3o8 LAND REFORM 



chambers of commerce, harbour authorities, butchers' 

 associations, etc, A strong deputation representing 

 these bodies waited on the President of the Board of 

 Agriculture (October, 1903), and in support of their 

 views used the old hack argument of the free im- 

 porter. Imports of store cattle should be unrestricted 

 because " they were raw material " ; they would *' make 

 food cheaper," and be in the "interests of the con- 

 sumer," etc. The present law was generally denounced 

 as "protection." 



The safety of the herds of the British farmer, and 

 the welfare of agriculture, were of secondary, if of 

 any, consideration in the prospect of getting meat 

 a farthing per pound cheaper, and extra traffic for 

 railways and steamships. 



The President of the Board, Lord Onslow, acting 

 in the true interests of the country, declined, in no 

 uncertain terms, to interfere with the Acts. But there 

 is no guarantee that, with future governments, the 

 commercial and urban influence will not, as usual, 

 override the interests of agriculture. The spurious 

 cry of " cheap food " will be used — as the equally 

 spurious cry of the "cheap loaf" is being used now — 

 as a political means to secure the end in view. Should 

 the Acts be repealed the results will be that some time 

 or another disease will be imported, and once imported 

 will spread throughout the country ; that the vast 

 amount of public money that has been spent in success- 

 fully stamping out cattle disease will be thrown away, 

 and that the long and difficult work will have to be 

 done over again. But besides the question, so im- 

 portant to the community, of having healthy cattle, it 

 is difficult to see, should the Acts be repealed, how the 

 smaller and middle-class farmer will be able to breed 



