AFTER THE HURRICANE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 72, 23 March 1912, Page 9

AFTER THE HURRICANE.

'i a' i • j raooBKB. of this iai_NDßaß. i Appanmtiy tha poaitian of the native ' population in the Haapai Group as the result of the devastation, caused" by the ' recent hurricane is not quite so serious ! as ■ waa-at first anticipated. Mr. A.-Mil—r, j of Auckland, returned by the 82s. Atna-'| from the Islands this morning. Mr. j Miller's visit to the group waa for the specific porpose of investigating the ao- j toal damage done. The.-native*,- he found, were not faced with immediate posii- > bilitie* of starvation, or even diketrouble, since tbe copra supplies were coming forward very freely and would continue to do-so fori.be next-ft—r -months. Maize and other crops were being planted and would be available for food purposes in another six months, while tbe banana plantations, which had Buffered severely, in the big blow, would, again begin to j reach a. state of productivity in another nine months. The yam crop had also failed, but 'before tie end ol the year should be bearing again. Trade would admittedly he dull for a period, bat if the natives took care of the money which-I they would receive for the supply of copra on hand, they' would be able to I tide themselves over the trouble ahead. J In all some 200,000 cocoamit trees were ! destroyed in the gale, but this number,'i Mr. Miller statee, only represents about a fourth of the plantation area, and conditions should 'be- nearly normal in the Hiaapai Group 18 months hfehee. The damape suffered by' Mr. Miller: himself was fortunately small. The rool > of his business place in Lifuka was, Npwl. ' away, but otherwise Jtfee;„ da__.ee. war email and did not represent a loss ex- j c—ding £100.