Crime Wave

IN

Western Samoa

Apia, August 11. mHERE seems to be increasing lawless ly ness in Western Samoa. These attacks by village youths are causing serious concern.

The Chief Judge, Mr. C. C. Marsack sentenced the Samoan Fa’asuaga, 18. to seven years’ hard labour, for his murder ous attack on Mr. D. C. M. Campbell, Manager of the New Zealand Reparation Estates’ Vaitele Plantation.

The Judge pointed out that the case had no redeeming features, and that the accused could consider himself fortunate in that, through the attention and care of the doctors at Apia Hospital, Mr.

Campbell had survived.

Another assault, on an employee of the Estates' Mulifanua Plantation, took place on August 7, when Alefaga, a Sam oan stockman on Mulifanua, encountered two Samoans carrying shotguns, inside the Vaipapa cocoa block. He accused them of trespass and demanded their guns. One man complied, but the other fired at him. from a distance of three yards hitting him just above the heart.

The Samoan then fled and Alofaga was attended to by plantation employees and taken to Apia Hospital, where his serious injury was treated and he was given, several blood transfusions.

The assailant, a native of Nofoaliii village, reported his crime to his father,, who took him to Apia and surrendered! him to the police.