IMPERIAL TRADE.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 August 1923, Page 2

IMPERIAL TRADE.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. LONDON, August 21. Lord Linlithgow's conimitteo’s repo on the moat tratio of Britain, which was tabled yesterday in Parliament, says: “Wo also note that one importing organisation, with a capita] of nearly £9,000,000 recently announced that it has control of about 2100 retail shops, depots and market stalls throughout the country. These developments seem to us to make it- advisanle that the ramifications of the large importing houses should Ik* kept under constant observation. Tno interests the home producer and consumer demand that the control of the distribution of home-killed meat should not pass into the hands of the importers. In tlw* interests of both the producers ami the consumers', it is desirable that information as to tile stocks of meat in cold storage should be available at anytime to the general public. We recommend that legislation should he introduced, making it compulsory that the cold storage proprietors should furnish periodical statistics showing the total quantities of meat of various kinds on hand. These statistics should regulnt* lv he published by the Government department concerned. The suggestion has been made to us that, in order to stabilise prices over a long period, and to prevent exaggerated fluctuations. an Impetial Meat Corporation should he established, in co-operation with the Dominion Governments, to control the importation and marketing o! frozen meat supplies from Imperial sources. Such a co-operation would guarantee a ] rice for a number of years to the overseas producers. If would control the cold storage front this country, and the refrigerating works in the Dominions would buy from nnii-Empiio countries at world prices from time to time, only such supplies as were needed to make up deficiencies in the British requirements.”

The home producer, it is claimed would benefit by a steady market, and the homo consumer would benefit by the elimination of price fluctuations, which, in the long run, are always detrimental to bis interests.

“These and similar developments, says the report, “raise questions of policy which, it would he beyond our function to discuss in detail. There are, however, certain factors in the present situation which must have all increasing effect upon tin* moat industry, and which it may bo helpful "to bring together in tin* present report for consideration. The policy now adopted ill union by the British and the Dominion parliaments, and supported largely by State funds, aims at greatly increased British settlement overseas, and therefore a greatly-increased output of foodstuffs to In* marketed in the United Kingdom. At, the same time, it is regarded as essential to maintain, and even to expand, the proportion of British food needs which can bo met from the British homelands, always subject to the necessity of cheap and ample supplies lor the people in these? islands This dual policy is, in part, the outcome of a ileniniul which arose durng and after the war. for more reliability in the supplies of the necessaries of life. If means could he found to coordinate production wiuhin the Empire as a whole, and to encourage it in a spirit to give and take, as affecting foodstuffs generally, it might ho possible to regularise the. supplies and stabilise the prices, both here and overseas with benefit to all. The questi: 11 arises whether the aims which a,re now being left to drift into divergence, and perhaps into economic antagonism, could be harmonised in * way that would make the interests of (this mounti'v and ''of the Dominions complimentary to one another. The British people here and overseas should be able to discuss such matters with friendly frankness, and with greater properts of results than would he possible between nations mat- have no immediate family relationship and no similar means of intercourse. Difficulties are obvious, and they could ho

salved only after patient and careful discussion between all concerned, b tin' issue is of the highest national and Imperial importance, and is on mat is being forced, hy events, upo public attention.” OTHER VIEWS. The “Alorning Post” editorially criticise- the Chamber of Shipping’s prrposnl and says that it is too late to institute free trade within the Em pire (though it would be desirable). The decision of the Dominions to buildup by protection their own manufacturing industries renders it too late to

talk of free trade. The “Post” denies emigration will iodiH«o England consuming power. If the million now idle there settled in the Dominions they would produce food and raw materials to exchange for British maim tines. Sir James Allen, on the same sulijeet. said the Dominions will not agree to tile shipowners’ propositi that emigrants shall only engage in industries in the Dominions complimentary and not competitive with British manufactures. It- would mean preventing Do

minion industries from developing, and reliance only on British goods. In creased emigration would iticroa.se the demand for British and Dominion inanr-t-etures. LONDON, August '22. The Linlithgow Committee’s report dealing with meat, says that there was evidence that tho butchers and the deale: s have frequently formed t ings the auction sales. This stifles competition, and it is detrimental to the producer and to trade generally. The. dealers and auctioneers should endeavour t > stop the price. Hie evidence showed that imported I resit, chilled and frozen moat was being sold as. homeproduced meat, which was an obvious liaud on the public. It was desirabl that mean-- be devised to mark efieetivclv either the imposters or the liotue-giow ii meat, or both. The consumer had a rigtii- to know what, he was buying. Tho greater part of the retailers' profit comes from imported: meat, which was facilitated by the fact that, the joints arc smaller and tire better suited to the consumers needs.