A GALE IN THE COOK GROUP.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13210, 17 February 1905, Page 5

A GALE IN THE COOK GROUP.

' GREAT DAMAGE TO FRUIT. (Per Unitbd Piikss Assooiation.) I » rm m . Bebmarj' 10. I the Taviiiiii, which has arrived from the , Iwstcrn Pacific, repbrls that Hie reccut. hnr- ; ncane swept most of the islands' in the took group, iitid considerable damage iviis done. At Mungai tlio seas reached a ; trejnendolis height, and swept the island right. Hp to Hie village. The inhabitants vnrated their dwellings, aiid fled In the hills. Hardly a bouse is intact. The beautiful eluireJi of tho London Missioncrv Society aiul the old cotlrllioiise tvei'n niueh 'damaged. "e hbuso of Kiiifr John and most of tho stores we.ro The banana, orange. ® n< j cocoanut planktions ivere wrecW] Oali'ainsed iron iras carriwl about like, ptlper. _ No shipment of fruit front thesa lslamls is expected until May next. The Conimi'fcen of the Raroton/ra Fruit?ronrrs consitlcrcd a letter from t-he Hon. , .I I '. M1, . 1s - « n(1 iepJicd that it had no hesitation m sayinir that in a reasonable ftme the whole of the fruit, needed for New wolnnd ean be supplied bv these islmitk A t the present time a vefv large pronortion of oranges -rrown aro left to rot in conftntipftpo nf tlm tmromiiiierativfl ])riei>q obtainable. The output of bananas Ibia vear is_estimated at 140.000 bunches. -The eomliiittre sufjsests as a remedy for the present uil.sati«fiicton- state of affairs the imposition of a, duly upon foroion fruits—orciiiEff>s anrl l>ananis of 4d. on ijinenjjploq 0 f j,]— on cotfce of 2d per lb. Tito committee elso recommends Ibflt, n doty lie imposed on cocoaimta and limejuico.