NO JUSTIFICATION FOR PESSIMISM

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 297, 12 September 1934, Page 10

NO JUSTIFICATION FOR PESSIMISM

Prospect of Meat Quotas BEEF THE ONLY SERIOUS PROBLEM By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, September 11. New Zealand producers had no need yet to lie pessimistic when considering quotas, said Air. David Jones, chair man of the Aleat Producers’ Board, when addressing farmers at Cheviot this evening. Mr. Jones described the recent meat trade legislation passed in Argentina, indicating the nature of control which might be necessary in New Zealand if quotas were imposed. This, legislation gave wide powers to a board to control not only meat exported but for local consumption. The New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board had made very determined efforts to secure for the pig products of the Dominion a larger share of the British market, and unless the board succeeded the Dominion was likely in a short time to .meet the same position as, had to be met in Denmark and Holland.

The only really serious problem New Zealand had to' meet was In beef exports. It was not generally understood that Britain produced more than half the beef she consumed. If a levy was to be made on imported beef to raise the price of cattle to the British farmer the levy would have to be substan tial. He did not think a levy would he the solution of the difficulty.’and New Zealand could most definitely not agree to it.

Air. Jones said it was a misconcep tion to imagine that the quotas being discussed were the result of the Ot tawa conference. Ottawa etsablished the principles of the quoth because Britain made It abundantly clear she could not allow the whole of the world’s surplus of meat to be dumped on her markets to the ruin of her farm ers. Fortunately the reductions made, and they were very substantial, had been almost entirely at the expense of the foreigner. If there .were no Ottawa agreement Britain' would no doubt already have made drastic regu lations. but New Zealand had a great safeguard till the term of the agreement expired.