The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE. Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, Morning. Saturday, June 11, 1887. WORK VERSUS WORDS.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 2, 11 June 1887, Page 2

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

Saturday, June 11, 1887. WORK VERSUS WORDS.

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

We are to have an election before long, that’s a certainty. Now this means that the electors of the East Coast District will be called upon to elect a representative who shall act for them in Wellington in the great Legislative body of the Colony. Now, who are we going to put in ? As Hamlet says—“ that is the question,” and a difficult one it is to answer. We shall not attempt to answer it-at onte. But what we can do, is to allude to the qualifications of those who are likely to Stand for the seat.

We have a member at present, Mr S. Locke. He is a good man but then his health is admittedly bad, and he himself is understood not to wish for re-election—-that is—if his statement published recently in the Herald be a correct and honest one. In connection with this, gentleman, however, we hear that despite his protestations of withdrawal, a committee is being formed to work for him, and, if possible, put him in. This, in face of his withdrawal is very queer, to say the least of it.

After Mr Locke wecome to Mr Gannon. Mr Gannon is a clever energetic man, he has done useful service in the past on local bodies, he has worked hard, and, we are sure, will always continue to do so in future. He can talk well, has a happy knack of repartee which stands him in good stead on public platforms, but, and the but is all-important, is he good enough for the House r Words are all very well, but mere verbosity is hardly a good qualification for the House. There, all men find their level and Mr Gannon, young, clever, energetic, possessing a host of qualifications, would find his level: Has he a big stake in the place ? Well, we won’t say be has not, but still we ask the question again has he ?—our readers may answer it as they think fit. We can hardly imagine Mr Gannon, useful as he is on local bodies, making a good member of Parliament.

Mr Woodbine-Johnson’s name has been mentioned as that of a possible candidate. He has, we believe, declined to stand, therefore good local man that he is, we needn’t waste words about him. Then we come to Messrs G. L. Sunderland and Andrew Graham. The first is certainly the best Chairman of a local body we have ever seen, the second is a shrewd business man, his interests and those of the district are well wedded together, but, then they won’t stand. So much for them.

Now we come to Mr Allan McDonald, whose first address, brief and pithy, characteristic of the man, appears in our issue to-day. Mr McDonald has been in the House before, he is an excellent lobbyist,—a grand qualification in these days, and an honest, straightforward man with a big, a very big stake in the district. He is not a fluent speaker, but “ works versus words ” is our motto. Of fluent, alas, far too fluent speakers, the House has enough and to spare, but of hard heads and practical workers, it has alas, far too few. Mr Locke’s friends are organising his committee, of whom, we believe one of the Herald's proprietors is one. What Mr Gannon will think of this sad news is uncertain, but if our informant be correct tn his statement, and we believe he is, then poor Mr Gannon has reason for complaint, for we all know the Herald has been running Mr Gannon for some time past.

But whilst Mr Locke has been working up a committee by proxy and Mr Gannon has been talking, Mr McDonald has been working. The following is a copy of a telegram received from him yesterday :— Wellington, June io. The Government have granted six months from the Ist July next to complete titles. Two special settlements are to be formed, one on the East Coast, the other half way to Opotiki. The Government are also going to grant a Waste Lauds Board for Gisborne. The Wairoa will be cut off from the East Coast Electoral District by the Representation Bill. A. McDonald.

Now, all this is very important to us. That extension of time for completion of titles means a big th’ng for East Coast native land owners, whilst the establishment of a Waste Lands Board is an innovation we cannot be too thankful for. The news about the Wairoa is also of great importance to the district. We are not going to plump for Mr McDonald or anybody else. Before we do that, we want to hear what each candidate has to say for himself. But, at the same time we must thank Mr McDonald in the name of the district for the promises he has obtained, for the practical use he has made of his trip to Wellington. He has done some useful work which is better than ten millions of mere words. We will give all the candidates a fair show, we will treat them fairly and honestly, and not attempt to cram any particular man down the throats of the electors. Newspapers make a great mistake in so doing : All the journalist’s duty is, is to put the qualifications, merits and faults of each candidate berore the electors, and let them decide for themselves. But as we have the prosperity of the place at heart, we must certainly give Mr McDonald credit for acting upon our motto of “ work versus words.’’