Evening star., 1932-01-27
BRITAIN IS PLANNING FARM AID
IN FIVE-YEAR RELIEF PROGRAM
First Duties on Food Imports VIII Be
Imposed This Month-Quota Wheat
System to Be Legaized.

A Give year plan" for British agri-
culture is being slOWly-and supposedly
ntifically-dCVelODed by government
experts in conjunction with farmers
associations says the Wall Street Jour
nal in dispatch from its London cor
respondent In conformity with its pur-
pose Of encouraging the home grower
and discouraging the foreign exporter,
Britain has imposed its first import
duties on food-stuffs.
The decree, promulgated December "a
and operative as from January 5, places
a graduated tariff on fresh fruits fresh
vegetables, and certain classes Of cut
flowers and Of Towering plants. In
specific instances such as cherries, cur
rants and goOseberrleS, plumS and
strawberries, duties are applicable only
during the early or preseason periods
and are designed TO protect the home
market against the tons of Continental
fruit which reach England flve weeks
or a month in advance Of the slower
British ripening and which are quickly
absorbed by British Lawmakers who
compete for early season fruit.
This tariff on fruits and vegetables
called market garden luXuries deals
q heavy blow to the farmers Of France,
Belgium. Holland and Italy, for whom
the British market has yielded ar av-
erage of 5000, 100000 a year. While
the duties in force are merely pro-
visional, and are enacted under emer-
gency tariff powers centered in the
president of the Board Of Trade and OF
the minister Of agriculture, they are
likely to lead to a permanent tariff on
all agricultural Notwithstanding only
wheat importation of which will be
regulated by quota Such is the sentl-
ment among British agriculturlsts, that,
for a time absolute prohibition Of agrl-
cultural imports was seriously consld-
cred. According to the Chambers Of
Agriculture, prohibition is debarred
for the moment" by the International
Convention for the Abolition OF Import
and Export Prohibitions.
California Not Affected.
California packers or whom the
British market has been increasingly
lucrative, are not affected by the decree
lust made operative Canned California
fruit totahng 100000 pounds nor
malIy annually enters England. The de-
probation in sterling this year cost
tardy California exporters 20 per cent
Of the gross value Of their British sales.
The growing Importance OF the British
canning industry-Which had 40 active
canneries in 1881 as compared with four
in 1927, a production in canned fruit Of
100000 cWt. in 1881 as against $4,000
cWt. in 1928, and a production Of Co.
100000 cans of vegetables in 1881,
coupled with the persistent agitation of
Welsh tinplate manufacturers who are
profiting heavily from the making Of
cans-probably will influence enactment
Of permanent protective tariffs for
canned fruits and vegetables. Britain's
definite tariff policies will not be
adopted until after the dominion con-
ference. to be held in Ottawa next July.
Any British duty on canned fruits
would be felt by California exporters,
though it is freely conceded in this
market that California packers by the
metiCulOuS maintenance of standard
and weight-and presentation-have so
established the quality OF their product,
both in Britain and on the Continent
that normally scaled tariffs while hurt
full, will not prove fatal
Over the lands of the Continental
farmer, however directly affected as he
is by the customs duties just made
perative-Britain' growing tariff wall
casts a menacing shadow. There are
100000 mouths to be fed in Britain
and the Continental farmer has as
sumed the feeding of so per cent Of
them. According to the Board of
Trade, the level of farm wages in Eng
land-aS of purchasing pOWer-is 100,
as compared with "A in Germany, SO in
France, so in Belgium, and AS in Italy.
British Crop Value Declines.
Given more favorable climatic con-
ditiOnS, cheaper production costs and
free entry, it is not surprising that the
Continental farmer has Supplanted
British agriculture in its domestic mar
ket. Britain'S industrial proves has
initiated against her agriculture. Labor
drifted to industrial CenterS; the belch-
ing smokestackS of Manchester had
more allure for young BritonS than did
the hoe or plow. Result, farmers in
Belgium and in French Brittany and
Normandy raised choice crops for Lon
1885 and 1930-31 the value of
Britain's homegrown crops of corn, po-
tatOes and hops fell from f40,000000
to G27,00OOOO.
During the year just ended England
imported $13,413,O55 worth of potatoes,
S30,626,000 of tomatoes, S7,956,57O
onions, $1.3O1,345 currants. $957,3O0
strawberries, $660,130 cherries and
$3,952,36O plums and damsons. Early
potatoes imported into England now
will be subject to duty of 18 shillings
8 pence hundredWeight, on sliding
scale of 9 Shillings 4 pence and 4 shiu-
ings 8 pence a hundredWeight as the
season progresses. CucumberS from
March l to June 80 will pay duty of IL
shillings a hundredWeight, Cherries
will be taxed cents pound entry duty
from May / to June 80; from June l to
August Is plums will pay duty of IA
shillingS a hundredWeight.
The wheat quota, while not yet statu-
tory, has beer adopted as definite
British policy, and its interest for United
States agriculturistS may be measured
by Britain's wheat import figures. Dur
ing the first seven months of 1880 and
of 1881 Great Britain imported wheat
as follows:
From 1881, cwts 1880, cwts