The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-08-06
ARE RETURNING HOME
Commissioners to Samoa Have Ar
rived at Honolulu.
ALL MATTERS SETTLED
ISLANDS TO BE RULED BY A
WHITE GOVERNOR.
Scheme For Their Government Has
Been Decided Upon and Accepted
By the Native Chiefs-Claims For
Damages Aggregating $4,000
Filed With the Commission.

San Francisco, Aug. 5.-The steamer
Hongkong Maru brings the followins
advices FROM Honolulu under date OF
July %:
The United States steamship Badger
| bearing two of the three Samoan COM
missioners, arrived at this port We'd
nesday afternoon, July 26. eight days
from Apla, on her way to San Fran
cisco. On board are the Hon. Bartlett
! Trip, United States commissioner, and
Baron Won Sternberg. representative of
Germany. Mr.. c. n. E. Eliot, commits
sioner for Great Britain, sailed by way
of New Zealand and Australia for Lon
don, to report directly to his govern
ment.
The latter days of the commissions
stay in Samoa were devoted to evolving
political organization that would he
satisfactory to the Samoans and would
work satisfactorily to all parties con-
cerned under the tripartite treaty A
scheme was adopted. The members of
the commission decline to state its par
ticulars until it has been referred to
their respective governments, but they
have given out that Samoa will in fu-
ture be ruled by white governor, ap-
pointed by the three powers. much as
the chief justice is at present. There
will be d native council or legislature.
but the governor will have the veto
power. and the chief justice Will be the
final authority in the land, from whom
there will be no appeal.
This arrangement met the approval
of the Samoans. The day before the
commission sailed, delegations of thir-
teen men from each faction met on the
Badger and signed the articles, thus
officially approving the arrangement in
the name of their respective chiefs,
Mataafa and Malietoa. When the COM
mission sailed all was quiet and seemed
likely to remain so.
Claims For Damages.
Residents of Samoa have filed with
the commissioners claims aSgregating
100000 for property destroyed during
the recent temporary occupation of Mu-
linuu by American and British sailors.
The largest claim is from the Catholic
Marist mission, $4,000, and is for the
looting of the premises by natives up
on instructions. it is said. of the British
commander. Another is from a Ger
man firm, $4,000, for much the same
reasons. Other claims are from set
tiers whose property was damaged in
various ways.
On the Badger are $500 rifles taken
from the natives of Samoa. They were
appraised at Apia and will be turned
over to the United States government
at Mare island. The commission will
recommend that the government pay
for them on a basis OF this appraise-
ment.
j. F. Hackfeld, for the past five years
consul general in the Hawaiian islands
for Austro- Hungary, has resigned that
position. Mr.. Hackfeld is interested in
the Oahu plantation, which employs a
of Galican laborers. subjects
of Austria. Some time ago a number
of these laborers refused to work ac-
cording to their contracts and were ar
rested and tried, convicted and sent to
jail until such time as they would take
their former places. Mr.. Hackfeid re-
ceived their complaints in the regular
course of his duties and. upon his rec
some of the men return
ed to work, but the rest were examined
N the district court.
Mr.. Hackfeld resigned because he
could not feel that he could honOrably |
remain in a position where his official |
iuties would seem to conflict with his |
business interests. The Italian consul |
S caring for Austro- Hungarian inter- |
ssts.