26 JUNE 1926, Page 13

[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]

Sin,—Your recent article on " The Fruits of Empire " states That Dominion fruit doubles in cost by the time it reaches the consumer on this side. This statement is incorrect. The Dominion producer receives very much less than 50 per cent. of the gross selling price on this side. Returns before us at the moment for Australian apples show that the net return to the grower on apples sold last 'week was as nearly as possible Id. per lb. Freight at about 1}d. per lb., Covent Garden selling charges, and, above all, middlemen's and distributors' profits eat up about 85 per cent. of the 8d. per lb. which to-dav has to be paid to the shops for fair Australian apples.—