>From the Federal Standard 6th February 1867. "In answer to the pleasant fiction of the AGE when commenting the other day on the activity of the Lands Department, we had to chronicle on Friday last that the 39 German families from Adelaide had taken up some 5000 acres of land on the NSW side of the Murray. The people wished to settle in the neighborhood of Chiltern but after some weeks delay, finding it impossible to get their business done, they set off to the Albury Land Office, where they were received with open arms. By this blundering Victoria loses a considerable sum, and the neighbourhood of Chiltern some steady customers. Some time ago we drew attention to the folly of removing the business of the Land Office at Chiltern to Beechworth and showed that the people would not dance attendance upon a Land Office removed as Beechworth is twenty miles from the land to be settled upon. Here is our prediction verified to the letter. These German families would have settled at Chiltern if they could have been furnishe! d with the requisite information at the Land Office there......." Denise