W. Samoa Has Wet And

Stormy Wet Season

Prom Our Own Correspondent APIA, February 25.

WEATHER conditions in Western Samoa have been exceptionally bad for the last two months, even for this usually rainy and stormy period of the year. There have been few days or nights without heavy showers which have damaged banana and cocoa plan tations.

MV Matua which arrived on February 18, on her monthly island trip, had to leave her anchorage on February 21 at 4 p.m. as the weather became threaten ing, with strong north-westerly winds of gale force and heavy rain squalls. She returned on the morning of Wednesday 22 to complete her loading; and pick up mail and passengers who had been left lamenting.

Bad weather conditions delayed the routine flight of the NZ Air Corporation’s Dakota which had to interrupt its flight at Norfolk Island and Fiji and arrived at Faleole airport, in Western Samoa, six days late on February 28.

Mr. and Mrs. F. Bannister, who have spent the better part of 20 years on Tanna, New Hebrides, arrived in Sydney recently and are enjoying their first holiday for five years. Mr. Bannister says that there are excellent roads on Tanna and the residents have a number of cars and motor vehicles —while in Sydney, he was seeking to purchase another jeep for use on the island.