Islands Produce

TROCHUS shell sales are reported at £lOB per ton, an increase of £5. Vanilla beans are lower at 15/6 per lb. (c. & f., Aust. currency).

Whilst there has been no change in N. Hebrides or N. Caledonian coffee beans, “Mysore” has risen sharply to £240 per ton (c. & f. Sydney).

Processed coconut fibre from Ceylon is quoted at £5O per ton, in store Sydney. It is being used successfully as a substitute for Javanese kapok, large stocks of which are reported held in Australia under a Government “freezing”

Order, but none is being released for civil use.

The following nominal quotations were obtained in mid-October: —

Cocoa

New Hebrides: £6B (in store,Sydney).

Accra: £7O (in store, Sydney).

New Guinea cocoa beans: No quotations.

Western Samoa: Last sale reported, Ist quality, £BO (f.0.b., Apia).

Coffee

No purchases are now permitted without the consent of the Tea and Coffee Control Board, to whom all offers must first be submitted.

Nominal quotations as follows: New Caledonian: Arabica, £Bl per ton (c.i.f.

Sydney). Robusta, £63 per ton (c.i.f. Sydney).

New Hebrides: Robusta, £63 per ton (c.i.f.

Sydney).

Mysore: £240 (c. & f. Sydney).

New Guinea and Papuan: No firm quotations available.

Java: No quotations.

Vanilla Beans

White Label: 15/6 per lb., c. & f. Sydney (Aust. currency).

Kapok

Market for Javanese kapok has been suspended.

Indian kapok is being quoted for indent at 1/6 per lb. c.i.f. stg.

Cotton

Government controlled. Stocks being made available to manufacturers at following rates; — For spinning and weaving yarns, 14%d. per lb.; cordage making, ll%d. per lb.; condenser yarn, 12d. per lb.

Ivory Nuts

No firm quotations available.

Trochus Shell

F.a.q., £lOB per ton, in store, Sydney.

Rice

No quotations,

Green Snail Shell

F.a.q., £lO3 per ton, in store, Sydney.

Pearl Shell

Government-controlled price:— “B” Class, £2OO per ton. “C” Class, £l9O per ton. "D” Class, £135 per ton.