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Dear Sir,— 14th June, 1907. Yours of the 13th instant is to hand, and the contents have been carefully noted. The position is that we have a stack of butter in the freezing-works at the present time, forty of which have been put aside by the storeman of the freezing-works for shipment to Africa, and the balance is going forward by the " Corinna " to-morrow. In our letter of yesterday this was inadvertently stated as Wednesday. The bo.xes removed from the freezing-chamber yesterday, after our conversation per telephone, are representative of the butter for Africa, as well as that for the "Corinna" to-morrow. Under these circumstances it will surely not be necessary to thaw out a further lot of the African butter raid then refreeze it for shipment again. It would be a distinct hurt to the butter. 1 shall be obliged if you will advise me per telephone this morning whether you insist upon this, or whether you will accept the boxes removed yesterday as representing the whole. Your letter seems to suggest that we have resisted some of your requirements in connection with the grading of this butter, but this is not so. We instructed the storeman at the freezing-works to take a sample exactly in accordance with the wish which you expressed per telephone. Indeed, we offered to leave it for you to give him such instructions as were necessary. Perhaps I should say that the butter in question was stored for local use, but owing to the unusually flush autumn we have rather more than is required here. Yours, &c, Wesley Spragg, The Government Produce Grader, Auckland. Managing Director.

DBAB Sir,— 2 lst December, 1907. I have this .lay telegraphed to you saying, " Shipping 655 boxes Africa Monday. Owing unavoidable circumstances forty in chamber only fifty-four hours. Freezing company doing best with it. Most important all go forward, otherwise lose dead freight'and disappoint a valuable client. Shipping oompany and ourselves agree send. Please instruct Thornton facilitate. Kindly reply." I think you will gather the position from this telegram. The more amplified facts are that an order of a pressing nature has reached us from South Africa. We have done our utmost to get the butter prepared. The client is a valuable one, and it is exceedingly probable that if we send this butter it will lead to considerable and valuable business, hence our anxiety. The general facts have been explained to your Grader, Thornton, and he has been requested to give us the assistance which every other Grader that has been in Auckland would certainly have given under similar circumstances. I am very sorry to say that his attitude is one of red-tapeism and obstruction to business such as I have described. While recognising the value of regulations 1 am satisfied that neither you nor any officer of the Department who has brains wants to use regulations to delay and destroy business. I am looking forward to your kind assistance in this matter. While upon this subject I may say that I have in no sense realised the promise which Thornton made in your presence to drop las antagonistic attitude towards my company. Precisely the same spirit through which he some years ago cost us £100 of needless expenditure is animating him this morning and judging from our contact with him, has animated him practically since you and he and I had an interview together. I very much regret this, but I fear that T must now give up any attempt to work with him as I should like to work with an officer of your Department Considering the magnitude of our business, this is now a matter of very great importance to my company, and 1 shall be glad of a line from you as to what you think had better be done. lam writing to you upon this subject, and shall look with anxiety for your reply. Yours, &c, n ~ ... ~ „ . _, . . Wesley Spragg, D. Cuddle, Esq., Dairy Commissioner, Wellington. Managing Director. I,|: " ! S "V„r , , 23rd December, 1907. thanks tor you.- prompt attention to my request by wire on Saturday last. We do not desire, nor do we ask for, anything which we feel your Department ought not to give to anybody snnilarly situated wrth ourselves, and we shall be glad to conform to the regulations exactly in the spirit that you would do if you were in our position. I had forgotten that Mr. Cuddie was absent from Wellington when I wrote, and it will perhaps be well for-my letter addressed to him to stand over for his attention when he returns, as he is acquainted with the facts referred to In the interval, we shall, in the event of our experiencing difficulty with Thornton, refer to you direct, as we have done in the present case. y Wishing you the compliments of the season, Yours, &c, Wesley Spragg, Mr. Singleton, Acting Dairy Commissioner, Wellington. Managing Director. DEAB Sln T T .., , . 27th December, 1907. the 21st instant. ** Which of your wire of At the time that I wired and wrote I had forgotten that Mr. Cuddie was absent from the colony I have since said so in a letter addressed to you. You would understand my letter as roferrTng to something with wh.ch Mr. Cuddie was familiar, and since he and I came to an understand ng g

Bsas Sir,— 23rd Deccinbc 1907 Inanks for your prompt attention to my request by wire on Saturday last. We do not desire, nor do we ask for, anything which we feel your Department ought not to give to anybody snmhu-ly situated with ourselves, and we shall be glad to conform to the regulation., exactly in the spirit that you would do if you were in our position. I had forgotten that Mr. Cuddie was absent from Wellington when 1 wrote, and it will perhaps be well for my letter addressed to him to sand over for his attention when he returns, as he is acquainted with the facts referred £ In the interval, we shall, in the event of our experiencing difficulty with Thornton, refer to you direct, as we have done in the present case. J Wishing you the compliments of the season, Yours, &c, WesljEt Spkagc, Mr. Singleton, Acting Dairy Commissioner, Wellington. Managing Director.

Dear SlH '- 27th December, 1907. the 21st instant. *'"" 7 ° UrS 24th ' C ° ntainS « onfirmati ™ of your wire of At the time that I wired and wrote I had forgotten that Mr. Cuddie was absent from the colony