Boom In Cook Is. Copra

From our own correspondent

Rarotonga, April 27.

AFTER awaiting a copra steamer for ever three years, Rarotonga mer chants are now congratulating themselves on a chance of having all available copra lifted. The whole quan tity, amounting to about 1,000 tons, is under an agreement to purchase, at a comparatively favourable price, by the Canadian Government.

Although the copra was mostly bought at a very low price at outlying islands and brought to Rarotonga by schooner, local merchants hawe had to withstand jieavy losses in storage, insurance and loss of weight during the long period

awaiting shipment. It may be regarded as sheer luck that present conditions in the Pacific have increased the import ance of such a comparatively insignifi cant quantity.

A proposal has already been put for war(i by W. R. Carpenter & Co., acting i n conjunction with the Canadian Gov eminent, to purchase the whole of this year’s production of copra in the Cook Islands. It is therefore probable that copra-making in the outer islands will once again become profitable.

Unfortunately, the present bearing of Rarotonga palms is hardly enough to provide sufficient eating nuts for the island’s increasing population. A few, how T ever, of the larger plantations have made preparations to resume copra production.

Mr. Peter Garrity, who was a lay worker for the Melanesian Mission in the New Hebrides until a short time ago, now is studying for the ministry at College House, Christchurch, NZ.

Nurse Mary Clipstone, Church of Christ missionary in the New Hebrides, has returned to Victoria.

Rt. Rev. G. H. Cranswick, DD, form erly Bishop of Gippsland, Victoria, has taken up duties as chairman of the Aus tralian Board of Missions, in succession to the late Canon J. S, Needham. The ABM is the Anglican organisation that maintains the New Guinea Mission in Papua.