Ng Production Control

Board

Still Functioning—And Copra’s Future Still Uncertain

THE new Australian Governmental set up, to take the place of the Papua- New Guinea Production Control Board—the dissolution of which was pre maturely announced by Australian Min ister Ward some months ago—seems to be still in the planning stage. Nothing con crete has been announced: but it is cer tain that the PCB will continue to handle the purchase and shipment of Australian Territories’ copra in January.

Various proposals, covering production and trade in Papua-New Guinea, have been placed before the Australian Cabinet, but no decision had been taken early in December.

Australia now wants the copra traffic in her Pacific Islands to be decontrolled: but she wants to ensure that Australian conra-crushers will continue to get at least 25,000 tons per annum from New Guinea, at prices considerablv under world parity. After that, it seems, Canberra has no objection to her New Guinea copra being sold at world parity—or, at least at the British price of £6O Australian per ton.

Canberra also wants to continue the system of building up a stabilisation fund from a deduction (at present £8 per ton) from all copra payments. But there seems to be doubt concerning the control and ultimate disposal of that fund. Why should such a fund be necessary if Britain is prepared (as shown in the case of Fiji) to guarantee a good copra price for nine years?

The situation has not been made any easier by the fact that, since early in November, a Sydney court has been trying three men on grave charges connected with timber leases in New Guinea, and the Territories Minister. Mr. Ward, in whose hands most Territories matters re pose, has found it necessary to be in court most of that time.