Another Samoan

The Key’S Under

The Mat!

Another Samoan Payroll Goes Off

SWIPING the payroll is becoming a major industry in Western Samoa. On November 4, a Public Works Department payroll of £5BO disappeared at Fagamalo, Savaii — the third payroll case in a year.

The popularity of the pastime is more readily understood when the extraordinary methods of keeping public money are explained. Safety methods seem to go no further than putting the coins and notes in a drawer and putting the key under the door-mat.

In this event, the money was put in a small box and placed in a camphor-wood chest, which was locked and the key placed under the mats in the Samoan fale, in which the chest was kept. When, a day or so later, the pay clerk and timekeeper next went for the money, surprise, surprise; The key was still under the mat but when the camphor-wood chest was opened, the box and the money were gone.

Upon which, no doubt, the pay-clerk murmured to the time keeper; “Incomprehensible, my dear Watson.”

All but £56 of the money was re covered in Apia later, and three men were arrested: Tavita Manui vale, who was sentenced to 3 h years for entering and stealing; his father, Manuivale Taniela, one year for re ceiving; and Tavita’s brother, Tino Manuivale, one year for receiving.

Evidence showed that during the week-end that the payroll was sup posed to be in the box, timekeeper and pay-clerk had got howling drunk, and their antics in the house where the money was kept attracted a large Samoan audience —including Tavita.

The timekeeper’s name was Motu Sua; the pay-clerk’s name, Tepa Tase.

In the last year another PWD payroll was stolen; and so also was the payroll of the Police Depart ment-over £2,000 in Samoan currency in this one. Most of it was subsequently recovered from a school-boy who said that he found it in a hole in the sea-wall. How it got there has never been ex

plained—not in public, anyhow Police Department took abok much care of its payroll aif PWD at Savaii did of theirs* The Education Department also been having its troubles short while ago an audit of dei ment accounts showed that: was a shortage of about £4,0 trust accounts —only about hu which was recoverable. When i known that an audit would be the cashier-accountant of tha partment shot himself.

All of which seems to add a suspicion that there is a deal of laxness in the condirJ Government departmental r matters.