§ Mr. CAUTLEYasked the Minister of Agriculture whether his attention has been drawn to the annual report of the united farmers of Alberta, Canada, showing that the cost of shipping chilled beef from Alberta to London is 2.9d. per lb. dead weight as against. 6.14d. per lb. if shipped as fat cattle, and even more if shipped as store cattle; whether he is aware that on the basis of these figures prominent Alberta stockmen have formed an organisation, involving a considerable amount of their own capital, to develop a chilled-meat business; and whether he will assist the British householder to escape from the American meat trust and obtain British Empire meat of high quality at a saving of 3d. per lb. by encouraging the Canadians to finish their cattle and develop an export trade in chilled beef?
Sir A. BOSCAWENI have seen a summary of the report in question, but1076W I have no further information on the subject. It is not possible for me to take any definite steps to encourage the export of chilled beef from Canada, but this trade is at the present lime free from any restrictions and its development is presumably only dependent on the possibility of selling at a profit.