The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-02-06

that in some or the villages there was
an old law or custom that II y man
belonged To the London MiSsio,. Soci-
ety's church and changed his religion
10 any other. such as Catholic or Nor.
mon. he must leave his village at
once. An order has been issued abol-
ishng all such laws or customs as be-
Ing contrary 10 the Constitution VI the
United States.
Al the naval station proper. at Pago
Pago Harhor. coal shed and steel
wharf have been completed. Grading
Is going on and new buildings are being
designed. The Samoans are poor la.
horerS. There are about tfty natives
OF other South Sea Islands. such as
Tonga. Niue and Rotumah here and
they are the best laborers. There are
about half dozen white mechanics,
such as blacksmiths. carpenters. etc.
here. The natives receive 81 per day;
mechanics. etc. from s. TO 81 per
day. The cost OF living is very high
here.
An order was issued making the duty
on opium the same As that In the
United States. This was done In order
To prevent the importation OF opium
into these islands and then shipping IL
10 the United States free ~ duty. by
an order from the Treasury Depart.
ment the products of these islands and
importations into these islands are
permitted 10 be imported into the
United States free OF duty.
During the year the arms that had
been collected from the natives by or
der OF the Commandant were paid for
aud sent home by the L. : :. "Ahar-
enda." The total number of arms col.
lccted was 362. and the natives were
paid an average OF Sl0.li each. These
arms had been collected and stored for
over a. year. as there was no money
available 10 pay FOR them, until the
President ordered that $500 be al
lottcd from the Emergency Fund for
that purpose. The arms were mostly
old and Of little value, hut in paying
for them the facts that the natives had
10 turn them in. that they had paid
very high prices for them. ana the
prices paid for similar arms by the
International High Commission, Were
considered.
owing 10 the want OF funds very
little has been done in the way of as.
sisting the schools. In every village
there are schools, with native teachers
who have been taught by the mission
aries. They are elementary schools,
In which the children are taught TO
read and write I'm samoan. and 10 make
simple calculations. etc. Besides these
there are three higher schools under
the London Mission Society. two under
the Catholic Mission ana three under
the Mormon Mission. These sch )ols
have white teachers, exccrt one. which
has competent native teacher. In
these schools the pupils are taught
English and some of the higher
branches, and In all Of them n part OF
the time is given to work at cultivat-
ing. gathering and cooking food. etc.
Recommendation has been made for
money TO establish public schools here
that shall not be under any dcnomina-
ton.
in the last year: The native officials
while still far from being efficient in
! their duties, are learning and have ad-
vanced somewhat. The greater part Of
! the people obey the law and. | think.
| like the Government and are friendly
60 the United States. They have gath
! cred larger crop Of copra and are get.
! ting higher price this year than ever
| before. Practically there has been
! peace for two years In the islands a
! rather long period of quietude for
! Samoa. The natives have made n fair
beginning at road-bullding. There is
quite n trade I'm curDS. such as tappa
| cloth. mats, baskets. shells. etc. with
passengers on the steamers which stop
here both ways every three weeks on
the route from San Francisco 10 sgd.
ney. The natives are prosperous and
happy They are naturally suspicious
Of white people and in the past have
been cheated by traders. II is hoped
that by fair dealing and 10y kindness
they will soon see that IL Is not the
desire nor intention of the United
states 10 take their lands from them
or - tax them, that they will be pro-
tected in their lives and property and
that the United States desires nothing
else except the control Of Pago Pag0
Harbor and the few acres OF land nee.
essary for naval station, and that as
far as possible the Samoans shall gov.
ern themselves.
New Kind Of Playground For Children.
I'm the Geological Garden at Berlin a
desirable innovation has been intro