Evening star., 1901-12-04
GOVERNMENT OF TUTUlLA
CAPT. TILLEY WOULD CONTINUE THE
GOOD OLD CUSTOMS.
The Rad Ones Should He Abolished
SamOans Still in the Patri-
archal State.

According to Capt. B. F. Tilley of the
navy, governor of TutuiIa, Samoa, the best
way to govern the Inhabitants of that far
off island possession of the United States
is to let them, as far as possible, govern
themselves and by continuing their good
and time-honored customs and gradually
abolishing the bad ones.
1.-The Samoans" he says "are still in the
patriarchal state; the head of the house
hold is supreme ruler of his own little
family and these chiefs in turn form a
council which governs each village. Each
town Is practically Independent Of the
other, though there is parliament or fono
for every district which, however, used to
do little more than talk. My aim was to
modify this system so as to adapt 1t to re-
quirements of civilized government, with
out at the same time interfering with the
deeply rooted customs of the people or
wounding their susceptibilities In any way.
ITO achieve this I followed the plan
which has proved SO successful in Fiji of
appointing native chiefs local magis-
trateS or governors in each district. The
great trouble was that nearly every other
man was an hereditary chief of greater or
less degree and naturally they all sought
the coveted positions. There was no ques-
tion about the high chiefs Manga and TUT
teie. They were undoubtedly men of the
highest rank in Tutuila, but the minor
chiefs all seemed to have nearly equal
claims for precedence. However, after
much investigation of family claims the
right men were selected and the natives
themselves elected them magistrates. Then
general council was held and the natives
began to institute their own reforms, act
ing usually upon my suggestions to
plans for Improvement.
Visiting Parties.
There were many Injurious customs
which had existed from time immemoral
which could only be abolished by general
consent. Chief among these was the prac-
tice of going on melangas or large visiting
parties. whole village would suddenly
make up its mind to take a wandering hol-
1day, all work would be dropped and the
party would start on its travels With the
Samoans the virtue of hospitality IS de-
veloped to an excessive degree, and it was
the bounden duty of each village to lavish
ly entertain the visitors. This went on as
long as the supplies lasted and when the
resources of one village gave out the Wis
1tors moved on to the next. OF course,
when the party returned home this hospi-
talty had to be reciprocated, so that there
was melanga always going on some
where. The first general council after the
annexation decided unanimously 20 PRO
hibit melangas and the custom was dropped
at once, for the natives are very law abid-
ing and obedient.
Present Giving.
Another curious custom which had to be
stopped was the presentations of fine mats
at weddings and other ceremonials. These
mats are the most valuable possessions of
the Samoans They are woven with great
care from the pandanus fiber, and the max
ing of very fine one will occupy a skilled
woman for a couple of years. Every house
holder possesses a number of them and
they are handed down from generati ton to
generation as heirlooms. The older and
more ragged they are. the more valuable
they become in the eyes of the Samoans.
Whenever there was big wedding all of
the brides relatives We're compelled by
custom to make presents Of fine mats, in re-
turn for which the bridegrooms people gave
an equivalent amount in food, prints, bis
cults, salt beef, etc. Also when a chief OF
Importance died a large number of fine
mats were buried with him, and there was
much accompanying feasting. This custom
led to a most WaSteful expenditure, and a
big wedding often impoverished a whole
village for years. The custom was abol-
ished by vote of the first general council.
Government Running Smoothly.
Everything connected with the govern
ment here, organized as indicated in station
ordinance No. 5. has been found to work
smoothly and with efficiency. The natives
have taken the greatest interest in their
new duties and have learned them very
quickly AS a result Of the new system the
villages are in much better order, there are
much larger planted areas, and the roads
are everywhere kept clean and in good con-
dition. The people themselves are quiet
and contented. At the first it was neces-
Sary to punish few diSorderly ones and
this has had a most wholesome effect.
"A large school for native girls has been
established at Afo, near Leone, and Is now
in full operation. school for native boys
has been established at Tau in the Mauna
group. Each of these schools has about 100
pupils, and they are in fiourtshing cond1-
tion. The London Missionary Society in
tends establishing a school for manual
training at Pago PagO. / think that our
own government should do something to ed
ucate the natives, and recommend that an
tablishment and maintenance of a primary
school at Pago Pago for the instruction of
children of both sexes.
For the first year the native officials of
the government received no compensation
for their services, but 1 allowed each OF
them cotton duck uniform, consisting of
blouse and loin cloth, and paid for these out
of the fund for current expenses of the sta
tion But this year money was absolutely
necessary to carry on the native govern
ment and the native councils assessed each
village at what they considered a fair
amount. No money Is asked for, but each
district must deliver so many pounds OF
copra-the dried kernel of the cocoanut-
which is the chief native product Former
ly the natives could get only a cent pound
for their copra, but this year it has been
sold by tender at nearly cents a pound. In
this way a revenue Of 81 800 has been raised
to pay the native officials and the expenses
connected with their work. / think this
moderate sum is sufficient, and it can be
raised by the natives without difficulty"
MR nJCk,S RESOITTJnN