Copra

New Hebrides

French Tax May Be Removed

From Our Own Correspondent PT. VILA, April 10.

ALTHOUGH the New Hebrides group is nominally under Condominium law, conditions for copra selling are at present very different for French and English traders. The following facts will show the disadvantages under which English plant ers and traders are working in the New Hebrides.

Copra, which is bringing £6/17/6 sterling per ton in London at the present time, is bought from the English planters and traders here at £3/10/- per ton. Mean while, French firms are giving 500 francs (£7/6/6) per ton to the French planters and traders, who, moreover, have a Gov ernment bonus in view.

To pay the labour, the English trader has either to continue selling at a dead loss or give up altogether. It is a sheer impossibility for him to compete against the French trader who can offer £5 or even £6 per ton to the natives.

The reason for this unsatisfactory posi tion is that French copra enters France untaxed, while all foreign copra is taxed at 175 francs per ton. Copra produced by British planters in New Hebrides is classed as foreign copra.

However, some improvement may be ex pected, as it is rumoured that in the near future all New Hebrides copra will be con sidered as being French; and then English planters in the group will receive the same price as their French neighbours. If this rumour becomes fact the English trader will be again on the same footing as his French rival, and also will receive twice the price for his copra that he is getting at present.