Nor'-West Season's

Toll

Shipping and Business Hampered in the Solomons

From Our Own Correspondent

Tulagi, Mar. 24.

‘‘T'HE Nor’-west season in the Solomons * has been one of the worst for many years. It followed particularly objection able Sou’-east weather which it outdid in nastiness.

Shipping and work generally have been much hampered, and many a planter mis sed top prices for his copra because the weather prevented freighters from pick ing up the produce. Shipping has suf fered, and so far there are two vessels which are quite unlikely to be seen at work again.

Like the two vessels lost during the Sou’-east season, both were Guadalcanal craft. One, the Scout , a fine vessel which arrived a few years ago for the Roman Catholic Mission, had had very little ser vice, and had recently been overhauled.

She promised to be very useful, and would has facilitated the work of the Mission, which will be considerably in convenienced by the loss. The other vessel, belonging to Lavoro Plantations, had had a long and useful career, and will be greatly missed.

Communications in the Guadalcanal district must be a serious problem since so many vessels have been lost there.

At the present time what we hope is the “March blow,” usually recognised as the finale of the Nor’-west season, is blow ing a gale. When it eases, quite a few vessels will be busy again.

Mr. J. Gilmore, of Put Put Plantation,

Kokopo, New Guinea, arrived in Sydney

from Rabaul by the Montoro on April 1.

Mr. K. Atkinson, son of Mr. O. J.

Atkinson, Resident Magistrate at Buna, Papua, has joined the Papuan Public Service as a Cadet Patrol Officer. For the present he will be stationed at Buna.

Canon and Mrs. Robert Rooke returned to Australia from Norfolk Island by the Morinda on March 23 after spending 10 months at N.I. with their married daughter, Mrs. H. F. Chapman, who has lived there for the past 12 years.