1002 



Embargo on Canadian Cattle. [Feb., 



important interests concerned. The interests of the com- 

 munity as a whole, and also the Imperial interests, had, of 

 course, to be taken into consideration, and it was conceivable 

 that, on balance, agricultural interests might in the last resort 

 have to give way to some higher consideration. That, however, 

 was a matter for the Cabinet and for Parliament. In any case, 

 the Imperial aspect of the question would no doubt be fully 

 discussed at the Imperial Conference this year. 



The main argument advanced by the deputation seemed to 

 have been that the removal of the embargo would result in a 

 substantial increase in the supplies of fresh-killed meat. It 

 had been suggested that as many as 200,000 stores a year might 

 come in, though it was open to doubt whether so many would 

 be available. Even if the whole of these beasts were used for 

 fattening, and if they resulted in a net increase in the store 

 cattle population of this country, they would represent but a 

 minute fraction (less than 5 per cent.) of the total meat con- 

 sumption of our population. In this connection, too little had 

 been made of the fact that the ports were already open for the 

 importation of Canadian or other cattle for immediate slaughter, 

 and there were, apart from economic considerations, no limits 

 or obstacles to the development of that trade, which would 

 ensure for this country the hides and the offal to which reference 

 had been made. With regard to the supply of home-grown 

 stores, there had been recently not only a considerable reduction 

 in the slaughtering of calves, but also a marked increase in the 

 number reared, and the situation gave promise of an early 

 return to normal, so far as the re-establishment and main- 

 tenance of our herds were concerned. 



Eeturning to the question of disease, it was unfortunately 

 true that England was at present afflicted with a number of 

 outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease, as to the origin of which 

 there was no positive information, though many theories had 

 been advanced. The Ministry had appointed a Committee, 

 composed of eminent scientists, to concentrate on an effort to 

 isolate and identify the virus, but such a baffling investigation 

 was not likely to be completed in a short space of time. In the 

 meantime, there was undoubtedly a real lack of confidence 

 amongst stock owners in this country as to the risk of the 

 infection of their herds, and if the embargo were removed the 

 result would be to discourage home-breeding which was far 

 more essential than importation, especially from the point of 

 view of the milk supply. It was admitted that the present 



