MEAT EXPORTS

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21236, 7 August 1934, Page 12

MEAT EXPORTS

j Resistance to Quota i Policy j QUEENSLAND PREMIER'S ! VISIT TO BRITAIN i j

| (THE PRESS Special Serrlet.j ' AUCKLAND, August 6. ; "The meat quota policy will lead jlo despair and perhaps to disaster. It is wrong economically and ethically," declared the Premier of Queensland (the Hon. W. Forgan Smith), in an interview aboard the Aorangi, on his way back to Australia from an eight weeks' visit to Britain, in the interests of the export trade of his state. •'I made it quite clear to the Government and the general public In I Britain that Australia would not voluntarily accept any restriction upon her exports," said Mr Forgan Smith. "She is one of the few debtor countries that have always met their obligations in full on the due date. If Britain desires her to continue in that way, she must be allowed to sell her produce freely. Owing to the lower prices obtainable, Australia has to export more to meet her obligations. Any arbitrary reduction will obviously affect the assets of the British investor in Australia. i Preference to Dominions

I "In Britain I found all seijtions of the public very keenly appreciative of Australia and strongly in favour of preference to Dominion goods. It is worthy of note, and, indeed, it cannot oe over-emphasised, that Britain is purchasing more foodstuffs and raw materials from foreign countries than from all the Dominions and Crown colonies put together. While that continues, there is no reasonable case for restriction of production in Australia and the other Dominions. "It was the basic principle of the Ottawa agreements that the Dominions' market in Britain should be increased and not diminished. Since that, agreement, a number of Continental markets have been closed to Australia, in Italy, Belgium, and France for example. We are entitled to urge that the imports of foreign produce into Britain should be reduced to an extent that they can be replaced by Dominion produce." Mi- Forgnn Smith said it had been satisfactory to receive an assurance from the 'British Government that it. did not propose to take any action in restricting dairy produce. This was particularly important to Queensland, which produced onethird of Australia's dairy exports, and which, owing to the suitability of her soil and climate, had unlimited scope for expansion of dairying. The meat position had not been fixed when he left London, and he understood that it was still unsatisfactory. He had Saken the opportunity of stating fully to the Bi'itish Ministers and others the ease for the maintenance of Queenland's meat exports. She was now in a position to ship chilled beef and, like New Zealand, she was most anxious that no impediment should be placed in the way of the now industry. Britain's Beef Supplies

Mr Forgan Smith said he hesitated to comment on British domestic affairs; but he felt entitled to say that there was little in the argument that meat, particularly beef, from the Dominions competed with that pro- j duced in Britain. The class of people who bought Australian beef could not afford to buy prime Scottish beef. Similarly, British dairy farming was mainly concerned with the production of milk and cream for town supply. The Dominions' competitor in butter and cheese was the Continent. The aim of the whole policy of restriction was to increase prices to the British farmer. So far as It had succeeded in that respect, it had caused a shrinkage of consumption. It was a commonplace that if consumption -the world over could be increased, a great deal of the world's present economic trouble would be overcome. Hence his be- , lief that if Britain pursued a policy of restricting the entry of Empire produce, very serious results might follow. AUSTRALIA'S ESTIMATES SENT TO BRITAIN | INCH EASE IN EX POUTS OF j PKKVTOIS YEAKft (Received August 6, 8.20 p.m.') CANBERRA, August G. The Federal Minister for Trade ; and Commerce (Mr F. 11. Stewart) announced that the estimates of pos- ■ sible export of meat from Australia ' to Britain during the six months ending 1934, which have been forwarded to the British Government, provide for an increase in volume in ; comparison with previous years. He said he anticipated that they would 1 be acceptable to the British Government. Mr Stewart emphasised that the feeling in Australia is completely against either duty on or restric--1 tion of Australian meat exports, and said the British Government had been informed that either was contrary to all principles of Australian development, and that such a policy would be resisted to the utmost capacity of the Commonwealth Government.