OTTAWA AGREEMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 118, 18 April 1934, Page 7

OTTAWA AGREEMENTS

QUESTION OF EXTENSION. NO BRITISH NEGOTIATIONS. WHITE PAPER PUBLISHED. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Received April 18, 12.15 p.m. LONDON, April 17. Mr J. H. Thomas, Secretary for the Dominions, in answer to a question in the House of Commons, said that no negotiations had taken place with New Zealand aiming at the extension of the Ottawa agreement on meat, which expires on June 30, or on dairy produce, expiring on August 20, 1935. A White Paper was issued to-day publishing the cables exchanged with New Zealand regarding the quantita five regulation of dairy produce supplies. Dr E. L. Burgin, Parliamentary Secretary for the Board of Trade, told a questioner that, during the year ended March 31 last, 48 per cent, of Britain’s dairy produce imports were foreign. MEAT TRADERS. BINGLEY REPORT CONSIDERED. Received April 18, 10.15 a.m. LONDON, April 17. The Meat Traders’ Association’s Federation passed a resolution recognising the importance of many recommendations in the Bingley report, and is instructing its executive to consider the proposals in an endeavour to obtain representation on any boards ultimately established. It also urged the Government to prohibit the importation of all low grade meat, in the interests of consumers, the English meat producers, the prestige of foreign and colonial producers, and of British meat distributors. Further details of the report of the Reorganisation Commission for fat stock, appointed by Mr W. E. Elliot (Minister of Agriculture) under the chairmanship of Lord Bingley, stated a message received yesterday, include proposals to improve marketing intelligence, enabling the board to estimate at the beginning of each year the amount of home-grown meat available, on the basis of which the Government would allot the quotas. The Commission considers that as the Home supplies vary so little, the estimates will be possible without long-term forward contracts. It believes the regulation of imports w r ould eliminate seasonal fluctuations of the quantity and quality of meat, and ensure to the farmer a reasonable price. The Government is asked to consider imposing a monetary levy on all imported meat, which would be distributed among home producers.