48 THE ^yORLD'S MEAT FUTURE 



might be available for this purpose, no commercial treaties would 

 appear to be violated, while the production would be fostered 

 in the Dominions. The remainder of the meat produced there 

 would come forward, as hitherto, for sale in the open market on 

 shippers' account. 



"If the Government were in this way to guarantee these army 

 orders at fair prices fixed up year by year for five or seven 

 years (or so long as the grain guarantees continue) fresh supplies 

 of meat to compensate for the prospective Home shortage would 

 doubtless be assured by the end of that period. 



"The Empire-groAMi meat taken over by the Government 

 w^ould be limited to the army's requirements, so that in normal 

 times the total army supply would be produced within the 

 Empire, and the lines laid down for a speedy expansion of these 

 supplies in any sudden emergency. 



"The proposal might involve the making of special contract 

 arrangements between the British Government and the Govern- 

 ments of the overseas Dominions, each colonial Government 

 taking steps to distribute its orders amongst the various estab- 

 lishments within its territory, and to regulate and encourage the 

 production of meat suitable for these contracts. The preser- 

 vation of freedom of action in respect of all meat not included in 

 such army contract would be an essential part of the scheme, 

 if it is to appeal to British independence of character." 

 Complementary measures include : — 



(a) Systematised improvement in the quality of stock in 



accordance with the needs of the British and other 



European markets; 

 (6) Combination between producers and shippers, 



enabling long contracts to be entered into ; 



(c) Standardised grading: 



(d) Regularity of sailings; 



(e) Concentration in selling; 



(/) Pooling of shipping, financing, and insuring 

 facilities. 



The memorandum concludes that the presence of the 

 American Trust in Australia and New Zealand is a source of 

 weakness in any effort to establish the trade on Empire lines by 

 private enterprise. 



"The problems raised thereby can only be dealt with by each 

 overseas State separately, but no satisfactory start can be made 

 in that direction until the principle is definitely adopted by 

 Great Britain, that foreign trading in the food of her people 

 must be eliminated in favour of British trading." 



