The Royal Commission on the importation of - Canadian store. cattle
reported last week in favour of reversing the well-tried policy of a quarter of a century and admitting the cattle. The five commissioners, headed by Lord Finlay, were unbiased in so far as they had no knowledge of agriculture, though Sir Arthur Shipley is a biologist of repute. They admitted frankly that English and Irish farmers, and many Scottish farmers, were strongly opposed to any relaxation of the embargo on live cattle from oversee. They admitted also that the townsfolk who hoped to get their meat cheaper if the embargo were raised would probably be disappointed. Canada would increase our meat supply by 8 per cent. at most, and " ultiraateLy " prices " would settle down on a level somewhat but not greatly lower " than at present. If the Irish and Highland store-cattle were driven out of the market by Canadian competition, the meat supply would be no greater than it is now. The suggestion made at the Dudley by-election that beef would be sixpence a pound•elveaper-seemed to the commission to be wholly untrue.
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