Empire Meat.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20565, 6 June 1932, Page 8

Empire Meat.

The interesting announcement is made through The Peess this morning by the chairman of the Meat Producers' Board, Mr David' Jones, that the various meat interests of the Empire, including the British home producers, have " agreed on a common policy " to bs submitted to the Ottawa Conference; and this confirms earlier, tentative statements* Such an agreement must have great but not necessarily decisive influence. According to Mr Joues, while home-produced supplies are unlikely to increase, New Zealand and Australia alone this year will be able to supply more mutton and lamb than Great Bri-

tain imported "from all sources" in 1928, and since this is by far their greatest market they want to make it a secure one for their expanding production. Security depends, of course, on eliminating or controlling outside competition to avoid a glutted and depressed market; and tariffs and quotas, separately or together, are the possible instruments. Much depends on the extent to which the British Government it expected to use them. There are grounds for believing that the Government is prepared to work by either means or both; but it will be rash to take for granted its readiness to take any step which will seriously injure Argentine interests. There are strong prudential ri-asons against damaging the position of meat producers in Argentina. That is to say, if the British Government agrees to establish a quota system, the Argentine quota will not be inconsiderable; and if an Imperial preferential tariff is instituted, it is not likely to show a penal margin against South American meat. The Empire's producers are therefore faced with a difficulty which they may or may not have taken into account at once. If their policy is not too disadvantageous to Argentina, they may have easy work at Ottawa; otherwise, they will have agreed only to find stiff opposition.