MEAT FREIGHTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 November 1921, Page 3

MEAT FREIGHTS.

A SUBSIDY SUGGESTED. NO MONEY AVAILABLE. f (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, Nov. 16. The cablegram containing the suggestion made by the Prime Minister of Australia that the Commonwealth Govi crnment, the Imperial Government, and the shipping companies, should combine to subsidise the meat industry, and that New Zealand might be induced to 1 join in the scheme, was mentioned in the House of Representatives yesterday by Mr. W. H. Field (Otaki), who asked the Prime -Minister if he had any knowledge of the proposal. Mr. Massey replied that he had read the cablegram. It had occurred to him that the proposal was on lines that he had advocated. Members were aware that he was a straight-out supporter of Imperial preference, and he had said something of the same kind when he was reporting to the House after the Imperial Conference of 191". He knew the difficulties, and had no doubt that Mr. Hughes knew them also. One difficulty was that the Parliament of the United Kingdom was not likely ever to agree to a tax on food, so that if there was to be anything in the nature of Imperial preference it would require to i be on the. lines suggested by Mr. I Hughes. If it were agreed that the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of New Zealand- should contribute one halfpenny per pound towards the freight on meat from the. Do- ! minion to Britain, the share to be ' found by New Zealand would be one- ‘ farthing* per pound. This farthing, cali culated on the amount of meat New Zealand was exporting, would amount to between £300,000 and £400,000 a year. It would mean that the people of j this country would be benefiting through the producers to the extent of at least £600,000 a year, and that they would have to contribute at least £300,000 a year. “I am sorry to say that I am not prepared to recommend the appropriation of £300,000 for the purpose, nor shall I be able to recommend anything of the kind until the financial condition of the country is back to normal.” added the Prime Minister. “I hope we shall be back to normal soon, and it will, not be my fault, or the fault of the Government, if that is not the case. I shall be pleased in the meantime to get jnto communication with, the Imperial Government and ask them if they would be willing to meet us and what they are < prepared to do.”