G'26 



Royal Commission. 



[Oct., 



ROYAL COMMISSION ON 

 IMPORTATION OF STORE CATTLE. 



The Eoyal Commission on the Importation of Store Cattle, 

 appointed on 11th May, 1921, issued its report in the middle of 

 September. The Commission was appointed to inquire into the 

 admission into the United Kingdom of live stock for purposes 

 other than immediate slaughter at the ports; whether such 

 admission would increase and cheapen the meat supply of the 

 country, and, if so, to what extent ; and whether such admission 

 is advisable, having regard to the necessity of protecting live 

 stock bred in the country from the introduction of disease and 

 of restoring their numbers after the losses to which they have 

 been subjected during or since the War. 



The Commissioners for the purpose of the inquiry were : — 

 Viscount Finlay, Lord Askwith, Sir A. F. Firth, Bart., Sir A. E. 

 Shipley and Sir W. H. Peat, with Mr. A. \\. Cockburn a& 

 Secretary. 



The conclusions at which the Commissioners have arri\-ed are 

 as follows : — 



(1) We are of opinion that the admission into the United 

 Kingdom of Canadian cattle for purposes other than immediate 

 slaughter at the ports, would tend to increase the meat supply 

 of the country to some extent, but it must not be assumed 

 that the increase in the meat supply would necessarily be 

 equivalent to the whole number of cattle so admitted, as it is 

 possible that some of them might merely replace stores raised 

 in Great Britain or Ireland. 



(2) We think that such admission would tend to cheapen, 

 in some measure, the meat supply of the country, but there 

 are no data on which the extent can be accurately gauged. 

 We think, in the long run, the tendency would be to bring 

 prices to a level somewhat, but not greatly, lower than that 

 which would prevail if the embargo were maintained. 



(3) We think that the importation of Canadian stores would 

 tend to satisfy in some measure the increasing demand for 

 fresh home-fed meat. 



(1) We are of opinion that such admission is -advisable, as 

 providing another source for supply of stores for the purpose 

 of scientific agiiculture, with a consequent increase of the 

 food supply. 



(5) We are of opinion that there is no substantial ground for 

 the apprehension that such admission would introduce disease 

 among the cattle in this country. 



