" THE KANGAROO KEEPS ON TALKING"
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sm,—While keenly appreciating the commendation of my work, The Kangaroo Keeps on Talking, in your issue of January17th, may I reply to your one adverse criticism: " But' when Mr. Grondona goes on to say that we also waste money in buying wine from the foreigner at .a higher. average price than is paid to Australia, he is plainly talking nonsense" ? I do not wish to split straws, but I made no such assertion. I merely quoted Board of Trade figures in regard to importal tions of wine (among other commodities). The trend of my argument was to emphasize that the Overseas Empire. is able to supply the home consumer with vital foodstuffs at cheaper rates than those at which such goods have, in, fact, been obtained from foreign countries. Especially bearing in mind that I had used the figures in. relation .to wine, I. was most careful to add : " I am prepared to be told that my argument is fallacious if the foreign article is superior in quality. . . • " ; but that any such argument would hopelessly fail " in regard to the most vital of foodstuffs, namely, wheat." If, as you state, my having merely quoted the indisputable wine figures " engenders suspicion " in regard to the• rest of the matter in my book, I can only express my. regret. Nevertheless, I
reiterate that a Margin of nearly one :hundred per cent. in favour of all foreign, as compared with all Empire (still) wines, does seem to be extraordinary. I was careful, in com- menting, only to say " the Empire's capacity to produce excellent wines is unlimited "—I made no comparisons, but I now -venture to assert that although the high-class Con- tinental wines are usually unique, poorer products of Con- tinental vintages are sold at :absurdly high prices—duty apart—in England as compared with what is paid for them in their countries of origin. The same order does not obtain in regard to Empire wines, which—whatever their quality— are nearly as cheap in London as in the Dominions.—I am,
Sir, &c., ST. eJ•Anr GRONDONA. 327 Australia House, Strand.
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