BRITAIN'S MEAT SUPPLY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14283, 4 August 1908, Page 5

BRITAIN'S MEAT SUPPLY

—1 — COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY. Press Association—By Telegra.pt-Copyright. LONDON, August 2. Mr William Weddel has been appointed a member of the departmental committee which will inquire how far and' in' what manner the general supply, 1 distribution, and price of meat of the United- Kingdom are controlled or affected by a combination of firms or companies.' Meat has advanced in England by a little more than a penny a pound, partly owing to tho great-influx of vieitofs for the Exhibition, but in great measure owing to the short supplies from Canada and the United States. To get over the difficulty, it is asked that restrictions on store cattle importations from Canada should bo abolished, and that cattle to bo slaughtered on arrival should, if declared free of disease, be admitted. Writing on the situation a correspondent of tho Morning Post states:—"lt must not bo forgotten that for several years now beef has been one of the least remunerative branches of stockfarming. When tho beef market begins to rise all sorts of associations immediately suggest that the cause of high prices is the- inadequate supply of store oattle in . this :country. Wo are far from suggesting that our store cattle supply could not be improved, but to supplement it, from Canadian sources can never receive that kindly consideration, which doubtless prompts the suggestion. If beef has been a losing speculations for years, the farmer is only now able to reap a little of that profit which has found its way into the- coffers of the middleman. It is absuTd to suggest that our- slwrt store cattle supply is the cause the upwa-rd trend in beef, Tho market is hot controlled at home. It is virtually under the thumb of Chicago. Tho idea of' mooting a temporary rise in any market.by tho reversion of a policy which cost the country -millions ere it finally became law is too a.bsurd for serious consideration." Lord Robert Cecil, M.P. (Conservative), , is chairman of tho committee, which inolndos four members of the House of Commons, a representative of tho Board of Trade, a representative of the Board of Agriculture, also an expert in tho meat trade. =