in the office. If I give a way in one case, I mean if I submit to a trumped up claim, I shall soon find myself upsetting all your purchases - but I hope they will wait in this case. I am quite certain that you will have to come down to arrange some of these matters - and if I could promise that you would do so, these disputes might be staved off for some time. For Ballance to be burned off, is of course bad - and he certainly is not to blame. Gould we not arrange to meet to settle these matters, and to complete the 40 Mile Bush purchases. By the way, I rather fear that any payments to the Manawatu Natives for Lands in the 40 Mile Bush will operate agst. our completing the purchase of the Manawatu