The Press THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1936. British Meat Duties

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21968, 17 December 1936, Page 10

The Press THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1936. British Meat Duties

The significance of the new meat duties announced in the House of Commons on Tuesday should not be lost to New Zealand although they are not likely to affect immediately the economy of this country. It appears that the United Kingdom Government, after having toyed with the ideas of restriction, and levies, and both together, has made up its mind to assist through duties an industry which has clamoured increasingly recently for help. The scheme has no reference to mutton, in which this country is primarily interested, and an assurance has been given that it would not apply to Empire products. As the Argentine and other South American countries are almost the only foreign suppliers of beef to the British market, and as the Argentine, by far the largest supplier, has through the heavy investment of British money in the Republic no small influence with the British Government, it may be assumed that some compensation will have been asked for in the direction of regulation of Dominion supplies. For New Zealand, the chilled beef industry has recently had a growing interest. Exports on a commercial scale from this country began only in the 1933-34 season, but they have risen since then from .19,576 quarters to 148,032 quarters in the season just completed; and though the possibilities of the trade are limited by the area of land available for beef production, it is an important part of the exports of New Zealand. In the meantime at least, the New Zealand export of frozen lamb and mutton will not be affected, but as the purpose of the bill is " to provide for the " development and better organisation of the " industry ... for regulating the imports " of livestock and meat," as a long range policy, it must involve the Dominions. With the increasing regulation of imports by European countries, and growing production in the Dominions, Great Britain has become virtually the only importer of meats, and has naturally been forced to take steps to protect her own farmers. In the depths of the depression, when restrictions, quotas, and levies were suggested as palliatives, it was generally hoped that the position would be temporary only. Events have proved that unless there is some tremendous reconstruction of the world's economy, the condition that has provoked the duties will remain, and may very easily be aggravated. There is little prospect of the British bill having an immediate effect on New Zealand, but in the long run the industry must be affected. The bill is an announcement of Britain's agricultural policy as it affects exporting nations, and will be so regarded by the Empire Meat Council and the International Meat Conference when they start to function. Britain has defined her limits, and it is for the meat exporting countries to agree among themselves within those limits.