Greymouth Evening Star. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1950. Meat And Politics

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 December 1950, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1950. Meat And Politics

THE recent cut in Britain’s meat ration and the continued deadlock between Britain and the Argentine over the price which should be paid for Argentina’s meat have been pushed into the background of the news by the international crisis, but it .is a matter of concern to New Zealand. NewZealanders, by their long-continued system of food parcels, showed their sympathy with the people of Great Britain in the war and post-war food difficulties and it is disturbing to hear that there has been a deterioration, rather than an improvement. Also, in some respects, the argument between Britain and the Argentine over meat prices parallels New Zealand s unsuccessful quest for an increase in the price which Britain pays for New Zealand butter, to compensate for higher costs and the rising price of British exports to the Dominion.

There have been semi-official statements from England to the effect that the Argentine is attempting to blackmail Britain into an unjustified increase in the price of her meat, but there have been unofficial hints from other sources, not inspired by the Argentine, to the effect that there is another side to the story. The Argentine bases its claim for the increase on the fact that devaluation of the pound sterling caused a substantial rise in the price of her imports from Britain, after she had been assured by the Chancellor of the Exchequer that devaluation was not contemplated. In contrast to New Zealand, there are no blood ties between the people of the Argentine and the people of Great Britain, and the trade between the countries must come down to cold business facts. On this basis, .it can easily be understood why the Argentinians feel that they are entitled to ask more for exports to pay more for imports from Britain. It must also be borne in mind that President Peron is faced with the same problem in Argentina as most other countries in the worldrapid rises in internal price levels. Already the rise is threatening to halt the Peronista social reform programme and increased revenue from meat is one avenue of aid for the President. Authentic reports from Buenos Aires indicate that the Argentine housewife is now paying about five times more than formerly for her meat. The reason is given as the cost and the effects of the social security programme, but' the reason is not important. The fact remains that the people of Argentina could hardly be expected to view with equanimity the spectacle of huge quantities of meat being shipped to Britain at- pre-devaluation prices while they are being asked to pay enhanced prices on the local market for beef from the same farms.

The objective of the British Government to keep down the price of necessary imports is laudable, but it must also be borne in mind that there is a large section of the public of Great Britaiii which blames Socialist dogma and the insistence on bulk purchasing for much of the meat difficulty. The butchers themselves consider that the position could be greatly eased if the trade was given its freedom from Government control, but the British Labour Government shows no sign of allowing the trade to attempt to solve its own difficulties. In some respects the British Government does not appear to realise that there has been an increase in wages and costs throughout the world. The Argentine labourer is demanding more money for his services, just as the worker in London, Liverpool, or Glasgow is seeking wage rises to combat higher living costs, and Britain cannot expect to charge more for her industrial exports and yet hold the primary produce of other countries down to previous levels. It is a problem for Britain, for the Argentine, for New Zealand and every other country supplying Britain’s foods' and it cannot be solved by making allegations of “blackmail” when the food producers ask for price increases.