Archives

Worms & Co

Newcastle on Tyne, December 9th 1918
Messrs Worms & Co., Paris Dear Sirs,

Tonnage. We reply to your special letter of the 3rd inst. enclosing copy of your letter to Grimsby.
The writer had arranged to go to Edinburgh on Thursday night or Friday morning but we have just learnt that we may expect a visit today from Mr. Steven, who is on his road to Middlesbrough, London, and eventually to Paris, where we understand he will pay you a call.
Up to the present owners so far as we can find are not anxious to enter into any commitments until they can have some idea as to when their tonnage may be expected to be free from requisition.
We think your idea is a very good one if tonnage could be found to charter ahead for voyages, particularly if an East Coast loading option could be obtained with a range of ports for discharging. We have already had talks with owners, with the result as above mentioned. You may be sure we will keep the matter well in view.
The writer spent yesterday afternoon with an owner friend of ours, who is also a Manager of Standard steamers. His advice is dead against buying them. The system of forced draught will, he maintains, render them subject to Boiler renewals very early on in their career.
We are concerned about the coal position. We cannot find any of our old friends who care to make contracts although limited to only three months according to the Coal Controller's directions. As for securing Washed Huts, we see no prospect of doing so at present or in the near future. So far as we can gather Messrs T. & B. appear to have the first call for all the output of that class of coal. We fear it is going to be difficult to make a start as T. & B. have the great advantage of having been shippers all along of this quality. The output is of course comparatively small, but we look for an improvement when collieries will be permitted to establish the necessary plant for the manufacture of this coal.
We are, Dear Sirs,
Yours truly,

W. Torry

[M. Steven has just left us. He will be able to tell you the position as regards tonnage when he visits you in Paris towards the end of this week. He have not mentioned to him the possibility of your running a line Tyne-[Dunkirk...] / Bordeaux. He will probably discuss with you the advisability of opening an office at Middlesborrough. We have suggested that we might open a branch there if we owned there all his business in that port.
Please let us know what you think about this.]