Copra

Price Of Gold

The Commonwealth Bank’s price for gold bought in Australia is;— Fine Standard oz. .. £ls/9/10 oz £l4/4/- (Australian Currency).

Copra Prices During World War II The copra market was controlled by Govern ments from outbreak of war in 1939 until the end of the war in 1945. Some controls are still being exercised in the post-war period.

Fiji Local Buying Price, in Store, Fiji Currency.

Since January 1, 1949, the British Ministry of Food has had a 9-years’ contract with the Fiji Government to buy the Colony’s copra at fixed prices yearly. Each year until 1958, the price will be adjusted by negotiation.

New Hebrides From a maximum of £70/12/6 (Aust,), per ton, in 1948, the price of New Hebrides copra firmed in mid-1949 to around £A58 per ton.

Western Samoa Samoa has a 10 years’ contract agreement with the UK Government —exporters during 1949 received £45 Samoan per ton (an additional £3 per ton being held by the Copra Board towards a Stabilisation Fund).

Territory Of Papua-New Guinea

ANGPCB Fixed Price, Delivered to Ship’s Slings or to the Board’s warehouse.

From January 1, 1949. Australia agreed to sell a proportion of P-NG’s copra production annually to the UK Ministry of Food, for a period of nine years, at fixed prices. For

1949, the price to the UK was £4B Stg. pgr ton, f.0.b., Territory ports, and during 1949 planters received £4O Aust. per ton for this copra.

Negotiations now are proceeding to fix the new 1950 price.

Rubber

Since the Commonwealth Government’s war time price control on rubber was lifted, most Australian trading firms use the Singapore day to-day quotations as a basis when buying Papuan rubber. Recent Singapore Exchange prices for four grades and average rates have been:— No. 1 RSS, baled, 46 3/8 cents, lb. (16.22 d. Aust.) No. 1 RSS, loose, 46Vi cents lb. (16.18 d. Aust.) No. 2 RSS, baled, 45(4 cents lb. (15.83 d. Aust.) No. 3 RSS, baled, 44(4 cents lb. (15.48 d. Aust.).

Quotations For Mining

June, 1942 Plantation £16 0 0 £15

Fms

0 0 July, 1942 16 12 6 15 12 6 June, 1944 19 10 0 18 0 0 October, 1944 .. .. 20 0 0 18 10 0 December, 1945 .. 19 7 6 17 17 6 January, 1946 .. .. 18 5 6 18 0 0 August, 1946 .. 23 10 6 23 5 0 February, 1947 . .. 29 15 6 29 10 0 June 9, 1947 .. 36 19 0 36 13 6 December 8, 1947 . 38 5 6 38 0 0 March 16, 1948 .. 46 5 6 46 0 0 January 1, 1949 .. 49 10 6 49 5 0 January 1, 1950 (MOF price) 53 14 3

Hot-air Smoked Jan. 7, 1947 .. . £28 0 0 £27 0 0 June 17, 1947 . £31 2 0 Nov, 23, 1947 . £35 10 0 April 8. 1948 . £40- £45 January 1, 1949 — Pt. Moresby . £48 0 0 £47 7 6 Samarai .. .. £48 0 0 £47 7 6 Madang . .. £48 0 0 £47 7 6 Rabaul .. £48 0 0 £47 7 6 Kokopo .. .. £46 17 6 £46 5 0 Kavieng . .. £45 17 6 £45 5 0 Official Price for P-NG Copra sold in Sydney; Hot-air Dried Smoked January, 1947 . .. £36 10 0 £35 10 0 July, 1947 . .. .. £51 5 0 £50 5 0 April, 1948 . .. .. £61 0 0 £60 0 0 April, 1949 . .. .. £66 0 0 £65 7 6 May, 1949 . . . £66 10 0 £65 17 6

Fiji

Aug., 1939.

Mid-Dec. mid-Jan Emperor Mines .. b9/ll bl3/bl4/9 Loloma S25/6 b25/3 s27/-

New Guinea

Bulolo G.D bl24/b95/blOO/- Enterprise of N.Q. b27/6 bl5/blO/- Guinea Gold .. .. bl3/3 sl2/b9/9 N.G.G., Ltd bl/10 b2/3 b2/- Placer Development b68/6 bl40/b143/6 Sandy Creek .. .. bl/5 b7y 2 d. b6d.

Sunshine Gold . .. b6/5 sl2/bll/9

Papua

Cuthbert’s Misima .

S16/6 s8/b4/6 Mandated Alluvials b3/8 bl/6 bl/6 Oil Search S3/11 b5/b5/l Oriomo Oil b5/b2/b2/3 Papuan Apinalpl .. b4/H b5/b4/9