Mr Gannon at Ormond.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 35, 1 September 1887, Page 3

Mr Gannon at Ormond.

GOOD RECEPTION-VOTE OF CONFIDENCH AND THANKS.

Mb Gannon addressed the electors of Ormond an Tuesday night. The hell was crowdedMr Harter wit voted to the chair, and briefly introduced the candidate. Mr Gannon on coming forward, was reHived with load applause. After some few remarks aa to the difficulty in contesting an election in a district such as the East Coast, he laid his only reason for coming forward Was the fact that there Wat a Government candidate id the field—the only one who, it was said, would contest the seat -Mr Locke having, signified his intention of retiring. Mr McDonald was a sapporter of the present Government, and he (the speaker) strongly opposed to them, and as to whether he was. right in the verdict he had arrived at would be for the electors to say. He had no fear othe result, (Applause), Mr Graham's comt ing forward being apparently an after though;

Of a few of Mr Locke’s supporters. He thei wist on to eho* How the Government ha< broken faith with the country in regard t< retrenchment and the injustice of their finan ft*l proposals. The Redistribution of Seats obtained through the action of the Oppbsi tion, ultimately passed, and gave the North three additional members, which would allow them a better chance of having a larger voice in measures which southern members could possibly have qo knowledge about. (Hear, hear.) As regards the financial proposals, Ministers, alter having openly advocated re. trtncbtnent, had deliberately increased the Customs' duties bn the necessaries of life, an increase which would fall directly qn the shoulders of the poor man. Kot alone bad this been done, but the subsidy to local bodies—institutions which were the back-bone pi districts snch as theirs—had keen redt ed from £ for £ to ten On the other band Ministers were increasing expenditure on every side, and had created new offices which were unnecessary. (Applause). With regard to Crown lands the Government had acted in a suicidal manner for the prosperity of the colony and this district in particular. The present year bad seen the advertising of 126,000 acres of land under such terms and conditions that no sane man could take up. (Applause). It would even pay the Government to give the land away as every-occupier would contribute towards the making of roads by the rates he would have to pay. At present the land was unproductive and barren. (Applause). He was not sgainst village Settlements, but if one Minister Could spend £60,000 unauthori »d, the others might do the same. In relat on to Fre«trtde and Protection he was in favor of protecting industries which were supported in New Zealand. Mr Gannon denounced the present Native land laws in unmeasured terms, saying that Ballance's Bill was one that even the Natives themselves Were opposed to. It was penal for a Native to sell or lease his land, and although he may have contracted debts to Europeans and may desire to pay them, he was absolutely debarred from disposing of bis lanu—the only source from whence he Can raise capital. A Maori may have 50,000 acres of land, but the law said he should not part with a fraction of it to raise money to pay the ploughman. (Applause). There should be no difference between the Natives and the Europeans. They should bear their fair proportion of the country’s burdens, and after ample reserves were made for - them they should be allowed to sell to those who would baar part in the taxation of the ctflony. The Natives should be got to work in unison with Us Europeans, and the present legislature retarded settlement and was ag. Inst the prosperity of the eo'ony. (Applause). As to railways the speaker denounced the injustice of a district such as the East Coast having to pay taxes towards the construction and maintenance of lines from which they deriv- no earthly benefit. He contended that the railways had in, too many instances, been made for political support. They should be leased or sold, and this would do away with a large expenditure. If the Government were to treat them fairly in opening up the Crown lands, he saw no reason why light lines of railway could not be constructed in this district, Crown and lands owned by Natives being jointly offered in payment to Home syndicates with capital. Millions at the present time in England were waiting investment. (Applause). He denied ever favouring the imposition of fees on the fifth and sixth standards. He considered a great saving could be effected in the higher branches of education. (Applause.) There should be a clear and distinet reduction of £58,000 in regard to the High Schools He considered one Normal School should be S Selent for the whole Colony, instead of iving one in each of the large towns. A better system of management could be provided as regards the Boards. There was one thing to be said m favour of the Universities, and that was they were used as night schools, and as snch were open for the education of the poor man. He did not wish to refer to the other two candidates, but he saw teat Mr Graham had stated at Wairoa that the working men should be careful in cliosing their representative. He thought that when the time came the working men were quite capable of using thdr own judgment as to whom they would vota for, without a luggestion from toy candidate, Mr Gannon sat down amidst loud applause. In answer to questions Mr Gannon said it Was absolutely necessary to get an Amending Harbour Bill passed to remedy defects ip the original Act, He would not support* any wrong expenditure, but he was not aware the Board bad wilfully done any wrong. He would certainly oppose any measure which would gi.e the Board unlimited rating power. He (.uxnideied High Schools should be abolished, (Applause). He would not in any way interfere with primary education. He would be in favour of the day’s work being eight hours, for which a reasonable remuneration would be eight shillings. He would use every endeavour to open up the Crown lands. One reason why he opposed the Government was because they offered the land on such bad conditions. (Applause). He would not alone be in favour of reducing the Governor’s salary but also that of Ministers and members of Parliament. (Applause), He objected to the Premier travelling about trying to collect his scattered forces at a coal

to the.colony of £ll a day. He would support the Govern! nt vzhich would do the colony and the district t**e good. (Applause. ) He was in favour of reducing the number of Ministers to five. That number he cc isidered was sufficient. The Governor would be amply paiu if he were to receive £4oooor £IOO a }oar. (Apprise). If Sir G. Grey only received £l2OO as Governor he performed his work, as he alwrys did, for his love of the country, and not from any rooaetary consideration. He was not in favour of upsetting the present education system. He did not think the country was in a position to grant pensions to civil servants, nor did he see why a man who has been a number of years in the service, receiving good sr.lary, should be pensioned. He was decidedly in favor of making Native lands bear their share of taxation. (Applause.) He thought women had quite enough to do without having the franchise, although ultimately, as things shape, they will, no doubt, have the power to vote. He was in favour of reducing the number of

members to 50 or 60. Unfortunately they oould not get rid of the members of the Upper House until they died, for they were Appointed for life. Some of the appointments had been very wise ones. It was through the Upper Hoose that the North Island got three extra members last session. He was m favor of an elective Upper Hoose. (Applause). Was in favour of doing away with the Bankruptcy Act. Summonsing was one of the inconveniences of civilization. If it were done away with many of them wculd live more happily. (Laughter). He thought they could do without a Major General. Mr Burke proposed a vote of thanks to the candidate. This was seconded. Mr Barrington proposed, and Mr Gately seconded, that

Mr Gannon receive a vote of thanks and confidence On a show of hands being taken, the Chairman declared a vote of thanks and confidence carried almost unanimously. There were only four dissentients. After Mr Gannon had suilab'y replied, the meeting fiispemd.