Exchange Rates

FlJl.— Through Bank of NSW, ANZ Bank, Bank of NZ, Bank of Baroda, First National City Bank. Sterling £ on Fiji $, buying £1 = $F2.085; selling £1 = $2.11. Aust. $ on Fiji $, buying $A 1.0117 = SFI, selling $A1.0288

Sfi.

WESTERN SAMOA. —Through Bank of Western Samoa, controlled from NZ, seller $A1.2470 to SWS Tala 1.

Norfolk Is., Papua New Gulnea.—Aus

tralian currency used; no exchange payable in transactions with Australia.

FRENCH PACIFIC COLONIES. —Pacific francs (CFP) are used in New Caledonia, New Hebrides (Jointly with Australian dollars), Wallis and Futuna Is., and Fr. Polynesia. French Bank, Sydney, on November 20, quoted: Selling, Noumea and Papeete, Pac francs to the sAust., 108.43 (commercial —export and import trans actions), 108.43 (financial) —nearly all other transactions). Paris-London: Buying, 11.85 francs to the £ (commercial); 11.85 francs to the £ (financial). Also £ equals 218.2272 (buy ing), 214.6363 (selling) Pac. francs; 5.50 CFP to 1 metropolitan franc.

Banks should be approached for daily quotes.

COOK IS.: —Copra goes to Abels, Ltd., of Auckland, who operate NZ's copra crushing mill. Prices for October to December, packed, shipping weights f.o.b, were fixed at $NZ92.79 Ist grade, hot-air dried, $NZ90.75 Ist grade, sun-dried, and $NZ89.27 standard grade.

Us Trust Territory: $U592.50 (Grade 1),

$U582.50 (grade 2), $U572.50 (grade 3), de livered district centres; $BO (grade 1), $7O (grade 2), $6O (grade 3), picked up outer islands.

Other Produce

BECHE-DE-MER: Chang Sing Loong Co., Suva, quote 45c (4 in. to 10 in.).

Honiara. —Live slugs, over six inches, black —six for 10c, other colours—l2 for 10c.

CHILLIES. —SoIomons, Honiara, Tabasco, grade one, dried 22c per lb; long red, grade one, dried, 12c per lb.

COCOA. —lslands rates are based on Ghana prices. Ghana price on November 20 (November/ December shipment) was spot £stg3lo ton, c.i.f.; UK, Continent.

November 17, Quote No. 1; In store Rabaul, export quality, $550 per ton, delivered ex wharf Sydney $6lO Quote No. 2: Best quality in store NG ports, $542 (November/December shipment).

Solomons. —4 cents a lb delivered to a fermentary, 3 cents a lb at buying points.

COFFEE. —PNG: October 17, good quality, A grade, 48c per lb; B grade, 42£c, C grade, 41c, Y grade, 44c (ex-store Sydney).

W. Samoa. —Recently, WSTEC ground and dried beans, 49 sene per lb (wholesale).

CROCODILE SKlNS.— Honiara: $1.89 to $2.25 per inch.

GREEN SNAIL SHELL.— S3SO a ton f.o.b. (nominal).

PAPUAN GUM. —Graded gum $215 per ton, f.o.b.

PASSIONFRUIT. — Cook Islands, Islands Foods Ltd. pays growers NZ2.5c per lb for good fruit.

PAPAW. —Cook Islands, Island Foods Ltd. pays growers NZ2c per lb for good fruit.

PEANUTS. PNG: Sydney agents reported recently f.0.b., Lae; Kernels—white Spanish 17.25 c lb.

PEARL SHELL. —Torres Strait Pearlshellers' Assn, has no recent quotes. Solomons. — Honiara, mother of pearl blacklip 14c-16c lb, goldlip 18c lb. Cook Islands. —Penrhyn, 20-25 c per lb, del. Rarotonga 33-35 c per lb. French Polynesia.— Tuamotu, Gambier shells, to $l,OOO per ton, Papeete.

PYRETHRUM. —NG growers 17c lb, flowers.

RICE (Aust.):— PNG: Dried brown, 25 kilo bags, $113.50 per metric tonne. Vitamin enriched white, 25 kilo £>ags, $125.50 per metric tonne, all f.o.w. Sydney/Melbourne.

Pacific Islands; Calrose med. grain, white, 56 lb bags, SAI2B-SAI33 a long ton. Kulu long grain white, 56 lb bags, SAI64-SAI67 a long ton. All prices f.o.w. Sydney/Melbourne.

RUBBER. —PNG prices are based on Singapore rates which on October 27 were: No. 1 RSS (Malayan cents a kilo f.0.b.), November, 106.75- 114.00; December, 107.75-115.00; January/ March, 109.75-117.00.

SANDALWOOD. —New Hebrides, landed on the beach, Vila and Santo, no recent quotes.

SHARKS FINS. Chang Sing Loong Co., Suva, offers 75c per lb for Ist quality, 45c for mixed quality.

TROCHUS. —BSIP 4c (uncleaned), 5c (cleaned) per lb.

TURTLE SHELL.—BSI: 20c to $1.20 per lb, depending on size and quality.

VANILLA BEANS. Prices recently were: White and yellow label processed standard packs, $7.50; green label $7.40, c.i.f., Sydney.

Tonga.—sT4.2o, f.0.b., Nukualofa; $T4.50, Mel bourne.

Uk, Us Quotes

RUBBER. —London, No. 1 RSS spot (per kilo), September 5, prompt shipment, 15.86 p. (c. and f.).

COPRA. —LONDON, September 19, Philippines, in bulk, SL)SI4I (October reseller) per long ton, c.i.f., UK/North European ports; US Pacific coast, b SUSII3, s SUSIIS.

COCONUT OIL (Ceylon)— LONDON, September 19 £stg.9B (September/October).