MEAT NEGOTIATIONS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 176, 25 June 1935, Page 7

MEAT NEGOTIATIONS

MEETINGS RESUMED. STGNS OF PROGRESS. QUESTION OF EMPIRE COUNCIL. (United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Received June 25, 9.50 a.m. LONDON, Juno 24. The Anglo-Australian meat meetings were held to-day. Good progress was reported. A meeting of the complete Imperial assembly was held in the afternoon. In the meantime, Mr W. Runciman again consulted the Argentine representatives. The Dominions are still awaiting Mr Runciman’s report, without which it is impossible for Britain to submit practical propositions. It seems certain that the Argentine is continuing strong opposition to the Id a pound margin between the levies on Dominion and foreign supplies. Britain to-day offered concessions regarding the Meat Council to be formed in London to control the supply situation. Australia and New Zealand both pressed that it must be purely an Empire council, feeling that if it included foreign meat interests the Dominion representatives would lie swamped. Britain now seems inclined to concede this point. CONTROLLED MARKET. AN INDICATION GIVEN. LONDON, June 24. The Daily Telegraph, in a leader, says that the reference by the Minister of Agriculture (Mr W. E. Elliot) to low tariffs indicates that the meat agreement will embody regulation of the market instead of a high tariff. This will give New Zealand and Australia an assured market, which will expand with returning prosperity. Thus the result will be almost as valuable to them as unfettered entry. The Times, in a leader, says that the delegates to the meat conference have realised that an unregulated market would be contrary to the interests of all .concerned. Therefore, if a tariff is adopted, power to regulate supplies must be reserved. The parties are nearest agreement regarding mutton and lamb. In reganl to this, regulation, which has hitherto worked well, is likely to be the basis of the longterm policy.

ARGENTINE INDUSTRY. FEARS OF DELEGATES. A London message, dated June 12, It is stated that when the new British meat proposals were submitted to the Argentine delegation, one member of it remarked that the plan would be a catastrophe for Argentina’s meat industry. The proposals were cabled to Buenos Aires. It is believed that the Argentine will accept them on the understanding that, after the termination of the Anglo-Argentine meat agreement in November, 1935, Britain will agree to increase her imports of live cattle, wheat and horses from Argentina. Under the contemplated meat plan exporting countries would voluntarily regulate their exports by mutual arrangement.