THE MEAT PROBLEM.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 127, 11 March 1935, Page 5

THE MEAT PROBLEM.

AUSTRALIA FIRM. NO ACCEPTANCE IN PRESENT FORM. (United Press AsaotflaVion—Copyrights CANBERRA, March 10. Dr. Earle Rage (the acting-Prime Minister) has [informed newspaper representatives that the Commonwealth will not accept the British meat import proposals as they stand. He claims that in this form they can be introduced only with the concurrence of all Empire countries.

TARIFF SCHEME FAVOURED. FLEXIBILITY ARGUED. LONDON, March 10. The “Observer” says: “New Zealand’s reasoned protest against the meat levy again illustrates the difficulties of quotas which chill and depress the whole area of trade, suggesting fetters, while tariffs are flexible in their scale and preferences can be adjusted to any national purpose. Any reduction of demand consequent on increased prices can sooner be corrected by tariff changes than by other means.

THE CHILLED MEAT TRADE. MANY NEW SHIPS PLANNED. LONDON, March 9. The “News-Chronicle” declares that the situation arising from Mr W. E. Elliot’s plans regarding meat threatens a first-class Empire crisis, involving the complete collapse of the Ottawa agreements. The “News-Chronicle” attributes to Vcstoy’s secret development of chilled meat. Now, with six new 10,000 ton ships and many vessels equipped for gas storage for the Argentine trade, the firm plans to replace Australian and New Zealand frozen meat by the infinitely superior chilled meat. Moreover the'firm lias acquired controlling interests in vital sections of the Australian and New Zealand meat trade? their value being more than £10,000,000- , „ ~ The .“News-Chronicle” adds: Australia and New Zealand are most anxious to foster Vestey’s enterprise, promising fin. increase in the value of then exports by 50 per cent. Their pronouncements leave no doubt of their attitude to Mr Elliot’s plan, while Argentina is also standing firm.” RECIPROCAL TRADE WITH BRITAIN.

LORD NUFFIELD’S OPINIONS. AUCKLAND. March 9. Lord Nuffield, who left by the Mariposa to-day, said in a farewell message that lie hoped it would he only a short time before he came back to the Dominion. He would maintain a constant an earnest endeavour to do everything to impress upon the people of England the urgent importance of buying Now Zealand goods in preference to foreign. There was no country in the Empire which did more than New Zealand by way of reciprocal trading with Great Britain.