Probable Result of Copra

New Marketing

Board

Probable Result of Copra Conference

THE Pacific copra conference (see re port on page 12) concluded its deliberations on January 9.

The chairman, Hon. T. J. Collins (Australian Minister in Charge of Ex ternal Territories) informed the “Pacific Islands Monthly” that a nlan for dealing co-operatively with the South Pacific copra industry had been formulated, and would be submitted by the delegates to their individual governments. In the meantime, pending their consideration the proposals were confidential.

It is believed that a South Pacific Marketing Board is the basis of the plan.

It is known, also, that important com munications, giving certain undertak ings, were received by the conference, from London.

Mr. Collins said that every possible angle of the copra problem had been considered, and a" great amount of valu able information co-ordinated and examined. The problem, of course, re solved itself finally into one of market ing, and of available freights. In that respect, certain witnesses who had come before the conference had supplied valuable information.

In opening the conference on Decem ber 18. Mr. Collins said: “We come to the point whether better results would be achieved, for all copra-producing terri tories of the South Pacific, by concerted action.

If we conclude that we can combine to our common advantage, our discussions should show the way in which our combined effort should be organised, and whether it would be better to establish a joint marketing organisation, or merely to adopt uniform practices in each territory, with a measure of co-operation be tween each place. ... If the full quantity of copra normally produced could be sold at a world price, the problem of a low return might be capable of being dealt with by each territory acting independently—in other words, a matter between the individual administration and its producers and merchants. If, however, as ap pears to be the case our whole production cannot be sold in the ordinary way, and certain of the sales that can be effected are possible only as between Governments (Britain has expressed willingness to take a considerable quantity of copra from British areas in the Pacific) some concerted action on the part of those areas appears to be necessary. There is, moreover, the question of providing shipping—and to make the best use of available shipping it would seem that co-ordinated action on the part of the administrations would be better than allowing the ordinary trading methods to be used when ships can be obtained.” believed that this statement by e J .J^ rin J s^er Sives a general indication of the character of the plan which has been formulated.

“I sincerely hope that out of this con ference will come a plan which will con tmue in perpetuity and provide methods of joint marketing of the nroducts of the South Pacific territories’” said the Minister. “I consider that if we are to properly discharge our obligations to these Pacific Islands territories in the future there must be regular co-operative action in the profitable marketing of their products. We cannot expect to hold these rich territories unless we develop and make use of their abundant resources. This can be accomplished best by united action among the South Pacific governments concerned, rather than by isolated and sporadic efforts by indivi dual governments, which frequently end in breaking the hearts of the individuals who put their money and life work into Islands enterprises, and then are left high and dry.”

Sergeant (to very dumb recruit): If 'Itler ’ad the likes o’ you to deal with, 'e wouldn’t be ’ankering after no colonies!