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Worms & C°

Cardiff, 17th October 1918
H. Worms Esq. - Paris

Dear Mr. Worms,
I am obliged by your favour of the 14th inst.
A continuance of control in this District anyhow is less in favour than ever, not only through recent domestic troubles in the controlling body supervising shipments to France and Italy, but also through the very illuminating Lecture delivered at the Cardiff Exchange on Tuesday last by the Hon. Mr. Fisher, ex Minister of Trade for New Zealand, a fairly full report of which you will find in the "South Wales Journal of Commerce" of yesterday, page 4. The Editorial on page 3 too is worth reading.
The present Government we hear are now, by no means so desirous as they were of the policy of restriction, which in the Coal Trade, it is said, they now favour a removal of, say six months after hostilities terminate, if same can possibly be arrived at. Against such policy, however, there is the obstructing mass of bureaucracy, who having obtained good positions in special Government Offices, desire to retain same.
The irregularities to which I made allusion on the 10th arose through  a comparatively large Swansea Shipowning Firm, who had a permit to run their boats at 51/- for other purposes than coals; devoted tonnage instead to the carriage of latter at figures largely in excess of the authorised rates. Consignees willingly paid, and charged for their coals on such basis. Being brought to book by the Authorities on your side, disclosed what had been going on to justify themselves; the matter being subjudice it is not advisable for me to give names; more particularly as same has been mentioned to me in confidence. It explains how some people have so largely increased their trade, and made at the same time huge sums of money, and there is reason to think this is not an isolated case; anyhow, the Law Officers of the Crown have the matter in hand, and are sceptical of the explanations offered them of inadvertence, etc.
Yours very truly,

G. W. Moore