The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-21
EAGER FOR TROUBLE
Affairs Are Assuming a Serious
Aspect In Samoa.

San Francisco, Oct. 20.-The steamer
Moana arrived today from Australian
ports via Apia, Samoa, and Honolulu
The correspondent of the Associated
Press at Apia sends news of a start
ling character. He says, under date of
Oct. 6:
The aspect of affairs in Samoa is in
deed far from reassuring. There is
trouble brewing, and it will come soon
if the three powers do not come to
quickly aid the government and the dis
tracted officials. The three consuls
which were left here as a provisional
government by the commissioners are
finding their position by no means a
bed of roses. 1t is a, matter of report
that the feeling between the members
of the provisional government are
strained
Trouble has arisen in the Atua dis
trict among the natives. The Saleaula
natives visited that district to attend a
feast given in their honor. There was
a disagreement over the distribution of
food, and Tuisila, chief of the initiate
les struck a man of another village.
The man started to run, as Tuisila is
man of desperate character, AID as
he turned his back the chief drew re-
volver and shot him dead. He then
turned the weapon on another nan
with the same result. Another high
chief demanded the death of Tuisila
and battle followed, Tuisila being
badly injured. He was removed to the
German war vessel Komoran. but moth
ing could be done for him and he was
returned to his own village, where he
died
All the natives mixed up in the af-
fray are Mataafa adherents. If Tu-
iSil1 had n died J.,
been revenge fight, as preparations to
that end were in progress at the time
of his death.
The thirteen chiefs that where asso-
ciated with the rebel government low
claim that they are the government of
Samoa, and have issued a proclama-
ton to the three consuls regarding the
poll tax. The paper notifies all Samoa
that a poll tax of 81 head must be
paid by all the bodied native and
colored men outside of the town of
Apia by the 1st of November The
proclamation is signed by adherents of
Mataafa-
To offset this, President Solf, without
the consent of the consuls, has issued in
his own name a proclamation that a
poll tax will be levied and collected by
the end of the year. This action of the
president has aroused the people who
ion that he is in supreme power. Some
of the consuls take exception to his
action, but some steps will be taken to
set aside the action of the Mataafa
faction.
The Mataafa people, ever since tie
commission left, have been accusing
Malietoa adherents of causing strife
and not obeying the commissions or
ders but nearly all the trouble since
has been caused by Mataafa people
and now they seem as if bent on having
a fight before the year is out
AT Tuisila's funeral fifty-two rifles
We're counted in the procession, and Ma
taafa has informed the commission that.
his party had no arms left. They have
some hundreds of rifles, it is stated,
and if not afraid of the men-of war
would have been fighting the Malieto-
ans long ago
Worried by the Mataafa complains
the Malietoa people not being compelled
to leave Apia and live in their villages
the government has issued a notice
that all may come and go as they
please on legitimate business. They
have also allowed natives to keep pos
session of fowling pieces, which were
prohibited by the commissions order.
Hundreds of revolvers are owned by
natives, but they have never been COL
lected, and rifles are also plentiful with
them. Things look ripe for another
outbreak; only a pretext is now want
ing.