MEAT SUBSIDY

Southland Times, Issue 22378, 18 July 1934, Page 7

MEAT SUBSIDY

BRITISH PAYMENTS NEED FOR MAINTAINING INDUSTRY DEMAND DECLINES. (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) (Rec. 5.5 p.m.) London, July 16. In the House of Commons, Mr Walter Elliot, Minister of Agriculture, introduced the financial resolution affecting the cattle industry. He said that unless steps were taken to maintain the live stock industry a considerable section of the country would go out of cultivation. The dominions, as a result of Ottawa, gained an expanding share of the beef market which was 66 per cent, compared with 63 per cent, before Ottawa. Home producers supplied 584,000 tons in 1930 gampared with 536,000 tons in 1932. 'rhe demand for beef in Britain had declined from 691 b per capita in 1927 to 60.71 b in 1932. During the interregnum the Government proposed to regulate imports either by arrangement or by order to put a bottom to the market. Mr Elliot said he might be asked, if the price level still fell was it proposed to further limit dominion and foreign imports. Some measure of regulation would have to be undertaken. No one denied Britain’s power to alter the supply position to almost any extent she wished, but she was unwilling to contemplate it if an alternative could be found. There were already indications that certain countries might be willing to accept an alternative. The resolution was adopted by 215 votes to 42.

Mr Elliot announced in the House of Commons last week that an emergency measure would be introduced forthwith providing for payment, at a rate not exceeding 5/- a live hundredweight and 9/4 a hundredweight dead weight, to producers of certain classes of cattle sold for slaughter in the United Kingdom between a date not earlier than April 1, 1934, and March 31, 1935. Payments would be made from the “cattle fund.” and authority would be sought without delay for making temporary advances to that fund from the Consolidated Fund of an amount not exceeding £3,000,000.