EXPORTS LIMIT

Taranaki Daily News, 9 November 1932, Page 7

EXPORTS LIMIT

MEAT SUPPLY FOR BRITAIN

ARGENTINA’S UNDERTAKING

IMMEDIATE RESTRICTIONS

DOMINION ACTION LIKELY

DELICACY OP. NEGOTIATION

By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Rsc. 7 p.m. London, Nov.. 7. An announcement that the Argentine exporters had agreed immediately to restrict exports to Britain of mutton and lamb by 20 per cent, and of chilled beef by 10 per cent, was made in the House of Commons to-day by the Minister of Agriculture ('Mr. W. E. Elliot). Mr. Elliot said the fundamental question of meat and live stock could not be tackled until it had been reviewed by the Empire as a whole. The expansion of the Dominions’ .supplies was very considerable. The Government recognised now the emergency of the position and bent its mind strenuously to solve the difficulty with which the country was faced.

Following upon a meeting with the President of the Board of Trade (Mr. Walter Runciman) and himself, importers from the River Plate were prepared to put into effect at once a reduction of 20 per cent, in their supplies of mutton and lamb in addition to an immediate reduction in chilled beef of 10 per cent. The importers hoped later to increase the reduction in beef to 20 per cent.

Negotiations were in progress with Scandinavian countries to secure an immediate reduction in bacon and ham imports to Britain by 20 per cent. Consultations also had taken place with representatives of Australia and New Zealand, who intimated they were prepared to co-operate in bringing about a reduction of Dominion supplies. The Government had reason to believe a reduction of 10 per cent, in Australian and New Zealand supplies of mutton and lamb in the coming months would be available.

CLASH WITH OTTAWA IDEALS.

Mr. Elliot explained that to go to the Dominions and say, “We are putting a tariff upon you,” seemed to conflict with all the principles they were seeking to establish at Ottawa. The present problem involved a restriction of supplies from all sources, South American, Australian, New Zealand and Scandinavian, all being sources with which Britain desired to negotiate trade agreements. In all cases it was urgently necessary that Britain should _ carry these great customers along .with it. The Government was most anxious that no step should be taken in a harsh or careless spirit. Dealing with the present emergency, Mr. Elliot said the Government had taken the view that arrangements affecting a trade like meat could be better carried through voluntarily by business men conversant with the trade than by Government departments equipped with arbitrary powers. With regard to chilled beef, Mr. Elliot said River Plate importers to-day explained the physical impossibility of reducing supplies during November and December by 20 per cent, as four weeks’ supplies were already afloat and cattle for the fifth week had been killed.

On the question of curtailing marketings frOm British cold stores, the representative's of the Dominion Governments expressed willingness to co-operate. in finding practicable methods of securing the objects in view. The position in regard to the Dominions required the utmost care in handling, and in. that they had the assistance of the Dominions Secretary ('Mr. J. H. Thomas) and Mr. Runciman, who had conferred with representatives of the Australian and New Zealand Governments on the present deplorable situation, with the result that the British Government had reason to believe there would be an immediate reduction of 10 per cent, in exports on the basis of those in the corresponding period of 1931. British meat authorities are convinced that reduced foreign and Dominion shiptaents combined with a higher tax on Irish live cattle would soon produce 'higher prices at (Smithfield.

HEALTHY EFFECT ON MARKET ADVANCE IN PRICE OF LAMB “RESTRICTION NOT GREAT” By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night. "Already the information has had a healthy effect on the British meat market, and to-day the price of lamb in England advanced by tiiree-eighths of a penny a pound,” said Mr. David Jones, chairman of the Meat Board, when commenting on the cablegram to-night. Mr. Jones said that news of the advance in prices and details of the restrictions to be imposed in November and December were received by the Meat Board by a cablegram from its London office to-day. Exports of meat from Australia and New Zealand to Britain during November and December were to be restricted to 10 per cent, less than the quantity exported for the same period of 1931. That, however, would actually have little restrictive effect, said Mr. Jones, because in recent months meat had been shipped rapidly from New Zealand and indications were that in any circumstances meat exports from New Zealand in the next two months would not exceed last year’s figures.