BRITISH AGRICULTURE

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 172, 9 April 1923, Page 7

BRITISH AGRICULTURE

INTERIM REPORT OF TRIBUNAL

NO DUTY ON WHEAT AND FLOUR

BUT OFFALS MUST BE IMPORTED

The commissioners appointed to report cn methods of assisting British agriculture do not recommend a duty on wheat, but propose that importers should be required to Import corresponding quantities of wheat offals. The proposals are condemned ty flour and grain importers.

BT TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION. —COPYRIGHT. (Rcc. April 7, 5.5 p.m-) London, April 6.

The agricultural tribunal appointed to inquire into the methods adopted in other countries, including the Dominions, during the last fifty years to increase the prosperity of agriculture and secure the full use of ths land for file production of food, the employment of labour at a living wage, and to advise the best methods of achieving these results, in an interim report, urges the Government to take financial responsibility for reducing the railway rates on farm produce not less than 25 per cent. It does not propose an irnporta duty on wheat, but recommends that importers of wheat and flour should be required to import corresponding quantities of wheat offals, say 25 per cent, of offals to 75 par cent, of flour. It recommends an import duty of ten shillings a quarter on malting barley and twenty shillings a hundredweight on hops, in each case with a one-third preference for the Dominions. It recommends that beet sugar production should continue to enjoy exemption from excise long enough to enable the experiment to be thoroughly tested. The tribunal is impressed with the progress of organisations for the imperative marking of imports from Europe and the British Dominions. The tribunal considers that so long as our fanners remain in the present unorganised state, both for production and marketing, they are exposed to very serious disadvantages in comparison with cverseas suppliers. Regarding the tribunal’s proposals, the leading flour and grain importers have written to Sir Joseph Cook, Australian High Commissioner, urging him to make representations to the British Government in that connection. If the proposals are carried out the tiado in flour and barley is bound to suffer. Tho importers point out that the offals are urgently required in Australia. If it were made compulsory to ship them with the flour, the result would be that little or no flour could Le exported ; thus great damage would, be inflicted on the milling industry in Australia. There is no shortage-of offals in .‘Britain. “ On" the othef hsttid, much, is being exported to the ContinentThe writers suggest that the proposals regarding offals emanates from millers in the United Kingdom, with the idea of improving their own trade. This would be to the detriment of ’ the masses, for the restriction on imports of Australian, which is cheaper than any flour of similar quality, is not bkely to induce millers to reduce their prices.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.