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D.—6

No. 10. The Officer in Charge, Jackson's Bay Settlement, to the Under Secretary for Immigration. Sir,— Hokitika, 29th April, 1878. I have the honor to forward herewith copy of a letter received by me from the Resident Agent, Jackson's Bay, enclosing some resolutions passed at a meeting of certain settlers (as already alluded to by him in his letter of the 18th March last), and copy of which was transmitted to you with my letter of the 4th April. With reference to these resolutions, I would beg to point out that the principal ones have already received due attention, and been decided on by the Hon. the Minister for Immigration, which decisions were forwarded to me in your Memorandum No. 67, dated 12th instant. With regard to the request that the wages of the settlers should be paid in cash, instead of by cheque, I would also beg to point out that it would not be practicable, unless a bank was opened there, as the risk in transmission and keeping large sums of cash there would be great, and that the question is met in the following manner, viz.: Mr. Marks, the storekeeper, being gold-buyer for one of the banks, has always cash on hand, and, independent of this, he has been specially provided with funds with which to cash any cheques for the settlers, so that I would submit that there is no necessity for any change in the mode of the payment of wages. The discovery of a coal seam by the Resident Agent close to the Bay should prove a most valuable one (for further particulars I would refer you to the last paragraph of his letter) ; but, until more is known- about it, it would be unwise to hazard an opinion as to its future value. The s.s. "Waipara" leaves with the saw-mill belonging to Mr. Haworth, of this place, next week. On her return I shall, in all probability, be put in possession of fuller particulars relating to the coal seam, and I will at once report on the matter. I have, &c., The Under Secretary for Immigration, Edward Patten, Wellington. Officer in Charge.

Dr. Dec. 31,1877. £ s. d. By cash received ... ... ... ... ... ... 12,284 7 7 Goods expended on Government account ... ... ... 1,704 5 3 Indebtedness of settlers for stores ... ... ... ... 3,223 14 4 Houses built by Government for Italian settlers ... ... 840 0 0 Goods obtained by same before arrival at settlement ... ... 28 4 0 Rent of land charged in settlers' account current with store ... 495 12 5 Sundry accounts ... ... ... ... ... ... 269 13 0 Contra accounts ... ... ... ... ... ... 259 18 6 Stock in hand ... ... ... ... ... ... 192 0 6 £19,297 15 7 £19,297 15 7 j . Cr. Dec. 31,1877. By goods received as per stores account ... ... 15,837 13 10 Contra ... ~ ... ... ... ... 259 18 6 Freight ... ... ... ... ... 1,164 0 0 Rent of land ... ... ... ... 495 12 5 17,757 4 9 Working expenses, — Adam Crone, storeman, Jackson's Bay ... 394 0 0 J. Collyer, storeman, Ckura ... ... ... 150 0 0 H. Turnley, clerk ... ... ... ... 203 10 0 Government Resident Agent, half salary ... 450 0 0 Discharging cargo and carrying goods to Okura... 190 0 0 Cost of stores, Jackson's Bay and Okura ... 175 0 0 1,562 10 0 £19.319 14 9 £19,319 14 9 E. & O.E. D. Macfarlane, Resident Agent. A true copy. —Edward Patten, Officer in Charge.