Dear Mr. Bruce,

My book was published on June 30th and so far I have had three
press notices in the London papers, all very favourable and all
highly unintelligent. I enclose the three. The 'Times' and the
'Times Trade Supplement' will, I hope, deal a little more
adequately with the book. I very much hope that the volume will be
a success and that it will receive a favourable press in
Australia. I think it is highly improbable that any financial
success will be achieved but if the book causes real discussion, I
shall feel that it has served its purpose.

CO-OPERATIVE WHOLESALE SOCIETY

On Monday I had Mr. Alexander [1], M.P. (Parliamentary Secretary
to the Board of Trade in the Labour Government) and leader of the
Co-operative Group in the House of Commons, to lunch. We had a
very useful talk which resulted in Mr. Alexander undertaking to
arrange for the Wholesale Co-operative Society to formulate an
Empire policy. As you will have realised from my last letter, we
have an excellent friend on the Co-operative Board of Directors in
Sir Thomas Allen. [2] The Co-operative Wholesale might prove a
most useful medium for the marketing of some Australian produce.

LONDON AGENCY OF THE DRIED FRUIT BOARD

The difficulties of the London Agency vis-a-vis the London Dried
Fruit Trade Association have been rendered much more acute by the
decision that the Commonwealth Government cannot, under the Dried
Fruit Act, finance fruit which is not placed unreservedly under
the control of the Board.

At the present moment eighteen out of the twenty agents receiving
licensed Australian dried fruit shipments market through the
London Dried Fruit Trade Association. Two firms, including Messrs.

Armour & Co., while accepting appraisement refuse to sell through
the normal channels which they describe, very truly, as being a
broker's ring in restraint of trade. The other agents demand
cancellation of these licences to export to these two firms.

The London Dried Fruit Trade Association has been a subject of
very considerable criticism. For instance the Co-operative
Wholesale gave evidence, before the Imperial Economic Committee,
very hostile to this ring and in the recent preference debate it
was attacked by Mr. Alexander before the House. It is also a
strong probability that as soon as the new Food Council [3], which
replaced the Royal Commission on Food Prices, starts to operate,
it will make public enquiry into the alleged restrictions
practised by this ring. Under these circumstances I feel very
strongly indeed that it is almost unthinkable that a Statutory
Body deriving its authority from the Commonwealth Government
should make it a term and condition of license that all fruit must
be marketed through this Brokers' ring. In the circumstances the
London Agency is going to do everything possible to avoid
presenting the Melbourne Board with an awkward issue but as the
Agents very probably claim that their advances to growers and
growers' organizations are largely involved, the position is not
at all easy.

IMPERIAL ECONOMIC COMMITTEE

It is now clear that a preliminary report on the identification of
Empire products by the compulsory marking by retailers of such
goods as 'Home', 'Empire' or 'Foreign' will be completed by the
end of this month. It is also probable that a fairly full report
on Meat will also be completed.

The Fruit Sub-Committee have met at least twice as frequently as
the Meat Sub-Committee but have found their subject one of very
much greater complexity. We are anxious to get a report out as
soon as possible but it is certain that we cannot cover the whole
of the subjects raised under fruit before the August Recess. I
have, therefore, arranged with the Members of the Fruit Panel to
dine together at my club tonight in order to see whether it is
possible to get out a report dealing with certain fruits, leaving
others for later consideration. I do not know whether this plan
will be adopted or whether it will be felt that the Fruit Section
of the report should be issued somewhat later.

This week the Imperial Economic Committee and its Sub-Committees
are holding five regular meetings, an enormous amount of time
being consumed by the Chairman [4] who goes over every point in
the choicest language and at very great length. I am, at the
moment, a little anxious whether we shall be able to get
sufficient directness into our report in consequence of the
Chairman's passion for compromise and indirect methods.

Yours sincerely,
F. L. MCDOUGALL