Islands Produce

WAR in the Pacific has had an unstabilising effect on prices of all Islands produce, particularly that from the Netherlands East Indies quotations, therefore, are purely nominal.

Coffee

Java: Robusta, f.a.q., imported on firm conversion of exchange, c.i.f., prompt shipment, Sydney (Sterling); Quote No. 1; 46/9. Quote No. 2: 48/6.

Boengie (a good quality Java coffee), c.i.f., Sydney, 64/3.

Kenya, f.a.q., immediate shipment, c.i.f., Sydney, per cwt. (Stg.): Quote No. 1: Grade “B”, 74/-; “C”, 68/-.

East Africa: Robusta, f.a.q., c.i.f., Sydney, 56/-. Mocha (Standard Billy), f.a.q., c.i.f., Sydney, 54/-.

Mysore, f.a.q., c.i.f., Sydney, per cwt. Quote

No. 1: Grade “A”, 74/-; Grade “B”, 68/-; Grade “C”, 62/-, Arabian (Aden) Hodeidah, f.a.q., c.i.f., Sydney.

No. 1 quotation: 82/-.

NG and Papua: Quote No. 1: 9%d. per lb. (delivered store, Sydney), medium quality.

Quote No. 2: 9%d. to lid. per lb. (delivered store, Sydney). Quote No. 3: Sales recently at lid. per lb., c.i.f., Sydney.

New Caledonia: Quote No. 1 (in store, Sydney): Arabica, Grade 1, liy 2 d.-l/-; Grade 2, 10 7 / B d.; Robusta, 9%d.-10d. Quote No. 2 (c.i.f, and e., Sydney): Robusta, 4d. per lb.; Arabica, 6d. per lb. Quote No. 3 (c.i.f., Sydney): Arabica, Bd. per lb.; Robusta, 4d. per lb. Quote No. 4 (c.i.f., Syd ney): Arabica, £56-£6O pef ton; Robusta, £34- £4O per ton. Quote No. 5 (c.i.f., Sydney): Robusta, £37-£4O per ton.

New Hebrides (c.i.f., Sydney); Quote No. 1: £36 per ton. Quote No. 2: £37-£4O per ton.

Quote No. 3: £3O-£33 a ton (f.a.q.), c.i.f. and e., Sydney. [Note: Importers of all coffees—except NG

and Papuan—pay additional charges, including exchange, duty (4.4 d. lb.), primage (11 per cent.), landing costs (1/- per cwt.), war duty (10 per cent.)]

Vanilla Beans

Tahiti: Quote No. 1 (c. & f., Sydney); Approxi mate market price, white label, 28/6 a lb.; green label. 21/- a lb. Quote No. 2 (c.i.f., Sydney): White label and yellow label, 32/6-33/- per lb.

Quote No. 3: This agent reports a firm market for first-grade beans.

Kapok

Extra inland transport costs to new Javanese ports of shipment are estimated at y 2 d. per lb., which should be added to the following quo . tations:— Quote No. 1: Average Java 6-17/32d. per lb., c.i.f.; Prime Japara, 6-7/32d. per lb., c.i.f.

Quote No. 2; Average Java, 7 s / B d., c.i.f.; Prime Japara, 7-15/16d., c.i.f. (Prices sterling and subject to exchange 25V 2 %, duty 2d. per lb., 10% primage, 10% war duty, wharfage.)

Ivory Nuts

Sydney agents are not quoting for ivory nuts.

The last quotations indicated that a nominal rate was in the vicinity of £6/15/—£7 per ton.

Cotton

New Caledonian, c.i.f., Sydney. Quote No. 1: 9d. per lb. Quote No. 2: lOd.-lld. per lb. Quote No. 3 (delivered store, Sydney); lOd.-lld. (approximate market price) per lb.

Cocoa

New Guinea cocoa: Quote No, 1: £53 per ton Quote No. 2: £55-£57 per ton.

Accra (West Africa): £5O per ton, c.i.f., Sydney.

New Hebrides cocoa (delivered store, Sydney): Quote No. 1: £55 per ton. Quote No. 2; £5O - per ton. Quote No, 3: Ist Grade: £4B-£5O pier ton, c.i.f., Sydney. Quote No. 4; £5O-£54 per ton.

Western Samoan cocoa: Quote No. 1: £65-£7O per ton, ci.f., Sydney.

Rice

Australian table rice, packed in 56 lb. bags, £2O per ton.

Rangoon rice, packed in 100 lb. bags, approx. £23-£24 per ton; 200 lb. sacks, approx. £23-£24 per ton.

Trochus Shell

No activity in market at present. January quotations based on last sales were;—Quote No. 1: Good average parcel of mixed grades, £4B per ton. Quote No. 2: Mixed parcels, £5O. Quote No. 3: “A” Grade, £56; “B” Grade, £46/10/-; “C” Grade, £37/10/-. Quote No. 4: “A”, £57; “B”, £49; “C”, £37. Quote No. 5 (Nominal); ‘A”, £54; “B”, £46; “C”, £34. Quote No. 6: Mixed parcels, £5O. Quote No. 7: £6O for mixed parcels. It was reported in Suva (Fiji) in December that trochus shell was being bought at £33 per ton.

Green Snail Shell

Quote No. 1: £65 a ton. Quote No. 2: £66 a ton. Quote No. 3: £66/10/-. Quote No. 4: £5O-£55. Quote No. 5 (N. Hebrides, Solomon Is., N. Caledonian shell): £66/10/- a ton, f.o.b.

Quote No. 6: Good grade BSI shell, approxi mately £6O-£65 a ton, f.0.b., Sydney. Quote No. 7: £66-£67 a ton.

Pearl Shell

Thursday Is. Mother of Pearl shell, c.i.f., Sydney. Grade “AA”, £202 per ton; Grade “A”, £202; Grade “B”, £202; Grade “DD”, £128; Grade “D”, £117; Grade “E”, £7B.

Fiji pearl shell was being purchased by Suva merchants at £l4 per ton in mid-December.

Peanuts

New Guinea peanuts; Unshelled, 2%d. per lb.; shelled, 4%d. per lb.

Dr. Spencer Roberts, of Rabaul, TNG, arrived in Sydney in January. He brought with him, as a souvenir of Japan’s first raid on Rabaul, a bomb splinter taken from the body of a native who was killed on the aerodrome.

Mr. “Jack” Sedgers, manager of W. R.

Carpenter & Co. Ltd., at Salamaua, came south from New Guinea last month pn a combined business and pleasure trip.

He is being relieved by Mr. George Washington, who returned to Morobe early in December after spending leave in Sydney and Rabaul.