Restriction Agreed Upon

Pearl Shell Output

A TENTATIVE agreement to restrict, until world prices improve, the sup ply of pearl shell, in which the Com monwealth has almost a monopoly, was reached at a conference of repre sentatives of interested parties con vened by the Minister for Home Affairs (Mr. Blakeley) at Canberra recently.

The agreement, which proposes that the three centres of the industry in Australia Broome, Thursday Island and Darwin—should restrict their an nual production to 350, 350 and 175 tons respectively, has yet to be con firmed. but it is hoped that an amic able basis of settlement has been reached.