Wallingford, April 17th,/67 My dear McLean, I hear you are back from Wairoa so I will send you a reply to yours of the 5th April which I was too busy to do last mail. First about the Riddiford importation - I think you are bound to write officially to the Superintendent of Wellington reporting that the Wairarapa seab Inspector gave a clear certificate to a flock which came from a flock and run which are notoriously scabby and which are reported as scabby in McDonald's last return, as vide Wellington Prov.Gazette, and pointing out the importance of such a thing not being permitted to happen again. It doesn't do to take these thing too quietly or we shall have more cases of the same kind and then scab and ruin to half the Province will follow. Pleas write a stiff letter about it. It will be a matter enquired about when the Council meets and it will be desirable to be able to shew we have paid attention to a matter which is really of very great importance. So much for the Scabby Sheep. I suppose I shall hear from you what you have done at Wairoa. I see you have leased a small block of land there. I note what you say about giving the Mahia as a settlement for the Hau Haus I have very great doubts however whether the Council wd. consent to do so - sit any rate perhaps the project has been dropped so I need not write more about it until I hear from you. Richardson will see you and settle about the Rams you got from me. If I am to have Wethers the sooner I get them the better as I have feed at present to fatten them upon which I shant have two months hence - I hope however it will suit you to give the 3 Months Bill instead as it will save the bother of having new sheep with new ear marks and fetching them and all the rest of it and the amount is small. Mr.Eskdale wrote me from Tautane that he had taken away a Stag in mistake for a Ram so that you only owe for 79 in place of 80. I had nothing to do with his selection of them I gave him the flock with the yard and a man to assist and told him to help himself - I suppose he will have written you about the Sheep and I have no question that his report will be that they are fine sheep - I hear you conducted the Wairoa meeting very successfully - What did J.C.Richmond think of it. Poor old Kopu death will be a great loss - he was a useful man and staunch - What are you going to do about money for the Treasury I doubt if you will have time now before the Council meets to go to Auckland to see about an advance from the Bank. It is a great pity we could not have tided through without breaking down. I see though by to-days paper that we are publicly named as failing to meet our engagements. Never mind we are only one more of the cotten little states give to P.N. to swell the account for those who long to see them swept off the face of the earth. I begin to hope we see the end of them fairly in view. I have no news from here. Always, Yours very truly, J. D. Ormond