SUPPLIES OF MEAT AND BUTTER

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19249, 1 August 1932, Page 6

SUPPLIES OF MEAT AND BUTTER

DOMINIONS’ DEMANDS TO BRITAIN SMALL CONCESSION MAY BE CONCEDED United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright OTTAWA, July 29. Tentative but authoritative British views regarding the outcome of the meat proposals have been secured. While the exigencies of bargaining may impel Britain to accede to a small duty on meat, there are special considerations, apart from extensive financial interests in Argentina, which make the British delegation reluctant to remove meat from the free list. There is no certainty but a small duty would increase the price of meat to the British housewife.

It is noted that butter prices have actually fallen since the 10 per cunt, duty was imposed, and there has been no steady drop in the general market, but everyone hopes that the prices of primary products will shortly save the natural rise, in which case the public would contribute the arftount of the duty, however small, in the increased meat price.

Britain might decide, for the sake of the Dominions that it would be worth while to increase the duties on butter, cheese and eggs from the present 10 per cent, to 15 per cent. When it comes to the question of removing wheat and meat from the fiee list, it provokes discussion, because it affects the basic commodities slogan, which, above all others, would excite the British public against the Government. It would be “They're taxing bread and meat.”

While the British Government might be able to persuade the public that they gained sufficient concessions from the Dominions to justify such a duty, the British delegation realises that within, say, two years, there would* be bitter criticism, because the natural increase in prices in the interim would be blamed to removal of wheat and meat from the free list.

The delegation considers it problematical whether the Dominions would gain an appreciable advantage from a small duty on meat, even if, with marketing conditions continuing as at present, prices underwent a slight natural increase.

The view at present taken is that unless the Australians and South Africans could rapidly make enormous improvements in the quality of their stocks, they would be asking the British consumer to curtail the consumption of the high grade Argentine articles and eat a larger quantity of an inferior article. It is logical that the British housewife would warmly resent coercion to buy inferior beer at a higher price. Such a result—which the British Government would hesitate to bring about, knowing it would cause an imperilling swing of public opinion —in an industrial country like Britain might eventually turn public sentiment against Imperial preference as being bought too dearly. As far as the British farmer is concerned he has already suffered greatly through the fall of lamb and mutton prices, but the marked discrepancy always prevailing between English fresh and imported meat means that he would practically be unaffected by any small duty imposed on the foreign product.

The whole crux of the Dominions’ case, particularly the Australian, is that quantitative restriction would not actually and need not be permitted to raise the price of beef to the British consumer. Without the quota the Argentina is able to flood the British market at all seasons, even selling below cost, or at least undercutting frozen beef, which the Dominions consider should have some protection. They made meat the strongest plank of the Conference programme, realising that if present conditions are allowed to continue the great Australian primary industry will be in a hopeless state. BUTTER SUPPLIES. ANOTHER MISLEADING REPORT. United Press Association— By Electric Telegraph—Copyright OTTAWA, July 29. An inaccurate report has been published stilting that the Dominion butter proposals include a request that Britain should reduce the foreign butter imports from 206,000 tons yearly to 117.000. It is officially stated that the proposals, while seeking the introduction of the quota, particularly refrain from specifying any definite figures. The proposals also request an increase of preference from Id to 2d per lb.

A suggestion for a blunt request for certain specified quantitative restriction was vetoed by an overwhelming majority of the Dominion delegates.

It is considered more polite and a sounder method to endeavour to get the principle of the quota established and then discuss quota details with Britain later.

The Dominion delegations deplore the incorrect version, which will possibly prejudice negotiations. Butter Proposals. The butter proposals have reached the third stage. The first was the Dominion agreement regarding Conference proposals to the British delegations. The third discussion was on details between the British and Dominion officials, who will next deal with meat

and fruit. The fourth stage will be further discussion between British an Dominion delegations. The fifth will b Britain’s decisions. The sub-Committee on industrii standardisation discussed chiefly th steps the various Dominions had take to carry out the decisions of the 195 Conference.