CANADIAN CATTLE EMBARGO

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17127, 23 April 1921, Page 12

CANADIAN CATTLE EMBARGO

CONFLICT WITH ENGLAND. (from our own correspondent.) VANCOUVER, March 23. The British embar©£ on Canadian cattle is* developing into a controversy of tho first magnitude, and has been engaging the attention of both the Federal Parliament at Ottawa and the British Houses of. Parliament, irrespective of warm comments by stock-raisers throughout Canada, the latter strenuously contending that the humble bovine of the Dominion possesses a clean bill of health. Other Canadians, mainly- politicians of the radical class, are not loth to assert that politics are the dominating cause of the Motherland imposing the cattle, embargo on Canada's exportation. The subject percolated into British politics to the extent that when Captain Arthur Grif-fith-Boscawen, a newly-elevated Parliamentarian to. Cabinet rank, was compelled to seek re-election for the Dudley Division, the hon. gentleman found himself embroiled in the controversy, and was ultimately, defeated at the byelection by a small majority. Then Hon. Manning Doherty, Minister for Agriculture for the Ontario Government, made certain remarks in the course of an interview, during his visit to England, and condemned the-' embargo, bringing down upon himself vials of wrath both at home and in London.

Cabled comments by a London journal showed that protests had been made through the intervention of Canadian Ministers in a British dispute over the domestic matter of the cattle embargo.* The protest was plainly directed against Mr Doherty for addressing public meetings in Great Britain on the subject.It was the defeat of the Minister of Agriculture, Captain Boscawen, ihat gave pith to some of these Motherland protests on the part of partisan journals.

The London "Morning Post" admitted that this question of cattle imports was an issue of economic policy. Heretofore it had been presented as a departmental regulation to protect the health of cattle. It is argued in. Canada jthat if that were the genuine ground for the, system, it would be quite in order for Mr Doherty or anyone else in high authority in Canada to appear in Great Britain with evidence of the good health of Canadian stock. This is not ! regarded as interference with British trade policy, but a vindication of Canadian health regulations. One Canadian newspaper says if the British authorities publicly admit that the cattle embargo is a» policy of protection of British cattle-breeders fjom foreign cpm•petition, it could be*argued that Cana-, dian Ministers' should not interefere in the discussion of the question before the | electors. The case would then be .the same as that of British Ministers coming to Canada to debate the national policy before the Canadian electors. "But while the embargo," adds a Western journal, "stands as a reflection on the health of Canadian cattle, it seems to be quite in order for Canada to Bhow her cattle are all right.' v

To a rational conference hold in London on the subject, Sir George Perley; Canadian High Commissioner, wrote that Canada Jtad always been free from' pJenro-pnoumonia; saying:—"Indeed, wc- had less trouble over this than did Gieat Britain." Baillie Walker, of Glasgow, moved a resolution in favour of the removal of. restrictions, and declared that the landed and some agricultural ' interests were behind the embargo. Lord Crowe denied that neither free trade nor protection was behind the. cuestion, but someone interrupted to say it was both. Hon. Manning Doherty said Canada had as fine a veterinary department'as any country in the world. No country had better health records for its herds. Dr. Clark, in the House, said :'he position of the British people was :ro't directly • understood. Many people in Cnnadii-.tihought Britain was excludiiig only Canadian cattle, whereas she excluded live cattle from all parts of the world. British statesmen had said that thero was no disease among Canadian, cattle, bnt that the Old Country .had to play doubly safe in keeping out oven Canadian cattle,' because there was iho , danger of the United States cattle getting in through this channel. Mr Fielding thought further nagging undignified. The British Government, knew the.state of Canadian sentiment on the matter; there no longer doubt in the minds of unprejudiced persons about the health of 'Canadian stock. The British Government was WTong, but it had the right to bo wrong if it so desired, and he would favour -dropping the matter. Then came the view from the Ministerial benches, la's expressed by Dr. Tolmie, who believed that, from '. an economic standpoint, the matter not of great importance, perhaps, but they rattier resented the shifty wny in which it had been dealt with iby successive British Administrations, and still; held the British Department of .Agriculture v to the letter of its promise that tlhe embargo would b«. removed. Dr. Tolmie gave Canada a clean bi'l of health as far as cattle diseases were concerned, and reaffirmed his be-'ief tHat. Canada was in better shape in> that respect than any other country in the world.