SUBSIDY ON MEAT PRODUCTS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20098, 3 May 1935, Page 9

SUBSIDY ON MEAT PRODUCTS

STRONG OPPOSITION IN BRITAIN POLICY MODIFICATION ESSENTIAL United Press Association—B.v Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received May 2, 10.20 p.m.) LONDON, May 2. In a long review of the meat question, “The Times” observes that an extension of the subsidy would not be well received by the taxpayers and concludes that some combination between the levy system and restrictions is inevitable. The levy system should be confined to beef exports. It is generally supposed that very substantial preference would be offered Dominion supplies, the only other requirement would be that the total proceeds should not amount to so much less than the present subsidy of £6,000,000 a year that the British taxpayer have still to find. This large sum thus means a levy based on a definite allocation to meat-producing countries; an allocation, which should not exclude the supply of chilled beef, could only take the form of imports equal in volume to the yast year’s, with provision for a small percentage of an increase over a subsequent period of years. If the reduction of foreign supplies were rather greater than the increase in the Dominion supplies, there would be the required margin for expansion of British production. The danger of exporters exceeding this allocation would be met by charging all excess imports with a levy so much higher than the normal rate as to be prohibitive. This is the broad outline of a scheme, which must have occurred to the present negotiators. No doubt the filling in of definite figures offers plenty of ground for argument, but given goodwill there need be no failure to reach an agreement.