[?]e the Mill

[?] W Thought

Planters

[?]e the Mill to the Copra

'■veral years ago, an experi d Papua planter, Mr. G. A. ion, now retired and living • Sydney, strongly urged the eduction of copra-m i I ling s, which would take the mill the plantations, instead of ging the copra hundreds of s to the mill. It was an in ding plan. Recently we asked Loudon what he thought of it in view of post-war de oments. Here is his reply: present price of copra is so ?h that nobody appears to ik to the future and the pos of a severe drop in price y the British Government t is withdrawn and they have 5 world competition, a planters are making so money that with few ex is they are not really in d in costs nor in further ig of coconuts. The inter ig of cocoa between coconuts irdly be considered develop n the real sense.

Copra Marketing Board is a Government set-up and, the eing so high, nobody worries mch about handling costs. a mill of greater capacity haul, or another mill in a situation, Carpenters could give the planters a better mn CMB. But the present in for Carpenters is that they all copra from their own , but will also take other at the same price as CMB nd thus make a very nice -viz., local handling and all ;harges. feature that intrigues me is ters expending £300,000 on a t the base of a volcano. Why Dopra Factory Ship? long will copra production le at its present level? A reat proportion was planted ! British in Papua and by rmans in New Guinea in the 1912-1920. Very little has lanted since. re labour costs and the un ty of service without bind reements leaves the labour in a very serious position; mberra and UNO still con bo increase wages and cost ling, etc. anot see any wise financier ig funds in Papua or New unless in the production of leat, bread, etc., to feed the crats and their native fol will gather from the above not now inclined to favour )ry Ship venture or any other 3 unless it is based on the mentioned.