EMPIRE'S OUTPUT OF MEAT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 74, 21 December 1918, Page 10

EMPIRE'S OUTPUT OF MEAT

i'■••;• A COMPREHENSIVE SCHEME. ■ i The following is taken,from an Australian exchange:—A London cablegram Mated November 20 stated that the Aus'tralasian section of the Incorporated IMeat Importers" Society has formulated ;a scheme for after-the-war trading, for ■submission to the authorities, the mam 'object being to encourage the Empires :ontput of meat. They suggest that Aus'tralasian imports be freed of Government control simultaneously with foreign-at ithes latest in September, 191!). Eefngeriated tonnages firstly should be allocated !to Imperial products, but, in order to. ensure ample supplies from other eources, ■a tonus of W. per lb. should be granted 1 to-the Empire's meatworks and Jd. for foreign British-owned works, on condition ithat 'the former allocates 75 per cent, of the-output and the latter 60 per cent, to a British association, embracing the entire' British import trade. ■ It is believed i that the United Kingdom I will thus be ! assured of nearly 800,000 tons of meat iannually.'at a cost of .£1,000,000 bonus. It is also suggested that to prevent 'foreigners from dumping cheap meat the Government should buy all such meat, re'selling.it through the association, Ihe Ucheme is "All-British," including production, shipping, finance, and distribui ■ The, conference of frozen and canned ; meat" exporters in Melbourne discussed [the matters set forth in the foregoing ! cablegram.- After discussion, in the course of which it was pointed out that pto'dncers' would be the beneficiarios under tiny- such scheme, owing to trade comi petition between the meatworksehminntmg any! special advantage to them, tne •'following resolution was adopted:— - "'That the attention of the Common-wealth-Government be drawn to Press I notices TegaTding a scheme »mulatea ;%?■.■ the Australasian Section of the ln•lcoWed Society.of M»t Importers (Londpn for submission to the British : Government, having for- its object the Encouragement of meat production m tho British Dominions and having regard to cablegrams individual members iof this conference have received bearing :on this question, the Commonwealth < Government be invited to obtain . by :S through the 'MM ■ M^tw (Mr. Hughes) moTe exact information iind advice as to. the ideas and nrospecte ,of the scheme m question. The tom!Moriwealth Government to be .informed ■that the meat exporters of Australia : : (although, not havmg yet had an op- ■ ■nnrtnnitv of conferring with tne pro:&V view favourably any scheme •which would have/for its object preferential treatment of British meat proiVluction i and the extension of producfto of meat in the British Dominions for within the Envpiio. ■. Among 'other matters dwonwea at r the Melbourne conference was that oi f the' extension of the frasen ment con- : tract with the British Government. I ["."derided that, in the opinion of the i: conference, the time had hardly armed : for a decision in the matter of extending , euch contracts.. ... - ni ifr, -•■.The question of arriving,at the parity iof prices of canned meats of various ; denominations withfrozen meat prices ' f.o.b. was difcns-<l. and a general agree 7 nient was arrived at.