Exchange Rates

FlJl.—Through Bank of NSW. ANZ nk, Bank of NZ, Bank of Baroda. stralia on Fiji, basis £FI: buying 2.2225, selling $A2.26. Fiji-London, basis Stg. 100: b. £FII2, s. £FIIO/15/-. NZ ji, basis £FI: b. $NZ1.7923, s.

Z 1.8147. ' WESTERN SAMOA.—Through Bank of ;stern Samoa. Australia-W-Samoa, basis r SI: b. $A1.2363, s. $A1.2454. NZ-W. moa, basis SNZI; b. SWSI.OOSO, s. par. ii-W. Samoa, basis £FI: SWSI.BIB2, s. r SI.BOIB. W. Samoa-London, basis Stg.l: b. $W52.0200, s. SWS2.OIOO.

Norfolk Is. And Papua-New

JlNEA. —Australian currency used; no :hange payable in transactions with stralia

French Pacific Colonies.—Pacific

mes fCPF) are used in New Cale lia, New Hebrides (Jointly with Aus ■lian dollars), Wallis and Futuna ands and Fr. Polynesia. French Bank, dney, on Aug. 28, quoted; Selling, umea and Papeete, 98 Pac. francs to Aust.; 240 Pac. francs to £ Stg., prox. 90 Pac. francs to US $; Noumea Pac. francs to 1 French franc (con ■sion rate: 1 Pac. francs equals 0.055 mch franc). Paris-London: Buying 65 francs to £Stg.

SOLOMON IS.: All production marketed througn 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 Aug. 25 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 France and Venezuela. Official price on Aug. 26 was $6B (6,800 Pac.

Francs). French price then was 910 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 July, August and September, have been fixed, subject to freight adjustment, at SNZIIB first grade, hot air dried; $NZ116.04 first grade, sun dried and $NZ114.57 standard grade, all per ton packed f.o.b.

Other Produce

BECHE-DE-MER; Chang Sing Loong Co..

Suva, quote F 2- (4 in. to 7 in.) to F3/- (9 in. to 11 in.) lb for well processed commercial varieties.

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

On Aug. 25 these were approx. £ 5tg.235 per ton, c.i.f., London (Oct. to Mar. ship ment).

On Aug. 25, Quote No. 1: In store Rabaul, export quality $450 per ton, ex wharf Sydney, $5lO. Quote No. 2: Best quality, ex-wharf Sydney, $5OO, in store NG ports $470 (for UK, Continent and USA shipments).

W. Samoa.—Latest prices quoted in Sydney, on Aug. 16, were: Grade 1, £ Stg.24o, grade 2, £Stg.2l7/10/- per ton, f.0.b., Apia.

COFFEE.—P-NG: Aug. 25, Quote No. 1, good quality A grade 37c to 40c per lb; B grade 36c to 38c; C grade 35c to 36c; X grade 36c to 39c and native X grade 33.5 c to 34c.

Crocodile Skins. —On Aug. 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.

GREEN SNAIL SHELL.—Sydney buver« quoted: Aug. 25, No. 1, Ist grade, $5OO, f.o.b. Islands ports, 2nd grade, nom. $240 on wharf, Sydney. Honiara: 16c lb!

PAPUAN GUM: New Guinea graded gum $lB5 per ton, f.0.b., Samarai, un graded gum $174, f.0.b,, NG.

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

PEARL SHELL.—Fished by Japanese and Australian interests around Cape York and Broome, North Australia, for mainly cultured shell production. Shells were scarce in July. Two Sydney buyers, on Aug. 25 Quoted these prices: Sound $1,650 per ton, D grade $l,lBO, E grade $650, EE $470 (In store Sydney).

Solomons.—Honiara, mother of pearl blackllp 15c lb, goldlip 20c lb.

Cook Islands.—Penrhyn Island, SNZ7OO

(approx.), f.0.b., Rarotonga.

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

JS jl S u ™ e * Vitamin enriched white rice, h sag5 agS ’ per ton - f - o w - Brown, 40 . * b , ba s 11 $ i 3 ® per ton - Other Pacific Islands; Polished white (56 lb bags) or dried brown nee (112 lb bags). $l5O per ton, i.o.w.

RUBBER.-p-ng price is based on Singapore rates, which on Aug, 25 were - Prom p t nominal shipment 49 y 2 Malayan ® en s p ®* lb ' ci f - (14.35 Aust. cents)fll4 64c) 9 /8C (Al4-46c) and Nov - MSOVaC SHARK FINS: Chang Sing Loong Co.

Suva, offers F4/6 per lb for well-dried fini oo ® om , merci al quality. ICEP Pty. Ltd f Tay i= r North Curl Curl, Sydney! quote 65c to 85c lb., ex-store Sydney according to quality.

TROCHUS.—Sydney buyers indicated the following quotations to Islands pro ducers: Aug. 28 Papua $175-$lB5 per ton; N.G., 8.5.1.—5150-$l6O per ton. f.o.b. Islands ports—direct shipment to overseas markets.

TURTLE SHELL.—BSI: first grade un marked 90c a lb at Gizo.

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

Prices on Aug. 25 were: white and yellow label processed, standard packs, $6.50 green label, $6.40 c.i.f, Sydney.

Uk, Us, Ceylon Quotes

COPRA: LONDON. Aug. 25, Philippines, in bulk, SUSI 93 per long ton, c.i.f., UK/Nth. European ports. Malayan 1% c.i.f. UK/Nth. European ports, UQ. US Pacific Coast, Philippines, SUSI7O per short ton. CEYLON: Spot, 1,025 Rupees per long ton.

Coconut Oil: London. Aug. 25

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

RUBBER: LONDON, Aug. 25, spot 15- 7/16d. Stg. lb; Sept., 15V 4 d. Stg. lb; Nov. 15%d. Stg. lb.