Islands Produce

(Quotations in Australian Currency)

Cocoa

Official prices for New Hebrides cocoa beans, controlled by the Cocoa, Chocolate and Confec tionery Committee, are as follows; — Buying; £47/10/- per ton, f.o.b. Island port.

Selling: Delivered Sydney. Melbourne or Hobart, £67. (Unofficial source.) Accra: £69/10/- (on wharf, Sydney, all charges paid).

New Guinea cocoa beans: No quotations.

The above are the “official” prices fixed by an Australian Government Committee. They plainly are ridiculous, and should not be accepted seriously. In mid-February we were informed that owing to the increased price for New Hebrides cocoa beans, no information was being announced on the price per ton delivered at Australian ports. Mid-March; No official in formation.

Samoa cocoa beans: £lB5 per ton, f.0.b., Apia.

Trochus Shell

Some parcels have recently changed hands.

Nominal quotations in March show prices at the following levels: New Hebrides-New Caledonia type, f.a.q., £B5 per ton. Straits type, £95 per ton.

Coffee

No purchases are permitted in Australia without the consent of the Tea and Coffee Control Board, to whom all offers must first be submitted. Nominal quotations as follows; — New Caledonian; Arablca, £lO4 per ton (c.i.f.

Sydney). Robusta, £B3/10/- per ton (c.i.f.

Sydney).

Mysore: £240 (c. & f., Sydney).

New Guinea and Papua; £ll2 per ton (c.1.f.e.).

Java: No quotations.

Vanilla Beans

No supplies available. Nominal quotations only.

Kapok

Very little movement in Javanese kapok.

Nominal quotation 2/1% per lb.

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

Cotton

Controlled in Australia. Stocks being made available to manufacturers at following rates:— For spinning and weaving yarns, HVad. per lb.; cordage making, ll%d. per lb.; condenser yarn, 12d. per lb.

Ivory Nuts

No firm quotations available.

Rice

No quotations.

Green Snail Shell

P.a.q., £lOO per ton, in store, Sydney. Market in chaotic condition; no orders are being re ceived.

Pearl Shell

Australian-controlled price;— ”B” Class, £2OO per ton. “C” Class, £l9O per ton. “D” Class, £135 per ton.