HOP IMPORTS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 184, 29 April 1908, Page 7

HOP IMPORTS.

KENT GROWERS AND PROTECTION. UY TELEOBAPn—rSESi ASSOCIATION—COrYhIGHI. ' Londorij April 27. • General ; agitation continues in Kent,' and onormo'us public meetings are : being'hold to protest against the unrestricted' importation of foreign hops. A DUTY THE ONLY REMEDY. A Select Committee is inquiring into the state of the hop-growing industry, but the growors complain that it is "packed with , Freetraders. ' "The. Times 11 comments:— " It is to bo feared that nothing that the .Government can do will savo the grubbing of a number of plantations, but if there is the prospect of tangible help others financially stronger will, postpone the extreme step for'another year., Tho Chancellor of tho Exchequer rejects the plea that an effective' remedy for the ills of the hop industry could be found in the imposition of a protective, duty. If.no benefit can bo derived from this course it is difficult to see what else can be done for the hop grower shor} of recourse to the bounty system. It is a strange coincidence that, while the Government is being appoaled to to avert disaster to the hop industry in this, country, arrangements should bo nearing completion in tho Western States of America for'■sending' to .the English markets surplus supplies sufficient in quantity to rum the trado for home-grown produce.'' One of tho growers, Mr. J. M. Parry, recently declared that it was useless for English grower* to go on reducing their acreage. Tho only remedy was an .import duty upon foreign lions Brewers/ must see that if the present state of things continued tho.v ,would eventually 'bo absolutely, dependent upon the foreigner for hops and then tho.price would rise.- .