The San Francisco call., 1896-01-17

the treaty government went into operation.
indeed the same that it has been since the
white assumption OF control first commenced.
The condition is probably worse than it has
been at any time within the period of white
occupation. Heretofore the troubles have
been confined to the natives, who constitute
more than nineteen-twentiethS OF the entire
population.
At present the serious feature of very
severe financial depression is added. True,
there is no outbreak nor disturbance; pro-
found peace prevails and is likely to endure;
but the political ills have not been healed or
even improved.
Heretofore theTpettv wars and outbreaks
were confined In their general evil result
wholly to the natives, the white population
rather profiting than losing thereby. Now,
however, the extreme financial depression is
1eIt much more acutely by the business ana
white community.
The treaty government OF the powers is con-
fessedly a failure. 1t was mistake and a
blunder fIom the ou tset 1t set up most COM
pleX and conflicting system of government as
any government of necessity must be when it
is a compromise between widely different and
conflicting systems.
The nations long ago found that the Govern
ment failed directly or indirectly to make any
return for the taxes 1t collected, that its reve-
nues were all absorbed in salaries to white
Tor them, and they ceased to paytaxes. In 1894
the entire native population paid but about
5000 IN national and municipal taxes.
The whites now, in organized form, threaten
that If reforms and retrenchments are not
1naugurated they, too, will decline to pay
taxes, hoping in this way TO enforce reform and
economy of government and administration,
which they despair of securing until an issue
is sharply made.
Copra is in effect the single export The crop
of 1894 was the largest ever known in the
islands In that year the export amounted in
all to some $3.50 900 or S340,OOO The crop of
last year will not exceed in value one-haH that
OF the preceding one. In small community
of slender resources and small business, such q
difference becomes very serious.
In this condition the business and white
community directly paying in the revenue
have, as in all such cases, turned upon the
government as primarily responsible for the
existing evils. While they have not found, on
examination, such to be the case their atteIl-
tion has been sharply drawn to the fact that
their little government, In which the single
municipality of Apia and the general govern
ment is hopelessly complicated, is at once a
most inefficient and eXtravagant one.
They are intensely dissatisfied with the ad-
ministration of the German President,
Schmidt, who for performing the duties of
Treasurer and Mayor of the village of Apia
receives salary OF $4,000 per annum in United
States gold
The native government repudiated him and
asked his recall year ago, but no attention
was paid to its request. Now the white popu-
lation makes the same demand The Chief
Justice receives salary of $4,000 per year
But there will be no revolution; the com
munity is too small-too isolated.
The total island revenue of 1894 was about
$3.50, 200 in round numbers. OF this official
salaries absorbed, according to my calculation
q little in excess of IT per cent The resolu-
tions of the meeting | have mentioned stated
it to be S3 per cent. These are regularly fixed
sal aries, but in addition there are many other
nothing is left in effect to pay other expenses
to build or improve. In consequence there is
little public Improvement; stagnation has
settled over everything.