Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 1936. BRITISH MEAT IMPORTS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 210, 18 June 1936, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 1936. BRITISH MEAT IMPORTS.

The continuance of the cattle subsidy in Britain until the end of October has been announced by the Minister of Agriculture, who added that he was not yet in a position to say when the statement of the Government's Jong-term policy for the cattle industry would be made. The subsidy, which was first granted in 1934, as a temporary measure to assist cattle-raisers until a long-term policy could be formulated, has been renewed four times, at a cost to the British taxpayer of £4,000,000 per annum. The date to which the subsidy is to be continued, October 31, is the expiry date of the agreement between Britain and Argentina in respect to imports from the latter country. This agreement has been the obstacle to the framing of longterm agreements with the Dominions, whose exports are now governed by quotas that lapse at the end of this month. The Ottawa Agreement with the Dominions, under which the quotas operate, has a currency until August of next year. In fairness to the British Government, it |hould be recalled that it made a sustained effort last year to replace the present hand-to-mouth agreements by a long-term policy. This involved the acceptance by the Dominions and Argentina of an import levy, and they preferred to stand on the existing pacts. Meanwhile, the British Government has taken authority to subsidise British beef producers until it is quit of its commitments to Argentina. Britain is hopeful that she will then be able to secure the Dominions' adhesion to a long-term policy covering all her .suppliers. It would certainly be in the Dominions' interests to waive their small remaining right to a free market if they could secure sufficiently favourable terms over,foreign countries. A long-term agreement would be a great gain in itself. A year ago Mr Elliot proposed voluntary quotas and levies (ear-marked to assist British farmers) on imported meat. In the meanwhile, however, British public opinion has been aroused against the proposal the effect of which would be to lower the nutritional standards of the masses who consume the bulk of the imported article. Manufacturers, traders and shippers are also critical of a policy that would curtail exports by restricting imports. Negotiations are in progress with representatives of Denmark, Argentina and Australia. New Zealand is vitally concerned, mutton and lamb being included as well as beef, pork and bacon.