CONFLICTING REPORTS

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 143, 19 June 1934, Page 6

CONFLICTING REPORTS

The cabled reports published today of the British Government's intentions regarding meat exports are not :m ■! \ agreement. The "Daily Herald' says that Mr. Walter Elliot is abandoning all idea pf restricting imports and is proposing to ask Parliament for a £5,000,000 subsidy for beef-producing farmers. The Daily Telegraph" refers to Empire consultations and an impartial survey of the Empire's potentialities, though it is not suggested that this should apply^to meat alone, 7 The report of a.beef subsidy should Be accepted wuh caution. There is certainly a precedent in the milk subsidy; but at _was decided upon only when the Dominions supplying dairy produce had refused to accept voluntary regulation, and had insisted that their righteunder the Ottawa Agreement should be maintained. Until the agreement expired Britain had to hnd some other method of aiding the home producer. But it is riot to be supposed that she will extend indefinitely the subsidy method to include meat which is already subject to a definite quota so far as concerns ioreign supplies and a gentlemen's agreement for Dominion exports. That agreement expires within a fortnight, and Britain will then be free to propose whatever new arrangements she thinks best. It would "be strange if Mr. Elliot had already abandoned hope of an agreed settlement with the Dominions and was fallingback on the subsidy.