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Enclosure 81. New Zealand Meat Producers' Board, Wellington, 21st April, 1923. The Managing Secretary, Poverty Bay Farmers' Meat Company (Limited), Gisborne. Dear Sir, — I am directed to quote herein a letter received by the Board from the New Zealand Overseas Shipowners' Committee, Wellington, under date the 17th instant, reading as follows : — The General Manager, New Zealand Meat Producers' Board, Wellington. Beak Sir, — We are informed by several freezing companies and exporters that they have been approached by the owner, of the " Admiral Codrington " with offers to carry moat to London at |d. per pound below the contract rate of freights It is also understood that, as an alternative to the concession to London referred to, offers have been made by the owners of the " Admiral Codrington " to pay two months' storage at Manchester. We desire to draw your attention to this action, and to protest against it as a breach of paragraph six of clause 8 of the contract. As you are aware, in accordance with contract conditions, the Allotment Committee is using its best efforts to fill the insulated space of the " Admiral Codrington." Yours, &c., For Commonwealth and Dominion Line (Limited), F. B. Rainey, Joint Manager in New Zealand. The New Zealand Shipping Company (Limited), J. H. C. Bond, Bominion Superintendent. Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company (Limited), James Findlay, New Zealand Representative. In view of the fact that the freight agreement for the carriage of frozen meat was duly confirmed by your company, I am directed by the Board to ask for your explanation in regard to this matter. Yours, &c., E. C. Smith, Acting-Secretary. Enclosure 82. [Telegram.] To New Zealand Meat Producers' Board, Wellington. From the Poverty Bay Farmers' Moat Company (Limited), Gisborne. Freesia, Wellington. 27th April, 1923. Yours twenty-first received to-day as owing to Allotment Committee having failed to arrange for filling the whole of the insulated space of the ' Admiral Codrington ' we had no alternative but to endeavour to complete loading of same by offering a reduction in freight for the cargo which we are short as we are not making any reduction on frozen cargo that was finally booked by the Allotment Committee and under the circumstances it is no way contrary to clause Bof the agreement. Nobody would be better pleased than this company if the Allotment Committee will arrange for a full loading of frozen cargo at current rates. It would be unreasonable to expect this company to send the ship away only partly loaded. Iceberg. Enclosure 83. [Telegram.] To the New Zealand Meat Producers' Board, Wellington. From The Poverty Bay Farmers' Meat Company (Limited), Gisborne. Freesja, Wellington. 28tli April, 1923. We have to-day sent following wire to Allotment Committee and will be glad if you can cooperate with them in securing full load. Telegram starts: With allotments standing made through you and with what we have secured we are still thirty thousand freight carcases short of full load frozen produce for ' Codrington ' what can you do to fill her to save us further cutting rates in order to secure full load. —— Iceberg. Enclosure 84. [Telegram.] To The Poverty Bay Farmers' Meat Company (Limited), Gisborne. From The New Zealand Meat Producers' Board, Wellington. Iceberg, Gisborne. 3rd May, 1923. Re " Codrington " yours of the 27th and 28th April. Your attitude regarding rates of freights on meat shipped from this Dominion is contrary to the contract signed by Board and shipping companies and confirmed by all freezing companies. Fkeesia. Enclosure 85. The Poverty Bay Farmers' Meat Company (Limited), Gisborne, 17th May, 1923. The Secretary New Zealand Meat Producers' Board, Wellington. Dear Sir, — Following up our previous correspondence with you regarding the loading of the " Admiral Codrington," and your further telegram to us of the 3rd instant, we are very sorry that your Board should have thought that in acting as we did in getting a load of meat for the " Codrington " we were acting in any way contrary to the contract, and with all respect we do not think that upon reflection you will consider that we have been acting contrary to contract.