Copra Outlook

Prospects for 1935

A PRIVATE correspondent, writing from London, on June 2, to the editor of the Pacific Islands Monthly, refers to the world copra situation: “Newspaper quotations of copra values are a farce. The newspapers merely tell the world what the Combines have to say. The corporations are getting stronger every day, in the copra industry, as in everything else; and, unless there is some world-wide movement to check the development of the strength of these irresponsible capitalists, serious conse quences must follow. The masses will rebel against the stranglehold of the Combines —just as all through history they have rebelled against other forms of tyranny.

“That is my deliberate opinion—but I do not wish to seem too pessimistic. 1 feel that there will be a very great in crease in prices by this time next year.

Everything points to a famine in the pro ducts of the soil; so that, if those who are still in situ can hold on they might be in a much stronger position in the middle of 1935.

“I note that a correspondent of the ‘Fiji Times’ has had the pluck to attack the ‘poohbahs’ and that Alport Barker has had the pluck to publish all his let ters. But much requires to be done in a more practical fashion if very neces sary reforms are to take place in the South Seas.”