DOMINIONS COMMISSION

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14547, 26 December 1912, Page 10

DOMINIONS COMMISSION

I THE BEEP TRUST. CABLE POMCJy AXD SUEZ CANAL. (FROM OCB OWN COBRESPONDENT). LONDON. November 16. Some interesting- topics havo been before the Dominions Royal Commission this week. Tho. Beef Trust and our meat supplies wero referred to by Mr George Goodsir, of tho firm of Messrs "Wcddel and Co., London, who said that tho United Kingdom provided about two-thirds of its own meat supplies and of. the remaining third rather moro than one half came from the Argentine, and rather less than one half from Australia and -New Zealand. About 95 per cent, of the world's frozen meat came to Great Britain. The immediate effect upon tho English market of .any extensive opening up of the Continent to tho frozon meat trade would undoubtedly bo a considerable curtailment of shipments to the United Kingdom, with consequent higher prices. Tho operations, of the alkged American Beef Trust might be fittingly described as an attempt on tho part of foreign capital _to obtain control the British imported meat trade, regardless of British interests. In the United States during the past decade or two the large operators in meat had succeeded, in stifling competition and restricting trade to such an extent that North America, once an extensive meat exporting oo.Ontry, was now practically closed to export—a result which had "been assisted, of course, by the rapid increase in tho population. In the Argentine Republic tho members of the same group already owned or controlled almost half the output of tho Stato; while within the past twelve months their operations had been extended to Australia, -where they were organising their forces and making preparations with a view to obtaining an entrance into the trade between that country and the Motherland. ~o far, there was no cvidenco that they hacT reached New Zealand, but it might be only a question of months before their influence was also felt in ihnt Dominion. Experience in tho United States and elsewhere had proved tho success of a combination such as the American Beef Trust could not but havo a detrimental effect upon producers and consumers alike. Although their policy at first might sometimes be to cut profits to a minimum, and even on occasions to work at a- loss, later on, as tho monopoly of the trade was secured, they -were in a position to squeesfc the producer at one end and tho consumer at the other. Tho witness expressed the opinion . that apart from the operations of the Beef Trust continued high prices might be expected to prevail in the English meat markets, as regarded both imported and Home-grown meat. THE EMPIRE'S CABLES. Mr Charles Bright, Consulting Electrical Engineer to the Commonwealth, of Australia, dealt; with the subject of cable communication, ami more cspeeiallv the strategic value of the complete control of all tho cables, which, he said, Groat Britain had not got. "Witness first drew the attention of the Commissioners to a matter which he thought should receive serious consideration — that, in the spring of the present year, all the British telegraph cables crossing tho North Atlantic passed into the Lands of a foreign company. That state of things, by which the lines were under American administration, constituted a highly undesirable foreign monopoly in a national and Tmpc-rial souse. He maintained that the desirableness of an absolutely independent "All British" line between tho United Kingdom and Canada had become more than ever accentuated. Mr Bright took a decided objection to the use of codes and cyphers, which, ln» said, wore, futile and dangerous. In furtherance of his argument he instanced an episode which occurred during the late South African War, which', ho said, was a notable example. Towards tho end of that campaign Lord Kitchener sent a code:! instruction iiy wire to a column of 30(>0 men vtrieh had been operating in a distant part of_ the country. Unfortunately, as I nif-n had boon put oiit ot touch ' with tho main army for over a month, during which time tho code ke; had been thn ofl:opr.s ronld not load the message wnich !.o>-d Kitchener h:«l sent. Two or throe- of the officers, however, put their heads together, and within a couple of hours they had defiphcioc'. tho instruction. ' Geiora! Smuts had also said that they received irreat assistance during tho war by tbn facility by which their own telegraphists were able to tap the English wires and aftt>r a fittlo trouble d«code t tho British messages. Questioned as j to why ho would not be in favour of \ wireless, Mr Bright said that although • wireless was excellent in certain respects, he should not- like to rely upon it for important Imperial messages. When bonding .m important message ho would like to know who was at the . other end. and how many ends thero ' were. i SUEZ CANAL KATES. The Secretary of the Newcastle Chamber or Commerce (Mr Shaw) a .number of suggestions as to the°im-prov.-'ments which could Ix» effected in trade between this country am j the Colonic?. Ho said that the rates impost*! upon cargo steamers roinf through the Suez Canal wero far too high, and by lowering them trado would bo greatly increased. Ho suggested also that the opening of the Panama Canal would throw open vast territory

o f an exceptionally rich' character. Tho | English people, ho thought, were not alivo to the economic possibilities of those new lands, and ho suggested that, a number of trado commissioners should bo seat out to investigates and report.