HURRICANE LOSSES

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 225, 19 June 1931, Page 7

HURRICANE LOSSES

Plight of Cook Islanders APPEAL TO RUGBY UNION “You have possibly heard of the hurricane we had here on February 14 and 15 of this year,” wrote Air. D. Low, of the Maui Pomare Rugby Football Club. Aitutaki. Cook Islands, to the Wellington Rugby Union the letter being read at Teusday night’s meeting of the union. “We had twenty-four hours of it.” the writer continued, “and nearly all the native food on the island was destroyed by the wind and seas. Many of the houses were also lost. This, combined with the big drop in the copra pinrket, and the loss of at least two-thirds of our orange crop, have completely ruined this island for this year at least. Since the hurricane the boys have not had one single game: all have been busy planting food and rebuilding their houses. This work is now well under way. and the boys are anxious to get in some practice again, but we are up against it for football gear, and the boys were wondennf if you could perhaps use your influence among vour many clubs. “Any old jerseys or pants, or any old footballs that may no longer be fit for town use, will do,” he wrote. ‘lt does not matter if thev are frfded or torn, we will mend them; if the football is unstitched we can sew it.” The plaintive cry was sympathetically received, and it. was decided to forward the letter to the New Zealand . Rugby Union.