Copra Harvest

What USA Has Done For Philippines

THE agreement between the Philippine Government and the United States Commodity Credit Corporation made on August 8, 1946, provided that the lat ter should buy all Philippines copra and coconut oil, for one year, from July 1, 1946, at 1031 dollars per long ton (equal to £32 Aust.), f.o.b, ocean-carrier, Philip pine ports.

It should be noted that this price is considerably in excess of the amounts being paid to copra producers in the British Pacific Territories.

Shipments of Philippines copra and coconut oil (in terms of copra) have risen steadily since January. A high of about 60,000 tons was reached in July. 1946, approximately the pre-war rate of shipments.

The remarkable recovery of the Phil ippine copra industry has been due to the close co-operation with the United States-sponsored Copra Export Manage ment Corporation. Inter-island boats to carry copra to market, incentive goods such as textiles, and equipment to aid in harvesting and drying copra have been furnished by the CEMCO. Before the expiration of the agreement on July 1. 1947, shipments are expected to approxi mate the pre-war levels of 1935-39.

Major F. B. Macßae, who had resided in Fiji since after World War I, died in Suva, on October 2. He was a Canadian and a veteran of the South African as well as the Great War. He was at one time engaged on prospecting and mining in the Colony.