Morris Cargill

I READ in The Weekend Observer of June 25th that United Estates had reached an agreement with NCB for the sale of their citrus property in Montpelier in St. James. At that point, however, the Government stepped in and killed the sale. I suppose it could do this because NCB is in hock to the Government. Otherwise I don't see how the Government can interfere in a sale arrangement made between independent organisations.

Mark McConnell gives as a reason for the Government's interference that it grudged the acquisition by United Estates.

That might well be so. It could well be the kind of silliness typical of this Government. I suspect however that there is another reason, but before I deal with this I would like to disclose a certain matter.

Mark McConnell is my nephew by marriage. It may therefore be said that I am writing this piece as a result of some sort of family resentment. It so happens, however, that when I heard that Mark McConnell was negotiating to buy the property in Montpelier I asked him not to do so, for I considered that the management of a large citrus enterprise at the other end of the island from United Estates would put too great a strain upon him and upon his wife who is my niece. So when I heard that the Government had killed the sale I was personally very happy about it. So in this matter I have no axe to grind.

But I think it is absurd for the Government to buy the Montpelier property. First of all it is in rotten condition with a lot of the citrus plants dying of disease, and such crops as it has being stolen by thieves. Quite obviously the Government would be quite incapable of running the property as a going concern. NCB has already failed to do so.

My personal view is that the Government killed the sale to the McConnell's and chose instead to buy it themselves due to a decision made for political rather than agricultural reasons. Mark my words (no pun intended) we shall eventually see this property cut up into small lots and sold cheaply to PNP supporters shortly before the next election.

I may of course be wrong but I can see no other reason for a government decision which would be entirely irrational on any other basis, except for spite and prejudice.

It amounts to government dictatorship and in due course the result will be 3,000 acres of good agriculture land ending up in bush and ruinate. I hardly think that Mr. Oliver Clarke, the chairman of NCB, could be very happy about this. But here again another of my relations is involved, for Oliver Clarke is my first cousin. It seems then, that at this point I had better write no more about the subject. All I can hope for is that none of my relations ever get themselves tangled up in Government's folly.

On wines

I was interested to read that Wray and Nephew had bought out the wine operation of Desnoes and Geddes. Many years ago when Desnoes and Geddes first began to make wines they asked me to taste them and asked my opinion. In those early days the stuff was pretty awful but subsequently great improvements were made.

The wines are a bit synthetic and are still of course, plonk but, on the whole pretty good plonk which compares quite well with the usual run of French vin ordinaire. Their Papillon, the sparkling white wine, is not, of course made by the Champagne method. It is carbonated like soda water, but it is nonetheless likeable. Whenever my doctor, whom I greatly respect, cuts me off Vodka Martinis I often drink Papillon instead.

Now that Wray and Nephew has taken over this wine business I wonder whether the good Mr. Wray and his legendary nephew could be persuaded to have a shot at making some real wine from real locally grown grapes. This is not such a tall order as it may sound. The best wine grapes are grown on poor rocky soil and some of the finest wines are produced from very small vineyards, some no larger than 20 acres or so. For instance take Sauternes. By the way the 's' at the end is not a plural. It's the correct spelling. The finest Sauternes is produced by quite a small area in France, the entire production being no more than about 300,000 cases a year. The best, the world famous and very expensive Chateau d' Yquem is made by grapes planted on hillsides not more than a few acres in extent.

I'm sure that Wray and Nephew would not be put under heavy financial strain by planting some 20 or 30 acres in grapes in order to have a try at making a good Sauternes. Wine grapes would not be the victims of praedial larceny, for the thieves would be too stupid to know what to do with them. And they could not be sold as "eating" grapes to the supermarkets.

I do not suggest that the good Wray and his nephew could produce the equivalent of Chateau d' Yquem which is a sweet wine, high in alcohol and very expensive. Over a century ago the brother of the Czar of Russia paid the then staggering price of 20,000 gold francs for four barrels of it. I do not know what the price is today but I imagine that it is equally staggering.

Ultimata

The Government seems no longer to command respect. Recently various public servants have fallen into the habit of issuing ultimata to the Government concerning raises of pay.

The Police Federation recently did the same though it has come off it.

I suppose, however that teachers, police and civil servants, observing the effectiveness of blocking roads and burning tyres has substituted ultimata for civilised negotiations.