I have now completed my inquiries, during the course of which I have met representatives of the company and had also an exchange of letters. I agree with the company that for some time deliveries of coal to their works had been falling considerably short of allocation owing to the heavy and increasing demands that were being made on the available supplies of coal. In accordance with the arrangements which were then in force for providing special assistance to firms whose stocks were getting dangerously low, my regional officers on the 5th and again on 19th December had arranged such assistance, and supplies did in fact reach the works by 28th December. The representatives of the company accepted the evidence of this. Further supplies were arranged as a result of the receipt of a telegram from the company on 20th December.

I am satisfied that everything possible was done to assist this company, and that only the heavy commitments in other directions prevented a larger measure of assistance being given to them and others similarly placed.