The Press THURSDAY, JULY 24, 1969. U.S. LAMB QUOTAS Issue Not Likely To Revive This Session

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32048, 24 July 1969, Page 24

The Press THURSDAY, JULY 24, 1969. U.S. LAMB QUOTAS Issue Not Likely To Revive This Session

CV.Z.P.A.-Reuter— Copurlflht) WASHINGTON, July 23. Proposed quotas on lamb imports into the United States are dormant and perhaps even dead for this session of Congress, Congressional officials said today.

They said there was little likelihood of any action on the two pending proposals until at least September because of the Senate’s prolonged debate over President Nixon’s anti-ballistic missile programme, and the dispute over extension of the income tax surcharge.

Even if these two issues were cleared up by September there was little chance that Congress would move on the import measures favourably, said the officials. They noted that the Administration had made clear

its opposition to imposing import quotas on lamb. The Senate Republican Leader Mr E. Dirksen, questioned today about the prospects for the quota, recalled that President Nixon had told Congressional leaders of the protests made by the Australian and New Zealand Governments. A clause calling for a lamb quota has been attached to a minor tariff bill in an amendment proposed by Senator W. Bennett, a Republican from Utah, the foremost United States lamb-producing state. Another Bill The bill is on the Senate calendar but officials close to the Senate Democratic policy committee, which oversees the legislative schedule, said there was no intention of calling it up in the near future.

Another quota bill, by Senator R. Hruska (Republican, Nebraska) is still pending before the Senate Finance Committee; and aides said they had no indication of early action on his bill, which would revise quotas on meat in general and, for the first time, impose quotas on lamb. Although the Administration has been expressing its opposition behind the scenes to lamb quotas, officials said

the White House was reluctant to speak out publicly against the measure. The Administration wanted to avoid needlessly offending Senators from lamb-producing states whose votes might be needed when the missile issue comes to a head, probably early next August "Why antagonise Senators when the issue may die anyway,” one official said. The draft of a reply to the letter from the New Zealand Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) last month protesting against the quota proposal has been submitted to President Nixon but it was not clear when the reply would be sent said officials.

The Secretary of State (Mr W. P. Rogers) is expected to give reassurances of the Administration’s opposition when he meets Mr Holyoake and Australian Prime Minister (Mr Gorton) during his visits to Wellington and Canberra next month.