Unsold Shell.

Economic Troubles in Torres Islands.

From Our Own Correspondent

Thursday Is., June 30.

FURTHER shipments of M.O.P. and trocas shell have gone forward dur ing the month, but there is still about one-third of last year’s quota of M.O.P. waiting to be disposed of. This means that the shelters are under a dis ability, since the producers have already received their payments.

No definite agreement has been come to with the American buyers, whose rep resentative (due to arrive in April) has not yet turned up. The uncertainty of conditions has affected both the Japan ese divers, who rent the boats, and the European owners. The former are ask ing for an increased figure; the shellers do not feel justified in making conces sions.

After a series of meetings extending over the past three or four weeks, the position is that the industry will be largely at a standstill. The Japanese (who work under indenture) will prob ably return to their own country, and things are very much “up in the air” at the time of writing.

There is the possibility that a recent invention in diving gear may result in the disappearance of the present type of dress, and the employment of more local men, who will be able to manage the new method of shell collecting.

Trocas has been moving at figures from £60 to £83 during the past month.