WILL U.S.A. ADMIT ARGENTINE BEEF?

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 198, 4 August 1928, Page 12

WILL U.S.A. ADMIT ARGENTINE BEEF?

A DECISION INTERESTING NEW ZEALAND.

The position to-day in regard to beef in the United States is most interesting to countries free of foot andmouth disease, such as New Zealand, which have surplus meats available for export. The embargo against Argentine meat has had a most marked effect in increasing our export of beef to U.S.A, and we are naturally anxious that such an advantageous position should continue to exist The question in America, however, is a matter of producers versus consumers and in that land of political pull it is largely a question of who has the most influence with those in power. The American Hereford Journal puts the facts plainly enough: “Tlie principal menace to the beef-cattle industry of the United States is that of So .'h American chilled beef. The present tariff on imported beef provides little protection to the homo industry for the reason that beef can be produced so cheaply in South America that it can be sold with a profit in America, plus the tariff and the freight, nt a price below the cost of production in the United States. At the present time South American beef is being kept out of competition with home-grown beef by a ruling of the United States Department of Agncul ture, which prohibits the importation of meats from countries where such disease as foot-and-mouth exists. As foot-and-mouth disease exists in the cattlcgrowing countries of South America. and there is little prospect of its speedily being eradicated, this protection may hold for some time to come. Foot-and-mouth disease is not handled in South American countries with the vigour it is handled in the United States. In the southern continent it is regarded as a necessary evil and tolerated as such. No effort has been made to stamp it out. It is within the province of the USA. Department of Argiculturo to put up the bars against the importation of meats from any country when, in its judgiment, such importation endangers the live stock industry of the country. But the question as to when such importation does menace the live stock industry is largely a matter of opinion. If the Secretary of Agriculturecan bar moats from South American countries when, in his opinion, the admission of such meats is liable to introduce disease into the flocks and herds of this country, ho can admit such meats when, in his opinion, their admission is not a menace. In other words, the protection which tho beef industry of this country now •injoys against South American countries depends upon the opinion of one man. A change in administratii'U might conceivably place in the office of Secretary of Agriculture a man who could not see any menaco to Amo rican live stock interests from tho importation of chilled beef from tho Argentine. South American countries want the United States market opened to thejr beef, of which they have an abundance for export. They know that United States manufacturers want the South American market for their produce. Therefore these South American countries have taken the at titudo that unless their beef is admitted to this country our goods shall be barred from theirs. They have said so publicly in so many words. They have threatened to place an embargo on American goods unless tho barrier against their beef is removed. There is no doubt that their commercial interests have become con corned to tho extent that they have brought strong pressure to bear to have the interdiction against South American beef removed. There is ro doubt that this pressure will ho continued nnd that when Congress next assembles there will bo clamour for the removal of tho barrier.”