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Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 93, 14 January 1935, Page 9

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Quotas on Australian Meat Exports AGREEMENT DETAILED Mr. Lyons Considers Terms Reasonable Bv Telegraph.—Press Assn.—-Copyright. Devonport (Tasmania), January 11. The Prime Minister, Mr. J. A. Lyons, announced that Britain had accepted Australia’s proposals for tlie fixation of the quantities of veal, beef, mutton, and lamb that might be exported from Australia to England up to March 31. Mr. Lyons said that British imports from Australia for this period would be 187,000 cwt. of veal and beef, of which not more than 30,000ewt. of beef are to be chilled: 450,000 cwt. of mutton and lamb, and 167,000ewt. of pork, excluding baconers. “The#e figures.” said Mr. Lyons, "represent a total advance of 3000 cwt. in the average amount shipped from. Australia to the United Kingdom in the corresponding quarters of the three previous years, and to that extent they are in excess of Britain’s proposed regulations. In the circumstances, I think the arrangement may be regarded as reasonable. The quantities of beef, including chilled and veal, provided for are believed by the industry to be completely satisfactory. It is not anticipated that they will lead to any curtailment of either killing or shipment. “At my suggestion, the British Government lias agreed to postpone until after my arrival in Britain the framing of a long-term policy which will run from March 3.1 to the end of the term of the Ottawa Agreement in 1937.” FAILURE OF OTTAWA Co-operation of Empire Imperilled London, January JI. The “Economist” says: “The restriction of Australian meat supplies can only be justified as a subsidy to the British producer at tiie expense of yet another inroad on the British consumer’s standard of living. In a rationally conducted world Australian meat expansion would lie the natural means of raising the standard of living of British consumers. Clearly Australia cannot accept restriction as a permanent policy. “If Britain refuses to take her increasing exports. Australia will be forced to look elsewhere for markets, as indeed she is already doing, but this is bound to diminish the Australian market available for British exporters and curtail the whole movement toward Imperial economic co-operation that was supposed to have been initiated at Ottawa. We trust the Government will at least have these considerations in mind when framing a long-term beef policy.” POLICY ABANDONED? Newspaper’s Inference (Received January 13. 6.30 p.m.) London, January 12. The “Morning Bost." drawing attention to cabled statements of Mr. Lyons, thinks it possible that the British Government has abandoned its policy of the drastic reduction of meat imports, and that the subsidy plan may become permanent.