MEAT FOR BRITAIN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23227, 22 December 1938, Page 7

MEAT FOR BRITAIN

IMPORT REGULATION

REQUEST TO DOMINIONS LAMB" AND MUTTON SUPPLIES * LONDON, Dec. 20 The Minister of Agriculture, Mr. W. S. Morrison, announced in the House of Commons to-day that the New Zealand and Australian Governments had been asked to regulate increased imports of mutton and lamb to Britain from January 15. An order would bo issued shortly whereby all imports of live sheep to Britain would be under licence. Tho Empire Meat Council's functions would be enlarged to enable supplies of mutton and lamb to be considered, and the application of the proposed system to Eire would be discussed with it. NEGOTIATION.IN PROGRESS COMMENT BY MINISTERS [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Wednesday Commenting on the cablegram! the Minister of Marketing, Mr. \\ alter Nash, said tho procedure referred to had been the subject of communications between the Governments of the United Kingdom and New 'Zealand for some time. "L hope the extension of the functions of the Beef Council to cover mutton and lamb will lead to better and more regular supplies to the United Kingdom," said Air. Nash. "No doubt the object of the British Government is to give greater security to British farmers," said the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, when invited to comment oil the London message. "Anything in the nature of irregular supplies does not help anyone, whether a British or a New Zealand farmer. It is a question of better organisation. Tho better organisation we have, the better it will be for all concerned." SHIPPING SERVICES COMPLAINTS IN FIJI "CINDERELLA OF PACIFIC" ACCOMMODATION LACKING [from our own* correspondent] SUVA, Dec. 9 A motion that the annual subsidy of £SOOO paid by tho Government of Fiji to tho Canadian Australasian Line be reduced by £1 was moved in the Fiji Legislative Council last week by the Hon. Alport Barker, who said he wished to draw the attention of the Government to the poor service which the colony was receiving in return for the subsidy paid. Stating that as far as shipping was concerned Fiji was now the Cinderella of the Pacific, the mover pointed out that before the war Fiji was well served with shipping. There was the Canadian-Australasian service and three Matson ships running from San Francisco. The A.U.S.N. Company ran a direct service between Fiji and Australia and all these services were passenger and cargo carriers. The Union Company also ran a direct passenger and cargo service between Fiji and Auckland, and they also had what was known as the horseshoe service, from Auckland to Tonga, Samoa, Suva and Sydney by one boat, with another boat running from Sydney to Suva, Samoa, Tonga and Auckland. The speaker referred to the fact that to-day Fiji had no direct service to Australia and the Vancouver service was run by two out-of-date vessels which had to be driven at top speed, and which could not maintain their schedules if they struck rough weather. The vessels were supposed to stay in Suva during six hours of daylight but were often unable to do so. He said that Fiji Avould be prepared to put up with that inconvenience if only accommodation was available for tho passengers offering. Residents of Fiji who wanted to go to Australia or New Zealand had to wait two or three months for a passage and then take what was left, sometimes having to take third class accommodation. - Referring to Fiji's tourist trade Mr. Barker said that people in Australia and New Zealand were discouraged from visiting Fiji at certain times of the year, as they could not obtain a guarantee that they would be granted return passages when they wanted them. Tlie~ motion was supported by European and Indian members, and after the debate His Excellency the Governor said it had been useful in pointing out an unsatisfactory position, but the Government could not accept the motion as it was bound by contract until next September. However, the Government would see that the matter was brought before the notice of the headquarters of the company. With His Excellency's permission the motion was then withdrawn. PRICES OF METALS A SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT LONDON, Dec. 20 Following are to-day's quotations on tho London metal market, compared with those of yesterday:— Dec. 20 Dec. 10 Per ton Per ton £ 9 d • £ 8 d Copper, stan., spot 43 11 4'/ a 43 !> 4V» Copper, stan., 3 mos; 43 18 1y a 43 14 4'/ 3 Copper, electrolytic 40 10 0 4!) 5 0 to to .50 0 0 50 O 0 Copper, elect., wire . liars .. 50 0 O 50 0 O Lead, soft, spot. . 15 0 0 15 0 7'4 Lead, soft, forward 15 3 1% 15 3 IV, Spelter, spot .. 13 13 lV a 13 1110 V; Spelter, forward . 13 15 7'/ 2 13 14 <lV a Tin, stan., spot. . 213 17 (> ,213 12 0 Tin, stan., 3 mos. 215 2 O 21 I 13 O BUTTER MARKET UNCHANGED NEW ZEALAND AT 1 I I /- PER CWT. LONDON, Dec. 20 Tho butter market is steady. Choicest salted New Zealand is still selling at Ills per cwt. and Australian at 108s. There is no New Zealand unsalted offering, but Australian unsalted is quoted at Ills per cwt. FLOUR, WHEAT AND OATS STOCKS AT NOVEMBER 30 [BY TELEGRAM!—PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Wednesday A census of stocks of flour, wheat and oats in the Dominion was taken by the Government statistician on November 30, 1938, when the following quantities were returned: —Flour, 14,627 tons; wheat, 2,192,240 bushels, including 2,025,013 bushels of milling wheat; oats in grain, 863,408 bushels. Returns were received covering all stocks owned or stored by millers, meichants and farmers in tho Dominion, with a few unimportant exceptions which would not appreciably aiitct tiie totals given.