FAIR PROGRESS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20625, 28 May 1935, Page 1

FAIR PROGRESS.

Regulation of Market for Meat. SECURING GOOD PRICES. United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Received May 28, 11.30 a.m) LONDON, May 27. Up to the present the meat discussions have been of a confidential nature. There has been one discussion between the British Ministers and the representatives of the Dominion Governments, and various points were referred to expert committees, which have made fair progress. It was recognised by all parties at the outset that some regulation of the market was necessary if satisfactory prices were to be maintained, and that a Meat Council should be set up to investigate the market from time to time, as well as to recommend the quantities of the various classes of meat which should be shipped by the supply countries.. The Secretary of State for the Dominions, Mr . J. 11. Thomas, and the Minister of Agriculture, Mr W. E. Elliot, both expressed the opinion that the market would not at present carry further supplies of mutton and lamb, and there would have to be some curtailment of beef importations. • Nothing to Add. When asked by Mr Forbes whether the British Government had amended its proposals since the publication of the White Paper, Mr Thomas replied that they had nothing to add or to retract. However, there is a general feeling that the regulation of the market will be impossible unless the United Kingdom takes a share of the responsibility along with the countries of supply. This would mean the modification of the White Paper proj posals, which suggested that regulation j should be carried out by the supplyj ing countries alone. I The question of the levy has not I been , discussed. but the British | Government has intimated that the subsidy which is being paid out of the Consolidated Fund will shortly be withdrawn, and that some other source of revenue must be found if the subsidy is to be continued. Experts have been engaged in drawing up machinery for the future regulation of the market, and a draft of the constitution and the duties of the Meat Council has been drawn up. It is suggested that the council should be purely an advisory body, and that the final decision should rest with the governments themselves. On the recommendation of the British Government, the Australian and New Zealand officials have been meeting in an endeavour to formulate mutually satisfactory quantities of mutton and lamb exports for sending on to the United Kingdom market. New Zealand has suggested that the Ottawa year should be used as a basis. In that year New Zealand had 72.3 per cent of the shipments from both countries, and Australia 27.7 per cent. The Australians have replied that this basis is unfair to her, as she has wide possibilities of production, and she is agreeable to taking the 1934 basis, in which the percentages were 68.6 and 31.4. that Australia exported large quantities of low-grade mutton and lamb, which would not be tolerated under the New Zealand grading system. It has been pointed out that the fact that Australia is receiving over Id per lb less for her product than New Zealand is proof of this contention. The Australians admit that some thing could be done to improve the quality of their exports, but still maintain that Australia’s future production capacity should be taken into consideration. Past Performances. British officials have expressed the opinion that future production woula b - an unsound basis, and that past performances must be considered. There are hopes, however, that a mutu ally satisfactory basis mav be arrived at. After mutton and lamb have been disposed of the British Government in tends to open up the question of beef, and Mr Thomas has also hinted that dairy produce will be considered. The general idea is that long agreements should be arrived at, if at all possible. One of the difficulties in the way of the negotiations has been the pressure ot domestic business of the British Minister;, who have Parliament sitting and a number of momentous problems under urgent consideration. Thev are finding it difficult to sandwich in meetings with the Dominion representatives, j vvho are to get ahead with deliberalions. However, a great deal of spadework is being done by informal conferences and discussions among the parties affected.