Thu 19 Apr 1923
To E T Ward & Son, coal merchants
Stroud
Your letter did not produce a good impression on my committee. Committee repudiates your claim against our Company. To date no claim made by Company. In view of your position Committee instruct me to submit a claim for £403 15s
19th April 23
Dear Sirs,
Your letter to me of April 16th was read to my Committee this afternoon. To be perfectly frank with you it did not produce a good impression.
In the first place the Committee entirely repudiates the claim you make against the Company, and no interview can possible take place unless you withdraw it. You refer in the latter part of your letter to a claim having been made against you by the Company. No such claim has ben made up to the present. The figures were placed before you as representing the total amount of the loss to the Navigation, due to negligence of your employees, and because as a user of the Canal we felt a meeting might lead to an amicable settlement.
In view of the position you take up in your letter, my Committee instructs me to submit a claim of £403:19:0.
Yours faithfully
J Margeston
Chairman
Messrs E T Ward & Son Limited
London Road
Stroud
