The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE. Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning. Saturday, July 30, 1887. CANDIDATES' ADDRESSES.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 21, 30 July 1887, Page 2

The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE. Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning.

Saturday, July 30, 1887. CANDIDATES' ADDRESSES.

Be just and fear not; Let all the ends thou alm’st at be thy country’s. Thy God’s, and truth's.

No 2.— MR Gannon’s— A Paraphrase. To the Electors, —Having pumped myself full of wind, allow me to lay before you tlje product. This will commend my candidature to you. I shall submit the main points of my political platform—necessarily briefly ih an address—but you shall have plenty when I orate. lam opposed to the Ministry. They do not regard my particular views and interests, and the particular views and interests of my section, and they are therefore not the proper men for the good of the country. I want a stable Government. I want an immediate inflow of

Home capital. The credit of the Colony at Home must be maintained. That credit rests mainly upon the sound basis of Native Land speculation, and I conclude that a Government formed upon the same basis, as its cardinal principle, would be stable. I’m blessed if it isn’t a fact that we are not now allowed to dabble in native land! I can hardly realise it. The last Parliament, under the dictation of Stout and Ballance, of course, were foolish enough to think that the country, as well as the Maoris themselves, would be benefitted if native lands were only allowed to be acquired, like Crown lands, from a Public Board under Statute and with a Crown title. Bosh! No wonder the Colony is tottering on the verge of bankruptcy. I expect the Natives will checkmate that policy by not bringing their lands in. [Aside .■ Though I would not acknowledge

it, I fear, my friends, that a little time for

reflection will lead the Natives hastily to acquiesce, and to perceive that this policy is one step towards putting them upon an equality with the Europeans, and saving their lands from being swamped in payment of taxes and expenses.] “ I will support wise and liberal land laws, and a vigorous policy of economy together with judicious and equitable retrenchment." No Utopian fads about settlement of the land. I will do my best to prevent working settlers from deluding themselves with the idea that the possession of a farm on cheap and easy terms direct from the Crown is advantageousSpecial Settlements be hanged 1 [Aside / That darned fool Ballance, I am afraid, will bring the settler class round to his way of thinking if we cannot stamp him out. Blow him.] I feel that I have a call upon me to enter the lists. I trnst it will prove to be an effectual call. A steady inflow of capital, ample employment and increased prosperity, will be the result if it should prove to be so, A word more. A Land Taxi God help us. Sheer ruin 1 Would-be-settlers will be able to get land cheap- Borrowers will not have to pay 8 to to per cent interest on Loans. What a calamity I [Aside ; I fear that time is coming, indeed may not be very far off, There has been too much land speculation, and too little bona fide settlement. The signs of the times are becoming plainer, Home farmers must have a chance to take up land, first hand. They will come, and cheap money will follow them. Bogies, like heavy debt, more borrowing, retrenchment, bankruptcy, are not so effective as they were.] I will not permit any tampering with the existing modes of taxation. Experiments are most undesirable. Let things alone. I shall have more to say on the subject of this Land Tax. I shall favour you with a steady inflow on that subject soon.

I have not studied deeply the subject of Freetrade and Protection. I halt between two opinions. The best way is to call this a side issue. From an elementary point of view Free trade should be the thing. It is better not to go too deeply into such questions. [Aside : I shall have to consider this subject a little more ; time, effort, and legislative encouragement would no doubt soon build up colonial industries, so as to allow of our raw products being worked up instead of being sent out of the Colony. Rome was not built in a day, and industries require to be very carefully fostered. Then it seems to follow necessarily that the people will have employment; English manufacturers with splendid plants and plenty of money would be induced to come to the raw material perhaps. I fancy that was how it came about in America. Surely I have read that somewhere. And I rather think I have read that it was so with old England. Must look more carefully into the whole matter, for it may be a more important and pressing matter than I at present think.] I cannot afford space to deal with such matters as retrenchment and local questions in an address. It is well to be reasonably brief. Meantime I trust I have given you enough to show you clearly what are my views. [Aside : Haven’t I just. The bumpkins may make what they can of it, and my “ inflow ” from the platform will accomplish the rest.] The issue, gentlemen, rests with you. If you do not return me it will be your own loss.