Death Of High Chief Mataafa, O.B.E.

Member of Samoa’s Royal Family and Adviser to the Administration

From Our Own Correspondent.

APIA, March 4.

ONLY a few weeks after his investiture with the Order of the British Empire, High Chief Mataafa Salanoa Muliufi, one of the two Samoan Advisers ( Fautua ) of the Administration and Samoan member of the Legislative Council, died on Febru ary 29, after a long illness. With his pass ing a remarkable and picturesque figure of Samoan life and one of the few remain ing links with old Samoa was lost.

Mataafa had reached the ripe age of 74 years.

A scion of the royal family of Mataafa, he was originally destined to become a Roman Catholic priest, and was sent to the Catholic Seminary on Wallis Island, New Caledonia. While there he acquired a good knowledge of French and English, but he also discovered that his disposition and character were much too worldly foi a future cleric, and, in consequence, he abandoned his first ambition.

Of tall and commanding stature and pleasing outward appearance, he was con sidered a pronounced “beau” by his coun trymen—and women. His original name, Muliufi, was an Amaile (Aleipata) title, the additional title, Salanoa, being ac quired when he succeeded the former bearer of it as chief of Falefa on the East Coast of Upolu.

When the previous High Chief Mataafa died during the fatal influenza epidemic of 1918, Salanoa Muliufi, as a close rela tive of the Mataafa family, was one of the claimants to success to the royal title. His claim finally succeeded, and he was pro claimed Mataafa, and, thereby, a para mount chief of Samoa.

When in 1926 the Mau trouble started and many of the highest chiefs and ora tors of the territory sided with the opposi tion to the New Zealand Administration, Mataafa prudently kept on the side of the Administration. In 1928 he was re warded when High Chief Tuimalealiifano, one of the two Advisers of the Adminis tration, deserted the Government side and resigned the high office held by him. In his place Mataafa was appointed to act as adviser, with the Hon. Malietoa Tanu, 0.8. E.

When the Samoans received representa tion in the Legislative Council, the two Advisers were given seats as representa tives of the Samoan race. Due to his good knowledge of the English language, it fell mostly to Mataafa to take part in discussions, ask questions, and make amendments in the interests of his people.

The interment of Mataafa took place on Sunday, March 1, at the old burial place of the Samoan kings at Mulinuu After the body had been blessed and con secrated at the Apia Cathedral, it was taken to Mulinuu, where a large gather ing of Europeans, Samoans, pupils of

Late High Chief Mataafa Photo.: Tatter sail’s Studio.

Government and Catholic schools, and others attended the service conducted by His Lordship Bishop Darnand and Rev.

Father Deihl, of the Roman Catholic Mis-

sion. The Acting-Administrator, Mr. A.

C. Turnbull, and the Hon. Mahetoa Tanu, 0.8. E., M.L.C., also spoke at the grave side.

The service at Mulinuu. The three central figures are: His Lordship Bishop J. Darnand, Rev. J.

Deihl (Marist Mission) and Mr. A. C. Turnbull (Acting Administrator of Western Samoa). —Photo.: Tattersall’s Studio, Apia.