1 Local Government Board, Dublin. 11th March, 1916. Dear Mr. Pim, You have been good enough on previous occasions to
give me the benefit of your knowledge as to the conditions
prevailing in the linen trade in Belfast and I fell sure that
you will not object to doing so again. Such information as
you can give me will of course be confidential. Some months ago as far as I can ascertain 'short time'
was imposed upon a number of Belfast Mills owing to the
difficulty and uncertainty as to the supply of raw materials.
Am I right in thinking that these difficulties have not been
so great as was anticipated and that by some means or other
the spinning and weaving trades are managing to get a
reasonably good supply of flax and yarn? If this is so at
the moment I suppose we may reasonably conclude that that
supply of raw material will somehow or other continue to be
sufficient to keep the mills going without recourse to short
time.' Upon the other hand I hear that there is great
difficulty experienced in getting sufficient supplies of coal
in Belfast and that owing to a shortage in coal rather than a
shortage in material 'short time' prevails and may continue. I am asking you these questions because as you know
we have to be prepared to meet demands which may arise for the
relief of distress as a consequence either of shortage in raw
material/ 2 material, coal or from any other cause.
With apologies for troubling you again. Yours very truly, Cecil Pim, Esq., c/o Greenmount Spinning Company, Harold's Cross, DUBLIN.