MEAT EXPORT CRISIS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1780, 19 June 1913, Page 5

MEAT EXPORT CRISIS.

IN THE ARGENTINE. ENGLISH COMPANIES REDUCE THEIR EXPORTS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Busnos Aires, June 17. The Government has consulted leading politicians, all of them cattle-breeders, who have advised non-intervention unless Americans, as sole controllers, endeavoured to establish arbitrary prices for stock. American buyers, it is maintained, aro ablo to pay .£l3 10s. to .£ll per head and sell at an averago of 3Jd. without loss, maiding a profit at 4d. Moreover, they buy stock yielding 7701b. weight, whereof 95 per cent, is exported, chilled against 80 per cent, beef bought by Anglo-Argentine companies, and make greater profits out of the sub-products. The managers of both the American establishments swore that there was no Swift-Armour Trust. When tho Anglo-Argentine companies learned that protection had been refused, they decided to reduce exports by 25 to 50 per cent, on former business. They deny ever establishing limit prices for stock. Six large Anglo-Argentine frozen meat companies recently presented a note to the Government declaring that if burdensome conditions continued, they would close their factories, because other companies were preparing a monopoly for the selling of meat in the English markets below cost. The note urged the Government to take steps in the matter. Last week, Mr. J. M'Kiimon Robertson' (Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade), in reply to a question in 'the House of Commons as to whether any action had been taken in regard to the operations of the American Beef Trust in South America, m order to safeguard the British meat supply, said that tho Government was aware of tie apprehension oaused to British firms encaged in the Argentine trade, and understood that the Argentine Gflyernmant.was considering the situation. Great Bntain, he said, would ,view with satisfaction any steps Argentina might take to maintain a<n unrestricted trade.