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From Controller of Shipping, London, to Right Hon. the Prime Minister, Paris. Ministry of Shipping, St. James's Park, London, S.AV. 1, 25th March 1919 Dear Mr. Massey,— 1 have received your telegram with reference to the paragraph in the Times of Friday. We here are fully alive to the situation in New Zealand, and, as yon may perhaps have heard, the Board of Trade and Ministry of Food have decided to utilize for New Zealand meat and dairyproduce the space diverted from the Australian apple allotment, which I referred to in my letter of the 17th March. _ The problem is one of extreme difficulty. As a Ministry, however, we have to follow the direction of other Departments responsible for allotment of tonnage, and to increase the aggregate immediately available is wholly impossible. If we were to carry apples from New Zealand we should lift so much the less of your meat or dairy-produce. As regards the future, I may add that more than two months ago the restoration to the Australasian trade of all refrigerator vessels normally employed in that trade, but then running to the Plate, was decided upon, and this decision will take effect as each vessel arrives in Europe on her present voyage; You see, therefore, I have already at the earliest moment permitted by our circumstances taken steps to afford all the relief practicable. ■ , Yours faithfully, J. P. Maclay. Ihe Right Hon. W. F. Massey, Hotel Majestic, Paris. From Controller of Shipping, London, Io Right Hon. the Prime Minister, London. Ministry of Shipping, St. James's Park, London, S.W. 1, 15th April, 1919. Dear Mr. Massey,— Following upon our interview this morning, 1 have had the attached estimate prepared of the tonnage which it is anticipated will be available for loading in New Zealand in each of the months of April, May, and June, so far as the position can be gauged at the present time. It will be understood, of course, that the allocation within the Australasian trade is purely provisional, and that it, may be found necessary from time to time to vary the distribution of the vessels as occasion arises. The movement of the vessels in question are, of course, very uncertain, owing to strikes, quarantine troubles, &c. The amount of insulated space represented by the vessels is approximately as follows :— April. 1.800.000 cub. ft. ; May, 3,000,000 cub. ft. ;' June, 4,000,000 cub. ft. Yours faithfully, J. P. Maclay. The Right Hon. W. F. Massey, M.P., Savoy Hotel, Strand, London, W.C. 2. From Right Hon. the Prime Minister. Paris, to High Commissioner for New Zealand. Dear Sir Thomas,— Hotel Majestic, Paris, 14th May, 1919. 1 enclose herewith copy of a telegram which I have just received from Sir James Allen. I am communicating at once with the Shipping Controller, the Board of Trade, and the Food Ministry on this matter, and I shall be glad if you will do everything to co-operate. The position disclosed in the Acting Prime Minister's telegram is exceedingly serious, and it is urgently necessary that relief should be immediately provided. Believe me, &c.., W. F. Massey. The Hon. Sir Thomas McKenzic, K.C.M.G., New Zealand Government Offices. 413 The Strand, W.C. From Right Hon. the Prime Minister, Paris, to Controller of Shipping, London. Dear Sir Joseph,— Hotel Majestic, Paris, 14th May. 1919. I have just received a telegram from New Zealand calling my attention to the very serious position which exists there, partly on account of a serious drought from which the country appears to be suffering, and which has consequently made it necessary that more than the usual number of stock should be put through the freezing-works. The position at present is that there arc 6,794,000 carcases of meat in the stores throughout the Dominion. I believe this to be a record number, and it is quite evident that it is impossible for the stores to take in any more meat until further shipping relief is afforded. The Acting Prime Minister, in his cable, states that the position in some districts is " deplorable," and that it is absolutely necessary that we should have a regular supply of insulated steamers at the rate of not less than fourteen per month for the next three months if the stores are to be cleared this season, and he asks for some definite statement as to the prospect of insulated steamers being allocated to New Zealand in order to steady the stock markets and relieve the anxiety of the producers. I shall therefore be very glad to know if you can give New Zealand any encouragement in this connection, as the position is much more serious than I had imagined. Believe inc. ivc, Sir Joseph P. Maclay. W, F. Massey,