Exchange Rates

ll.—'Through BANK OF NSW, ANZ K, BANK OF NZ and THE BANK BARODA LTD. Australia on Fiji, £F100: Buying, $A221.73; Selling, 6. Fiji-London, basis £Stg.loo: ‘FI 12; S. £FIIO/15/-. NZ-Fiji, basis

1100: B. £Flll/11/9; S. £Fiio/4/3.

Sstern Samoa. Through Bank

WESTERN SAMOA. Australia on Samoa basis £WS100: B. $A246.67; £ A 249.08. W. Samoa-NZ, basis

100: B. £ Ws99/11/3; S.

5100/10/-. Fiji-W. Samoa, basis

5100: B. £Fio9/17/6; S. £Fiii.

Samoa-London, basis £Stg.loo: B,

5100/1/3; S. £Wsioi/10/-.

•Rfolk Is. And Papua-New

*EA. —Australian currency used; no inge payable in transactions with •alia.

Ench Pacific Colonies.—Pacific

is (CPF) are used in New Cale i, New Hebrides (Jointly with Aus in dollars), Wallis and Futuna ds and Fr. Polynesia. FRENCH BANK ptoir National D’Ecompte de Paris, ey, on Apr. 28, quoted: Selling, xea and Papeete, 98 Pac. francs to ist.; 240 Pac. francs to £ Stg., )x. 90 Pac. francs to US $; Noumea ac. francs to 1 French franc (con m rate: 1 Pac. francs equals 0.055 :h franc). Paris-London: Buying francs to £Stg.

through official BSI Copra Board, at prices based on Philippines rate. Output goes to Unilever, UK; to Australian crushers; and the balance on to the open market. Prices on Apr. 21 were: Ist grade, $120; 2nd grade, $116; 3rd grade, $lO6 per ton, BSIP ports (Honiara, Yandina and Gizo).

GILBERT AND ELLlCE:—Production marketed in Europe through official Copra Board, at prices based on Philippines rates less freight, etc. The Copra Board subsidises the price at $67.20 per ton for first grade.

NEW HEBRIDES: —Copra sold direct by planters to Prance and South America.

Official price on Apr. 19 was $6B (6,800 Pac. Francs). French price in Apr. was 815 francs per metric ton, c.i.f., Marseilles.

COOK IS.: —Copra goes to Abels, Ltd., of Auckland, who operate the only NZ copra crushing mill. Price paid is average London price for previous three months, less handling charges. Prices for Apr., May and June, have been fixed, subject to freight adjustment, at £NZSS/5/4 Ist grade, £NZS4/0/4 standard grade—both per ton, f.0.b., Rarotonga.

Other Produce

COCOA:—lslands prices are usually based on the rates for Ghana cocoa.

On Apr. 28 these were approx. £ 5tg.222/10/- per ton, c.i.f., Sydney.

On Apr. 28, Quote No. 1: In store Rabaul, export quality $440 per ton, ex wharf Sydney, $490. Quote No. 2: Best quality, ex-wharf Sydney, $5OO, in store NG ports $433 (for UK, Continent and USA shipments).

W. SAMOA:—Latest prices quoted in Sydney, on Apr. 19 were: Grade 1, £ Stg.3o2/2/6, grade 2, £Stg.27s per ton. f.0.b., Apia.

COFFEE.—P.-N.G.: Apr. 28, Quote No. 1, good quality A grade 40.5 c per lb; B grade 39.5 c; C grade 37.5 c, c.i.f., Sydney.

PEANUTS.—P.-N.G.; Sydney agents re ported Apr. 28, f.0.b., Lae; Kernels— white Spanish 15c lb.

RUBBER.—P.-N.G. price is based on Singapore rates, which on Apr. 26 were: Prompt shipment 57% Straits cents per lb, c.i.f. (19.87 c Aust.); May shipment 57% Straits cents per lb (19.87 c Aust.); June shipment 57% Straits cents per lb (19.74 c Aust.).

VANILLA BEANS.—Victor Karp Tulk & Co., Sydney, buy mainly from Tahiti for Sydney and Melbourne essence makers.

Prices on May 1 were: white and yellow label processed, standard packs, $6, green label, $5.90, c.i.f., Sydney.

RICE (Aust.): Prices, until Mar. 31, 1968, are—P.-N.G.: Dried brown rice, 112 lb bags, $l2B per ton, f.o.w. Sydney or Melbourne. Vitamin enriched white rice, 112 lb bags, $142 per ton, f.o.w. Other Pacific Islands: Polished white or dried brown rice, $142 per ton, f.o.w.

PEARL SHELL.—Fished by Japanese and Australian interests around Cape York and Broome, North Australia, for mainly cultured shell production. Shells were scarce in May. Two Sydney buyers, on May 1, quoted these prices: Sound $1,650 per ton, D grade $l,lBO, E grade, $650, EE $470 (in store Sydney).

Cook Islands. —Penrhyn Island, £NZ32O (approx.), f.0.b., Rarotonga.

TROCHUS.—Sydney buyers indicated the following quotations to Islands pro ducers: Apr. 28 Papua $l6O-$lBO per ton; N.G., 8.5.1.—5150-$l6O per ton, f.o.b. Islands ports.

GREEN SNAIL SHELL.—Sydney buyers quoted: Apr. 28, No. 1, Ist grade, $490, f.o.b. Islands ports, 2nd grade, nom., $240 on wharf, Sydney.

Crocodile Skins. On Apr. 28

Sydney buyers quoted for 12 in. and over, first grade quality as follows; P.-N.G.— $2.90 per in., f.o.b. P-NG ports, small scale (salt water); large scale (fresh water) $l.BO per in. 8.5.1., Honiara: $1.89 per in. Gizo: $2.10 per in.

PAPUAN GUM: Scarce supply in May— sl9o per ton, del. Sydney; New Guinea graded gum $lB5 per ton, f.0.b., Samarai.

BECHE-DE-MER: Chang Sing Loong Co., Suva, quote F 2- (4 in. to 7 in.) to P3/- (9 in. to 11 in.) lb for well processed commercial varieties.

SHARK FINS; Chang Sing Loong Co., Suva, offers F4/6 per lb for well-dried fins of commercial quality. ICEP Pty. Ltd., 22 Taylor St., North Curl Curl, Sydney, quote 65c to 85c lb., ex-store Sydney, according to quality.

London and US Quotations

COPRA: LONDON, Apr. 28, Philippines, in bulk, $U5178.50 per long ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth. European ports. Malayan 1% c.i.f. UK/Nth. European ports, UQ. NEW YORK: Apr. 28, Philippines, c.i.f.. Pacific Coast ports, nom. SUSI6I per short ton CEYLON: Spot, 940 Rupees per long ton.

Coconut Oil: London, Apr. 28,

Ceylon, 1% in bulk, £Stg.96 per ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth. European ports.

Rubber: London, Apr. 26, Spot

lYVsd Stg. lb; May shipment 17yad Stg. lb; contract June shipment 17 3 /ad Stg. lb.