SEVERE STORM

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 March 1943, Page 3

SEVERE STORM

EXPERIENCED IN ISLANDS CROPS AND BUILDINGS DAMAGED NO LOSS OF LIFE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Advice that Rarotonga and some of the outer islands of the Cook group had experienced a very severe storm has been received by the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser. “There has been no loss of life,” said Mr Fraser last night, “but a considerable amount of damage has been done to buildings, and orange, banana and native food crops have suffered heavily. “Numerous native buildings have been demolished, but the Administration is finding accommodation where necessary and has in hand the work of clearing roads,” added the Prime Minister. “The Administration is also rendering assistance in the repair and rehabilitation of damaged buildings. “Inquiries were at once instituted with a view to ascertaining whether there is any flanger of a food shortage in the stricken islands, and the Government will take the necessary steps to ensure the dispatch of food supplies should such a situation develop. “The loss of a large proportion of the exportable fruit crops is a severe one to the inhabitants of the Cook Islands,” continued the Prime Minister, “and it will adversely affect supplies of oranges and bananas for the New Zealand market. We have been relying on the Cook Islands for oranges particularly to relieve the shortage in this country,-, but from the information to hand it appears that the quantities available for shipment from the islands have been very materially reduced. Every endeavour will be made to assist in the reparation of storm damage in the islands and to bring to New Zealand the undamaged portion of their citrus crop.”