Letter by George Robertson to CJD 1916.05.06

89 Castlereagh Street,
Sydney
6/5/16

Dear Mr Dennis,

Enclosed are copies of some letters received by last mail, and an enclosure from Mr. J.J. Bell. Of the latter I would like a copy unless it is intended for the author's eye only.

One of the letters is from Basil Thomson, an old customer of A. & R's. You may have tead his "Diversions of a Prime Minister." It is about Tonga (of which he was Prime Minister) and is one of the most diverting books written "down under." Read it if you haven't read it already, and Manning's "Old New Zealand" which is the best book (bar Bloke, of course) written south of the Line.

Mr Shenstone tells me he is selling the 31st thousand. We started to machine a second impression of 5000 copies before the first impression had begun to leave the binder's hands, so we expected a "run;" but it hasn't been a mere run - it has looped the loop! Raising its price hasn't hurt sales. The book is 29 weeks old. In the first nineteen we sold 18,000 copies at 3/6; in the last ten we have sold 12,500 at 4/-.

Yours faithfully, George Robertson

J.K. Moir Collection, MS 13037 Box 3723/2, State Library of Victoria.