IN BRITAIN TODAY Migrants Prefer Australia

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31774, 3 September 1968, Page 13

IN BRITAIN TODAY Migrants Prefer Australia

British interest in emigration to New Zealand is not as high as that being shown towards Australia. While inquiries received so far this year at New Zealand House are running at lower levels than in 1967, those received by Australian representatives are running 50 per cent higher. The Australians operate a number of immigration centres outside London and continue actively to seek wouldbe migrants, but New Zealand maintains staff in London only and does not advertise extensively—its efforts are usually restricted to specialist publications, such as those circulating among nurses and physiotherapists and other skilled labour fields. Twelve months age there was a backlog of migrants awaiting transportation to New Zealand under assisted passage schemes. Now there is no delay in finding accommodation on ships or planes. There is some suggestion, however, that the family subsidy scheme operated by the Government Is not being fully used. Under it, a subsidy is provided, covering up to six people in a family, to a New Zealand firm wishing to recruit the father as a member of its staff. Food Facts Figures produced by the Ministry of Agriculture show that the United Kingdom produced about half of its total food requirements in the years from 1964 to 1967. The Ministry says home production accounted for more than two-thirds of the supplies of carcase meat and offals, 40 per cent of cheese requirements and 10 per cent of the butter needed. Nearly all requirements for barley and oats were met by British growers and about 50 per cent of the wheat and flour used came from home sources. The nation is virtually selfsufficient in potatoes and poultry and produces about a third of the bacon and ham consumed, but relies on imports to provide needed oilcakes and meals. Figures for 1967 give New Zealand a 50 per cent share of the mutton and lamb market Seven per cent was taken up by imports from other countries and the remainder home produced. New Zealand supplies, mainly lamb, complement home production in the season when local lamb is not available.

New Zealand does not. however, rate as a major supplier of beef and veal. Home production accounts for 77 per cent of supplies, the Irish Republic for 10 per cent, Argentina for 8 per cent, and Australia for 2 per cent About 9 per cent of the offai consumed in Britain comes from New Zealand, 7 per cent from the United States, 6 per cent from Denmark and 5 per cent from Australia. Home production accounts for 61 per cent of the total.

But figures show a fall off tn Australian supplies in 1967, to the benefit of countries other than New Zealand and Denmark. In 1966 New Zealand supplied 34 per cent of the market, Australia 16 per cent, and Denmark 20 per cent. Last year the New Zealand figure returned to the 35 per cent mark it held as an average of supplies in the years

1964-66, Australia dropped 12 per cent, and Denmark to 18 per cent, but supplies from other exporters rose from 23 per cent to 27 per cent Home production, at 8 per cent of the total, was up by 1 per cent on 1966. New Zealand’s average share of the cheese market in the period 1964-66 was 30 per cent but in 1966 it supplied only 27 per cent and achieved a similar figure last year. Beef Doubt British agriculturalists are sceptical about the quality of beef resulting from experiments in crossing imported Charolais bulls with dairy cows. A Ministry of Agriculture pamphlet dealing with the experiments says the beef was leaner but less tender, tasty and juicy when compared with similar crosses using Devon and Hereford bulls. In a breeding programme which lasted more than two years the Charolais bulls were crossed with Ayrshire and Friesian cows. The meat was judged by specially-arranged tasting panels at five centres. The outstanding feature of the results was the frequency with which the meat from Charolais crosses was found to be less tender than that from rival crosses, but the fat content of the Charolais crosses was considered to be significantly lower than in all rival crosses. "This supports the general verdict derived from farm data and slaughterhouse appraisal, and may be regarded as an advantage by consumers who judge meat by the extent to which it lacks fat,” the pamphlet says. The criticisms of tenderness could put the breed at a disadvantage, but there are methods of inducing tenderness through pre-slaughter injections of natural enzymes which circulate through the bloodstream and are distributed to each muscle in proportion to its activity. Trade Report Birmingham’s trade mission to New Zealand and Australia in March of this year could result in new business worth nearly £700,000, according to a report just released. The mission, from the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, collected firm orders worth £33.000, of which £28,000 worth came from Australia. The orders and estimated new business, the report says, reflect not only the comparative sizes of the two markets, but also the buoyancy of the Australian economy and the difficulties facing New Zealand’s. “The contrast between the two countries was also apparent from the feelings of members about future prospects,” the report adds. "Only two members felt their sales prospects in Australia were not promising. In New Zealand, on the other hand, even those who felt their prospects were promising said that this was subject to there being no deterioration in the licensing position.” Food Source British Petroleum plans a second £lm plant for the manufacture of protein foodstuffs from oil, using as its ; raw material normal paraffins to produce 4000 tons of pro- ' tein a year.

This will be marketed as an additive to animal foods to replace fish and soya meals. None of the initial production will be for human foods, but tests are continuing on the possibilities of this.

The idea of producing protein foods from petroleum products first became known about 10 years ago, when it was found that certain bacteria could attack them and turn them into useful foods. Eight years of experiments in both France and Britain followed. Now the intention of B.P. is that its French plant, now under construction, will use gas oils as its raw material and the British factory paraffins. There is little doubt that the potential market for the product is vast. It' is estimated that the present world protein deficit could be eliminated by the conversion of 2 per cent of the world’s petroleum output to food. Feeding trials on farm animals have been carried out in the Netherlands and the results are described as most satisfactory.

Odd Challenge

A bowler-hatted Briton and his Calfornian challenger set off next month on a hitchhiking race around the world. And the prize is a hangover.

The rules are simple: only £lO pocket money to start with and no stealing or flying on the way. No matter/ who gets back first, both Mr Kenneth Crutchlow, aged 24, a Londoner, and the Californian, Mr Denis Kirby, aged 29, will share the prize—as much beer as they can drink.

Mr Crutchlow, already dubbed “Britain’s dry-land Chichester” is an acknowledged survival expert in the thumbing-a-ride business—he has already hitched about 100,000 miles in 10 years, 28,000 of them this year. The accomplishments of Mr Kirby, an electrical engineer from San Jose, are unknown in London. Mr Crutchlow told reporters: “I don’t know which way he'll go, but I’ll be heading across Europe and through Turkey and Asia to the checkpoint in Sydney. Then I’ll go back through the other check-point in San Francisco. “We’re allowed to work on the way, or sell blood to raise cash.

",... We're doing it mostly for the fun and glory. An airline is donating the prize. “How many people would hitch 28,000 miles for a few beers?

“I’m wearing a bowler hat, pin-striped suit and carrying a rolled umbrella. After all. who could resist helping a city gent from London?”

Beach Warning

Swimmers who ignore the red-flag warnings on the beaches of Devon and Cornwall may face heavy fines in future.

This summer about 45 swimmers were drowned in the two counties, compared with only 27 in the whole of last year, and the authorities are determined to take action. A meeting of M.P.s, police and beach-safety officials has been called to consider making an application to the Home Office for permission to fine bathers who ignore safety flags and warnings, such as is already the case at Newquay, in Cornwall, where swimmers who ignore warnings can be fined up to £2O.