PRICE OF COPRA

Hokitika Guardian, 4 October 1929, Page 2

PRICE OF COPRA

BRITISH AND AMERICAN. TWO RATES COMPARED. WELLINGTON, October T. Tho prices paid to the natives of Western Samoa, for their copra a,s compared with the prices paid to patiives ‘of American Samoa, were shown in a return presented to the House of Representatives to-day The prices were : Western- Samoa, Upolii, Apia, £lO 16s lOd per ton; elsewhere, £8 19s 2d a ton. Savaii, East and South-East Coast, ■£7 16s lOd per ton; elsewhere, £0 14s 6d a ton. Americuh Samoa, 92.51 dollars per ton. It was pointed out that tho prices in Western Samoa a.nd America Samoa were not comparable without consideration of the adustment, .owing to such differentiating factors as taxation, lighterage, market fluctuations and cost of collection. An export tax of 3Cs per ton and lighterage at 6s per ton were payable in Western Samoa, hut not in American ■Samoa, 'Where .taxation was on' a different basis and \ were ships could tie up at ’the wharf. The copra in American Samoa was all contracted for annually, and, since the letting of the contract at the beginning of this year, • there had been a very heavy fall (at one stage some £4 per ton) in the market ■price of copra’, which was reflected in ‘ the Western Samoa price, but not in that of American Samoa.