woods on the Rotorua Road has been quite ruined. Two years ago I gave the natives a good scolding for destroying some of the scrub - and now they turn upon me. The natives ask compensation for this destruction of their forest upon which they set great store. From a sense of justice I shall be compelled to recommend their application. I call it wanton because there is not the least earthly use in it. If we fancy that cutting a strip of forest two chains wide is going to prevent timber injuring the wire we are mistaken, and I think that we are bringing about the evil we are trying to prevent. It is the very worst thing possible to open a forest so that the wind can play with all its force on the standing