ARGENTINE MEAT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19015, 10 November 1923, Page 9

ARGENTINE MEAT

THE CLASSIFICATION LAW. ITS OPERATION SUSPENDED. P-’e&s Association —By Telegraph—Copyright BEUNOS AYRES, November 8. Following a protest by the British and American packers, who threatened to cease the exportation of Argentinian beef to Europe because of the attempted class; fication and price fixing, the Government has suspended the operation of the law (or six months. The British and American exporters’ cessation of beef purchases left the native breeders with hundreds of thousands of heads of» unmarketable cattle, whereupon they deluged the Government with petitions asking for a suspension of the law.—A. and N.Z. Cable. A cablegram from Beunos Ayres, dated October 20, stated; “The British and American packers have informed the Government that they will cease purchasing Argentine beef, and the expectation is that all shipments to Europe will cease within a month. This action has been taken as a result of the passage of a law fixing the minimum price at 27 centavos for chilled beef cattle, 24 centavos for foreign beef, and 19 centavos for the Continental type- The packers do not object. to the price but to the classification, since they have been accustomed to purchase whole herds. The law would so seriously derange their methods of procedure that it would be more economical to cease operations. The Government has informed the packers that it regretted the law, but it would be enforced." Following upon this, a message from London announced that Smithfield was discussing the imminence of a considerable increase in the prices of chilled meat if the buyers failed to settle their differences with the Argentine Government.