and make
his blue blood boil.
| The King is in a bad fix. His Golfers
give forth a hollow hooking sound when
| struck with due bill, and the salt beef in
the keg is getting low and tastes OF the
bung. There are several months back sal
| airy, at $40 per month, coming to his Majes-
| ~ for reigning on account, but there is
! nothing in sight but the 1. o. us of the
| government and they are not good TO eat.
Had not the Queen and other members of
| taken III washing from the elite OF Samoa
q. e.; those, who have clothes) the King
| pedient of rustling In the bush for ban
| anaS and raw pig. However, the dignity of
his exalted station was maintained by
| turning the palace into a laundry, but at
the same time some are Of opinion that
Malietoa compromised himself somewhat
Letting the money. STILL honest toll is no
disgrace, and besides the King has made
The bundles promptly on on time Among
these was Ned Griffith. painter and deco:
rator, who showed his appreciation of
punctuality by rebuilding, free Of charge,
the sign Reigning Done Here" above the
palace door.
prospects for immediate and lasting relief
are not glittering, because the rough, I'M
tutored subjects would much rather fight
than pay taxes. In this respect they do
not differ much from the papalagi pale
face of more enlightened lands Assays
bo s iron day to day d at the S
the stun cannot be taken out in paying
g quantities However, the lode is being
4
ers. themselves are averse to being worked.
few of them who are handicapped by
ehildlike faith in the Almighty and man
have parted with their dues, but the path
| TO the treasury Is devious one, and much
OF the coin has fallen by the wayslde and
| In stony places, too.
| EDICT OF THE CONSULS.
An edNt recently issued in printed form
| by the consular representatives and given
due prominence on the trunks of cocoanut
| trees. orders the natives tn nav one ,year'c
taxes into the treasury by the LIST of Octo-
Der. Unfortunately, however, it Is during
the current month that the same natives
must drop portion of their wealth into
the pitiless contribution box which the ur-
pane and gentlemanly missionary passes
see the simile himself, but the wretched
native bears a striking resemblance to n
l ln lower gliding swiftly between the
some friendly hand stands by to guide II
ine towel takes a turn around one of the
Jaws, and continues to pass through the
down. ei'@
The great struggle for cash is now on.
ana the tournament between the govern
ment and the missionary to see which gets
the most is fraught with intense interest
| 70 all concerned and few outsiders The
line workers of both sides are in the field
put the missionaries seem to be holding
their own. Owing TO his abiding faith in
the church the tax collector takes genuine
pleasure In handing over all, a part of
MS Ms days receipts to his beloved pastor.
NOW and then the tax collector strays
into the royal treasury with a few dollars
and tax list which would legaIize death
ut the hands of a committee in a civilized
country. The collector carefully checks off
the names as the money is paid TO. hinl
put is g little hazy regarding cash ball
| sort.
In the matter of holding out on the King
tne naive collector is quite artistic, but
when 1t comes TO altering the balance
sheet for the purpose of covering his pecu-
lations that person is not in it to any great
oxtent. On Monday, Sept. T. the three con-
suls and his Majesty met by appointment
at the treasury to view the assets and
gloat over them. The returned lists showed
box was as gaunt as ever His Majesty
was acquiring wealth, but with delibera-
monarch. He at once rounded up the coll
lectors and asked them to explain the
figures TRey were e"e astonished beyond oIld
measure to learn that the accounts had
become twisted. as it were; 1t must have
One intelligent young man, who turned in
$40 as an offset to Teceipted list for $40.
He fumbled eagerly in the eathern money
pouch slung to his naked back, gazed at
the ceiling awhile and then said he guessed
$40 had been stolen from him.
Yes, but where are those other twenty
plunkers?" asked the King, with his eagle
eye fixed upon the collector.
The unhappy agent had to guess again.
He thought some more, probed a hole in
the mating with his bare brown toes, and
finally concluded he must have loaned q
dollar to somebody. Then his memory
failed him, and the cOnSul5 of three great
nations and the King decided to knock off
| investigating their finances for the rest of
| the day.
The collectors ara still skirmishng for
| taxes in the interest of state and church
daytimes, and carry home large quantities
of canned salmon and pie to the bosom of
their families when the burden and heat of
the day is over. On the advice of the con-
? | suls, his Majesty has sent for consign-
| ment of time-lock cash registers. When
| the machines arrive he will strap one on
the back of each collector and send white
| man along 10 ring UP the amounts as fast
| as the collector checks them off his list.
| The kingdom must and shall be preserved
| cost what il may.
II was confidently expected that as soon
| as the war ended the natives, who are
| three years In arrears with their capita
ton tax would knock the side out Of the
| palace rushing In to lay their coin at the
| feet of the King. But these gentlemen
| have not rushed to any perceptible extent,
| and still evince a disgusting reluctance 70
| break their necks by so doing. This rep
rehensible lack of loyalty on the part OF
the natives has had a depressing effect on
| q couple of officials imported from foreign
| lands whose yearly salaries aggregate SILL
oOe This heavy drain TO say nothing OF
| incidental expenses coming out of the peck
| cts COR would If they had pockets) of the
| natives and for which they derive no ap-
| parent benefit, Ii is but natural they should
| rebel against taxation.
FOREIGN TAX-EATERS.
4 34fo Il.