AGRICULTURE IN BRITAIN

Taranaki Daily News, 13 July 1933, Page 5

AGRICULTURE IN BRITAIN

FEW MEN SETTLED ON LAND EXPERIMENTS OF AMERICA ASSISTANCE TO FARMERS ARGUMENT FOR QUOTA PLAN By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright Rec. 5.5 p.m. London, July 11. Mr. W. E. Elliot, Minister of Agriculture, presenting the Agricultural Department estimates, said only 1100 men had been settled on the land in Britain in the past six years. It would be black treachery, both to the settlers and to those already farming to place more men on the land when there was not a sure market for their produce. He wondered whether the House realised how tremendous and ruthless was the experiment on which the United States had launched last week. A tax of 30 cents a bushel, equal to about 10s a quarter, had been imposed on wheat on top of the existing tax of 42 cents a bushel. The loaf had already gone up in New York by 20 per cent., and a further 10 per cent, increase was expected. The value of Britain’s total wheat supplies was £42,900,000, of which the home supply represented £6,900,000. Under the Wheat Quota Act British growers had received £2,500,000. The scheme had worked with smoothness and certainty, and had now become pari of the agricultural machinery of the country. Mr. Elliot said the Department of Industry was examining plans for rationing the production of meat. Prices were still unsatisfactory and justified the arrangements made to reduce importations of chilled beef by 19,000 tons. Supplies of Australian and New Zealand frozen mutton and lamb were already subject to a 20 per cent, cut, which-would be increased to 25 per cent, next quarter. The dairy produce situation was causing grave concern. This year 18,000 tons more butter Was put on the market than last. The price of Dominion butter had fallen from 105 s to 755, showing the necessity of regulating overseas supplies as they desired to do with home production.