MARKET FOR BEEF

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 71, 25 March 1922, Page 5

MARKET FOR BEEF

CAUSES OF DEPRESSION

A REMEDY SUGGESTED,

i»NIf»» MESS ASSOCIATION.—COPTMBIIT.)

(AUSTRALIAN - NSW ZEALAND CABLE ASSOCIATION.) (Received Marcll 25, 10 a.m.) N LONDON, 24th March.

In an interview with the Australian Press Association, Mr. J. M. Elder said the principal causes of the present deplorable position of the beef market was the war of prices between the Argentine exporters and the flooding of the market with Argentine meat. Until quite recently the losses of the Argentine shippers were colossal. If the endeavours now reported to reach an agreement w«re successful, shipments would be considerably decreased immediately, and prices would rise. The removal of Vtstey's 125,000 quarters would relieve the market, but the effect would be only temporary. If the shipowners reduced the freight by a farthing a pound, and the Australian Government gave a farthing bonus, it would undoubtedly greatly help the producers; but bonuses were only expedients, and something much more drastic was required. Mr. Elder suggests that the British Government should be urged to enforce immediately the recommendation of Mr. Bridgeman's Interdepartmental Committee pn Meat Suppliers in 1919 to grant licenses to all meat importers. Thus it would be possible to control the arrivals of meat in Britain, and prevent the continuance of the''dumping' of -for-i eign meat', 1 which was'a' serious menace to British producers, not only here, but throughout the Empire.