AFR botches another letter

The following text was submitted as a letter to the Australian Financial Review on Oct.14:

Editing misrepresents LVRG

In the letter published above my name on October 14 (“Tax blueprint for fiscal chaos”), an editor has substituted the words “Our group” for the original “We”, which was meant to share its antecedent with “our” and “we” in the preceding paragraph. This substitution, assisted by the insertion of a paragraph break, implies that the views subsequently criticized are those of the Land Values Research Group.

No, “our group” does not advocate vertical integration and protectionism. It does advocate the financing of public expenditure out of economic rents rather than taxes on productive transactions. It also compiles some very bearish statistics on the property market. In so doing, it makes more than enough enemies without being accused of advocating vertical integration and protectionism.

Dr. Gavin R. Putland
. . .

And here's how it appeared in print today (Oct.17):

In editing “Tax blueprint for fiscal chaos” (Letters, October 14), the words “Our group” have been substituted for the original “We”. The views subsequently criticized are those of the Land Values Research Group, which does not advocate vertical integration and protectionism.

. . .

Thus the misleading impression created by the unauthorized substitution is reported as fact. But, as the final clause is correct while the “views subsequently criticized” are not specified, I refrain from submitting a further correction, lest the published version do more harm than good.