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Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2744, 12 April 1916, Page 4

Tho island of Mangaia suffered Very sevorely laafc year through want of rain, writes the "New Zealand Herald's" Cook.lslands correspondent. All crops suffered more or less, but the taro, which 1 is tho staff of life for the natives, nearly all died off. The natives had great difficulty in procuring plants to replant the taro swamps, hut they worked with,a will and planted all they could. Now we are sufforing from too much rain, and the taro swamps are nearly all ruined again. Tho heavy rains washed down earth and even rock from the high lauds, burying the young taro plants, flooding all low-lying lands, and destroying a lot of coffee and other products. On March 16 we had very high winds, which did a groat deal of I harm to tree crops. Money is very scarce, and there is hardly-any trade for tlie stores. I No election will be necessary this year in connection with the Petone District High School, only tho required numbsr of •■ »iomb«rs (9) having been