Napier February 25th 1874. My dear McLean - The mail is just closing and I have only time to write a line - There is a little difficulty about the management of the Roads in the Poverty Bay district - Mr. Bold has been the district Engineer and all the works have been done under his direction - He is a first-rate officer, the best Road Engineer in New Zealand that I have seen. Like all officials he is touchy - and lately Porter has employed a surveyor named Drummond to lay off roads in Bold's district - Now I can assure you the work wd. be ten times better done and more economically under Bold but if it is desired otherwise it would be better to alter Bold's district and let him take only to Poverty Bay including the inland Wairoa road which is now being arranged about. That wd. leave the Ngatiporu roads and Poverty Bay roads for another district and I daresay wd. employ an officer but one could do the lot easily - Please see about this and arrange it - The man Drummond who Porter has employed is thoroughly incompetent - he was employed a year or two ago by me and had to be got rid of for being the most useless and lazy officer I ever had to do with. I think it wd. be a good plan to relieve Bold of all Roads in the Poverty Bay district and Ngatiporou leaving the inland Wairoa to Pov. Bay road in his charge - He is a good officer and zealous and I dont like to let him think he is slighted - His feeling expressed privately to me is that he is slighted by an unprofessional man like Porter being allowed to employ and direct road works in his district - Winter might do to take charge of the Pov. Bay roads but he has little experience and wants sharp looking after - It wants a man used to natives - Many thanks to you for seeing to young Eyre's matter I hope he will go Home. In haste Yours always J.D. Ormond