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the district. Mr. Middleton has made arrangements with one Alexander McCallum, an Oamaru shearer, now in New South Wales, to bring over sixteen men. The remaining places on the " board," twelve in number, will be filled up by Mr. Middleton. McCallum, when he left Oamaru, was certainly not on good terms with the members of the workers' union, and the fact of his engaging these men is well known to shearers; and I may say I was informed of the fact by a shearer before Mr. Middleton told me that such was the case. Lionel Bradshaw, Kurow, 28th August, 1894. Second-class Constable, No. 441.

, No. 3. The Commissioner of Police to Mr. Middletdn. Police Department (Commissioner's Office), Wellington, Sir, — 21st September, 1894. Tour letter of the 27th ultimo, to Constable Bradshaw, re police protection for Benmore Station during shearing time, has been duly submitted to the Hon. the Defence Minister, who has directed me to inform you that from inquiries made it appears that if there is any disturbance it will undoubtedly arise from your injudicious action in arranging with one Alexander McCallum, an Oamaru shearer now in New South Wales, to bring over sixteen shearers from that colony, and therefore in this matter you must take the responsibility of your own actions ; bat the Police Department most distinctly decline to assist in bringing about a quarrel between shearers and employers, and therefore you must not depend upon this department for protection under those circumstances. From all that can be learned, it appears that this Alexander McCallum has not for some time past been on good terms with the workers' union, and it appears to be well known in New Zealand that you have commissioned him to bring over sixteen men, and therefore this department cannot acquiesce in or support dangerous actions which may lead to very great difficulties all over'the'colony. I have, &c, A. Hume, Thomas Middleton, Esq., Benmore Station. Commissioner of Police.

No. 4. Mr. Middleton to the Commissioner of Police. Sic, — Benmore Station, Oamarama, Otago, 3rd October, 1894. I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 21st ultimo. It is surely an extraordinary state of affairs that the head of the Police Department should intimate to any citizen that because he has ventured to employ what he considers the best and surest method of getting his work efficiently done he must consider himself beyond the pale of police protection, and that if lawless men choose at their pleasure to attack, and perhaps kill, himself and his employes the police will not interfere, and he must take his chance. I have done no wrong. I was worried and annoyed over my last year's shearing almost beyond endurance, and my employers were subjected to very considerable loss, and this through the action of men many of whom I had employed year after year at the shearing here; and this year, simply because I have taken steps to prevent my employers and myself from being at the mercy of these same men, I am to be told that I must not look to the police to afford me or my men any protection. Surely things have come to a pretty pass in New Zealand when, notwithstanding all the people pay annually for protection of life and property, they are to be told by the police, " You must not depend upon us for protection, because you have ventured to employ a man who is not on good terms with the workers' union." Sir, I call upon you to do your duty in this matter. If the lives of men who are coming to earn a living at peaceful avocations are to be endangered by lawless spirits, even though they do not belong to the workers' union, it is your duty to protect them, and if you fail to do so the consequences will rest on your head. In calling your attention to the threatened danger lam only doing my duty; and, if you will not protect myself and my employes, you must be held responsible for the consequences if we are driven by your refusal to protect us to take the law into our own hands, and protect ourselves. I have, &c, The Commissioner of Police, Wellington. Thos. Middleton, Manager.

No. 5. The Commissioner of Police to Mr. Thomas Middleton. Sic, — Police Department (Commissioner's Office), Wellington, 9th October, 1894. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 3rd instant, which reached me yesterday (the Bth). Its arrival, however, was preceded by its publication in the Press on the 4th. The Minister directs me to say that you are at liberty to take any course you think fit in this matter, but, in publishing the correspondence, it might justly be urged that, in fairness, your letter to Constable Bradshaw should also have been published. From inquiries made, the Government has ascertained from a competent and reliable officer that the New Zealand shearers would not in any way interfere with the shearing at Benmore; that

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