20 AORIOULTTTRE AND TARIFl'^ REFORJ*!. 



tions into this country the reduced prices which 

 have prevailed must haA^e been in part brought 

 about by such competition and such importa- 

 tions, although we are Avilling to admit that the 

 competition has been severest in the second 

 quality rather than in the first quality of British 

 meat. At the same time, the competition does 

 exist, and in a severe form; and foreign meat, 

 too, is sold in this country as British, and realises 

 the price of British of the best class ! There is 

 plenty of evidence in proof of this; indeed, we 

 think nobody with any pretence to experience in 

 connection with the matter will deny it. As to 

 the importations of meat referred to, we may 

 say that we imported no less than 876,787 cattle 

 and sheep, and 17,498,130 cwts. of dead meat in 

 11)03, as against 712,691 head of cattle and sheep, 

 and 16,971,022 cwts. of dead meat in 1902 ; whilst 

 the inquisitive Avill fiud these figures to exceed 

 enormously those for the corresponding classes 

 of imports in earlier years. 



In connection with foreign competition in 

 dairy produce, the Royal Commission suggested 

 that such competition was successful mainly 

 because the dairy industry abroad is better organ- 

 ised than in Great Britain. It is true that there 

 is better organisation abroad ; but that fact does 

 not, of itself, account for the British farmer not 

 being successful in his competition with the 

 foreigner. The facts are: — (1) The British 

 farmer cannot make cheese or butter to sell at 

 the prices which the foreign articles realise ; 



