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13th June 1895
Mrs James Burness & Sons
London.

Dear sirs,

We have duly noted your remarks with reference to the position of matters as regards the new charter and have likewise received through our Cardiff firm, to whom it had been handed by Mrs Insoles, a copy of the resolutions adopted by the Colliery proprietors.

We are this afternoon in receipt of the following from M. P.A. Vyvyan Robinson:

"Reported from London that Pembroke has consented arrange further conference with colliery owners in order avoid extreme measures being taken by latter if this be true suggest you forward your letter cover to Burness asking them acquaint you with true state affaire before handing letter to Chamber Shipping."

And although we do not and never did sympathise with the colliery owners in that wharfage question, and we fail to see why they should now be spared by the ship-owners who have shown themselves so unmerciful to us charterers, still we leave it entirely to you either to have the enclosed letter delivered at once or to wait, but if anything we almost think we should prefer the former course, and in any case unless official notice of an extension of delay be given we wish our letter to be sent in before the end of the day, we mean Monday 15th inst.

We have through it best that the letter should be signed by ourselves and not per pro., but the Chamber of shipping need not know that same comes from Paris and not from Cardiff and we would take the liberty to suggest that your messenger should not say whom he is being sent by.

We suppose the new charter will actually be enforced on the 1st proximo against those charterers who have not sent in their acceptance in time, as otherwise the whole thing would be a farce and would show that the ship-owners who have squeezed us weak ones with an iron hand in an iron glove are afraid to face those strong and independent charterers like the P. & O. & the Messageries C° whom they have not in their power as they have us, and that their threats were meant at us only & not at them.