TRADE WITHIN THE EMPIRE

Evening Star, Issue 19025, 21 August 1925, Page 5

TRADE WITHIN THE EMPIRE

ECONOMIC COMMITTEE'S REPORT THE MEAT INDUSTRY. Press Association —By Telegraph —Copyright. LONDON, August 20. Tlio imperial Economic Committee s second report dealing with meat expresses the opinion that quicker tiaii.portation would no doubt help to so v the problem of the importation ol mi piro supplies, but the speed and expense would tend to increase the cost. At tn same Lime, if sufficiently rapid transportation could he arranged to place Australian and New Zealand moat in the United Kingdom chilled instead Ol frozen, the higher prices obtained would suffice to cover these. The report recommends the various Governments to encourage their producers, in conjunction with tho shipping companies, to make a fresh study of tiie problem. PEDIGREE STOCK TRANSPORTATION. Tho report recommends that tho poition of tiie proposed grant to_ bo used to defray tho cost of transporting pedigree stock to other parts oi the Empue should be inaugurated without delay, and should be continued for at least five years. COLD STORAGE CONTRACTING. Tho existing cold storage charges, the report says, constitute a large item m marketing costs and in relation to_ the value of the products stored, and it is therefore suggested that tiie users or cold storage should try to negotiate n« more favorable terms by contracting lor a given amount of space over a given time. STANDARDISING GRADING. The committee emphasises the advantages which a standardised and uniform product enjoys in the limted Kingdom market. There is no doubt difficulty in grading and standardising meat unless live, stock oi good quality is forthcoming in large numbers, and it urges the producers carefully to study the requirements so as to conform with tiie needs of British consumers. PRESERVATION DURING TRANSPORT. The committee observes that dominion beef supplies suffer because they reach London frozen instead oi chilled, and therefore bring prices which are unrenumerativo to the producer, who is not stimulated to improve or to increase his herds. Tho key to tiie whole position lies in research, with a view _to better methods of preservation during transport. Once that is attained tho committee feels that everything else would follow.

The report makes it clear that even if it is commercially practicable to place Australian and New Zealand chilled heel on the United Kingdom market the foreign product would still hold its own because of the present inherent superiority achieved through careful breeding. The lead inns obtained by the foreigner is reducible with time and persistence in the direction of improving Kin pi re breeds. A policy ol live stock improvement should bo encouraged in tlie dominions for at least five years in view oi the time necessarily involved in reaping tho results ol breeding. , . It is recommended that the existing legislation controlling the importation of live cattle into Britain should be considered in view of the consumers’ preference for fresh-killed meat. NEW ZEALAND LAMB.

A high tribute is paid to tbe quality of New Zealand lamb, which the committee says has undoubtedly satisfied British requirements. The fmT that most of the Hocks are cross-bred is an important factor in enabling an almost standardised product. A feature ol the New Zealand Irndc is the regularity and continuity of supplies as a result of the work of the Meat Producers’ Board, the criiicism of which the, committee dons not led it necessary to refer to in view of the favorable finding oi fhe Food Prices Commission. The decrease of Australian mutton ami lamb imports (Tom ill per cent, in 191:5 to 9 per rent, in 1924 is attributed partly to Now Zealand and Argentine competition, and partly to climatic condil iocs. The latter is probably a diminishing factor. The possibility of an increase in the .supplies from Australia depends on the relative values of meat and wool. Every effort should be made to achieve uniformity of carcasses, so that buyers will confidently purchase parcels merely on grade, as they do in the ease of Now Zealand supplies. It is doubtful if Now Zealand is in a position greatly to increase its export supplies, and these will chiclly depend on Australia and South Africa. —A. ami N.Z. Cable.

TilE REPORT CRITICISED, y Aßrous COMMENTS. LONDON, August 20. 'll is understood that the idea in the committee's mind is consistent research in the direction of improved refrigeration and transport. It is hinted that experiments with frozen joints of beef at the Cambridge low temperature station have given results excelling oven the best chilled meat. Attempts to apply the process to sides of hoof are at present considered one of the best avenues of research. it is also likely that steps will he taken to have special experimental refrigeration chambers fitted in steamers regularly trading to the Antipodes. The correspondent of the ‘ Daily Chronicle ’ suggests that the use of the Union Jack should ho protected by law ns an exclusive trade mark for all Empire products. Mr J. B. Cramsic (Australia), in an interview, drew attention to the committee's comments that the Argentine industry is in the hands of a, few largo companies with a, few works coni innally, efficiently, ami economically distributing their products, compared with a largo number of works and tho irregularity of the operations in the dominions. Personally, ho did not agree with the report wholly, lie regretted that transport assistance had not been given more favorable consideration. Jlo was confident that if the recommendations were accepted the people in the dominions would respond with inc.roascd and improved production, and would attain a more important place in Britain's supplies. It was necessary for the dominion Governments not only to urge producers to strive to meet British needs, hut to assist them with transport and shipping facilities to overcome tho advantage of the foreigner, lie was also convinced that tho supposed foreign superiority could' not only be reduced, but overtaken. If Ids belief in tho possibility of improved chilled transport were correct, the dominions in the near future would be supplying quantities of chilled meat equal to any foreign article. The. success or failure of the plan rested with the personnel of the Administering Committee, and he therefore hoped that the dominions would be strongly represented by practical men.—A. and N.Z. Cable.

GOVERNMENT CONSIDEB.ATION. NEW LEGISLATION UNLIKELY. LONDON, August 19. A statement authorised by Mr Baldwin, which will bo issued to-night, says that while the Government will be most careful to consider the Economic Committee’s two reports, it cannot adopt tho recommendation made in the meat report urging a reconsideration of the legislation respecting the importation of" live stock into tire United Kingdom. The agricultural interests to-day are as

definitely opposed to an extension of the existing system as they were in 1923, when the’lmperial Economic Conference recognised that tho Government was fully entitled to hayo_ regard primarily to the interests of its own producers in this matter, and confined tho recommendation advocating interimperial trade in pedigree stock on reciprocal terras to those proposals to which the Government has already given legislative effect. —A. and N.Z.