Economic Worry
p. 57 · Read in the full issue
Phosphate Query
French Oceania’s Economic Worry
rHE heavy blow that will be dealt to French Oceania’s economy with the eventual loss of the Hakatea phosphate exports, is the lalient feature of the Territory’s rade report.
The report for the calendar year 953, published some months ago, hows an adverse trade balance of bout £Al,lso,ooo—about half that f the previous year.
The reduction was effected mainly y a restriction on imports of ondensed milk, butter, flour, beer, ;ment, cars, and certain building laterials other than timber.
Total imports were valued at M,830,000, with the United States le principal source (£A1,573,000), (flowed by Prance (£A1,267,000), ustralia (£A567,000), New Zealand A 245.000), Algeria (£A156,800),
ipan (£A172,500), England (£AI2S,
0). and Canada (£A181,800).
Exports were limited to three iportant destinations France A 2,150,000), Japan (£A1,046,000) id USA (£A181,500).
Tota! exports were valued at 13,681, 000. Of this total, £A1,127, 0 was derived from phosphate ck exports from Makatea. As it 3ms to be agreed that Makatea .o lt c S n n p ? esent rate of exploitation [3,500 long tons in 1953), will be hausted in less than 20 years less some major development ces place in other industries the ministration—or Paris—will have serious financial problem on its nds by then. n the last 20 years there has m no important change in the bhshed export figures. Copra Jduction, which has averaged )ut 18,000 tons per annum, was tons in 1952 a nd down 16,850 tons in 1953. Phosphate put has risen from 120,000 tons its present average of about 230,- [p ns -.. Vanilla, which fluctuates atly with seasonal conditions, has raged about 180 tons. Pearl shell i also fluctuated greatly but the tons of 1953 would be about rage though the output has n as high as 1,190 tons.
'he report makes it clear that ! cup; ure in Tahiti could probably resent a substantial saving Rice coming mainly from hard rency areas a t present and costs Territory £A147,200 for the 1,185 s imported in 1953—over £AI24 on.
ANA air hostess Maureen ara - 9 f f L is mo re, NSW, has been omted to teach at the CSR Co.’s >ol at Penang, Fiji.