Wairoa Augt. 29/67 My dear Sir I read your letter last night and will try and find out what Kopus liabilities are, and put everything forward as much as possible by the time you arrive in Napier. I want particularly to speak about the police arrangements of this place. The work has increased here very much of late and I have only one European Policeman who of course can do all the European part of the work very well such as Town duty looking after the Jail and Court House and serving European summonses etc. but he is not able to do the Maori part from not knowing the language in the first place and secondly that there must be alwaysone Policeman in Town for the purposes above named and I do not think I am unreasonable in asking for the services of a Native Policeman which I can get for £50 per annum. I wrote to Scully on the subject and all the satisfaction I got was, a proposal on his part to divide the salary of the one policeman I have and hire two special constables at half the rate of pay - If such a scheme were carried out I should get no real assistance from two badly paid men and it would be of very serious disadvantage both to the Govt. and myself. What I would propose is that, (always providing the Provincial Govt will not grant me a Maori Constable) the District Policeman at Mohaka be struck off and the salary fee placed on the estimates for Wairoa instead I could I think get a good Maori for that sum, who would be able to do the Mahaka business just as well as Wishart does now, more particularly as there is already a Native Karere for that place and none for this I should feel if you would have this done for me as I really am at present having very great difficulty in getting through the work with the small assistance I have at my command No news of any kind here just now everything seems quiet and favourable I am sorry to say I have had a good many cases of petty larceny among the Natives of Iate, since poor Kopus death but I have punished them all pretty severely and I trust put a stop to it. I hope you will do something for me about the Policeman as soon as possible. I am my dear Sir faithy,yrs. S. Deighton P. S. I have enclosed two vouchers which ought to have been paid long ago. I mentioned the affair to you when you were here. S.D.