Tab A
(Palau District)
HEADQUARTERS OF THE GOVERNOR, WESTERN CAROLINES,
AND OF THE CIVIL ADMINISTRATOR, PALAU DISTRICT (ON KOROR)
(e)
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(Cont'd)
Economic development.
Copra is the major commercial product of the Palau District, totalling $10,355.88 in purchases from the natives during the last calendar quarter of 1948. Of this amount, pur-
chases from the Palau Islands totalled $5,530.17.
This latter
total is relatively low when compared with the land areas
available in the entire district for coconut tree planting,
but is accounted for in large part by damages to trees re-
sulting from war operations, inroads of the Japanese beetle,
and typhoons of late '47 and early '48. Headway against these
production obstacles is being made, as noted on page 73, Tab A.
Handicraft purchases from natives of the Palau District
in the last calendar quarter of 1948 totalled $3,593.60. En=
couragement in making saleable handicraft is being given by
CivAd and I.T.C. representatives, and handicraft training
periods in the schools are being initiated. The immediate
future growth of this industry is.somewhat dependent on avail~
ability of materials from coconut, pandanus and banana trees,
Fishing as an industry has been developed, principally in
the Palaus, with gross sales of $3,220.12 by natives during
the last calendar quarter of 1948. Catches have been limited
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to the size of subsistence sales. Commercial fishing on a
large export scale appears promising, but needs cannery facilities,
During the last quarter, charcoal purchases from natives
amounted to $2,157.73, and fresh fruit purchases from natives
totalled $222.04.
Trochus shell purchases for the 1948 season
amounted to $9,474.00.
Phosphate exports from Angaur are described on page 80,
Tab A,
The Western Carolines Wholesale Company (see page 74, Tab
The I.T.C. currently purchases all native production and
procures most of the trade goods for the WCWC, The latter
company does not as yet have sufficient capital, retail out-
lets, or "know-how" to take over from I.T.C.
The islands of the Palau District that were inspected
are considered self-sufficient in food. It is recommended
that an agriculturist be sent to this District at the earliest
practicable date to survey possibilities for improvement in
the quantity of exvortable products and in subsistence crops,
particularly in the outlying, remote islands and atolls,
Land claims and disputes were being attended to with
satisfactory procedures,
Transportation for imports and exports 1s dependent
on naval shipping.
Inter-atoll and intra-atoll
—
REPRODUCED FROM HOLDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES
A) is handling most of the trade goods in the Palau District,
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