LOW PRICE FOR COPRA

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 221, 1 September 1932, Page 9

LOW PRICE FOR COPRA

SAMOA FEELS THE EFFECTS. PRODUCTION LaSSeLY REDUCED. Wellington, August 31. The Samoan corespondent of the Press Association writes from Ajria under date August 18: “Samoa, like the neighbouring islands, is feeling the effects of the low price received for copra. Until there is an increase no marked improvement in trade may be looked for. The bulk of the copra is produced from native plantations and at present prices the natives are inclined to sit down on the job, not cutting out the quantity they would if prices were better. “Retail stores in Apia and trading stations outside are complaining of the lack of business, as they have to depend chiefly on native trade for their turnover. The administration also suffers, as the main source of revenue, the Customs, is adversely affected by the reduced production and low prices received. Merchants are still restricting their buying, with the results that imports have fallen and are likely to go lower. “Cocoa prices remain fairly firm, but production is small and not nearly sufficient to offset the loss in the production of eopra. ' “The depression experienced in other countries has not been felt to nearly the same extent in Samoa. Few Europeans are out of actual work and Samoans can never be classed as unemployed: when the class of work they are engaged in is slack they go back to the villages and plantations, where there are always sufficient native foods. There is little chance of their ever having to face starvation either through want or climatic conditons.”