The Evening Star THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1936. MEAT PROSPECTS.

Evening Star, Issue 22524, 17 December 1936, Page 10

The Evening Star THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1936. MEAT PROSPECTS.

This Dominion is vitally concerned in the Live Stock Industry Bill, which has been introduced into the House of Commons by the British Government. The purpose of the measure is to provide for the development and better organisation of the industry and connected industries, for the paying of a subsidy to the producers of fat cattle, for regulating the imports of live stock and meat, for the holding of markets, and for the slaughtering of live stock. The Bill is the outcome of the efforts of the Government to encourage the agricultural industries in tho Motherland. Its objects are twofold. One is to provide more work in the rural communities, and the other is to render the Home Country less dependent for its food on outside sources. Mr Walter Elliot, as Minister of Agriculture, was directly responsible for the initiation of the first part of the programme. He recently gave up that portfolio to take the position in the Cabinet of Secretary for Scotland. His successor at tho Ministry of Agriculture is Mr W. S. Morrison, whose ideas so far as they have been at present expressed are in lino with those of his predecessor. In his first speech after taking up his new portfolio, Mr Morrison said it was proposed to call a world meat conference at which producers would have an opportunity of examining the situation and taking steps among themselves to maintain prices at reasonable levels. In the discussion on the new Bill in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Major Colville (Financial Secretary for Overseas Trade) declared that the Government’s policy was tho only one by which overseas trade could be preserved, and simultaneously a proper measure of protection given to British producers. This Minister reiterated previously announced declarations of policy by the Government to the effect that dominion preference would be extended to the full amount possible, and' added, significantly, that it was intended that the dominions should share the responsibility for the orderly regulation of supplies to Britain.

One difficulty experienced in the past was the problem ef making satisfactory arrangements with Argentina, in which British interests are enormous. In addition, a great volume of trade passes between the two countries. That obstacle has been overcome, an agreement after protracted negotiations having been reached in London. The basis of the> arrangement is that the Argentine Government has agreed to a duty on chilled beef of three farthings a pound, and on frozen beef of twothirds of a penny. These and certain other meat products from the Empire are exempt from duty. Mutton, lamb, and pork are free. That would not be so satisfactory to New Zealand as to Australia, seeing mutton is our chief export' in the meat trade, but for the announcement that there is to he a progressive reduction in shipments of chilled beef and mutton from Argentina. When Mr Coates was in London the British Minister of Agriculture proposed that duties should be imposed on all meat imports, with preference to the dominions. That plan was ultimately abandoned, and » tentative arrangement made for the importing of New Zealand mutton and lamb to Britain in quantity equal to the Dominion’s peak year, of 1932. That result, which ways largely the outcome of Mr Coates’s energy and determination, was eminently satisfactory. It now remains for Mr Nash to make a long-term agreement. A bi-lateral arrangement is not likely to be the outcome, because the British Government’s policy hitherto has been against such arrangements, but viewing our position as it now stands, it seems likely that New Zealand’s quota of lamb and mutton will be one that should give the Dominion’s producers and others interested in the trade general satisfaction.