Page 3 Advertisements Column 4

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 42, 17 September 1887, Page 3

IO THE ELECTORS OF XHB EAST COAST DISTRICT. GENTLEMEN,— Having announced that) owing to the retirement of Mr Locke, I am a Candidate for your suffrages at the forthcoming eleotioni I now beg to place before you, shortly, my views on a few of the leading questions at present before the country. A serious crisis in the country k history has come about. Never before has each anarchy and confusion been apparent in the Government and in the House; never has trade been so depressed ; never has our credit as a country sunk so low. Our rulers seem quite incompetent to grapple with the situation, and the ship of State drifts helplessly along, her crew squabbling and wrangling among themselves, he being considered the smartest man who can say the hardest things of his opponent, not he who shows the most aptitude for navigation, or keeps the sharpest look-out for breakers ahead. It is of no use enquiring who or what party in particular is to blame; we have all been to blame. It is every thinking man's duty now to face the position.

The first and most pressing necessity is economv, The finances of the country must be so adjusted that our expenditure does not exceed our revenue, These annual and constantly increasing deficits must cease, and the gap must not be filled up by extra taxation, and least of all by further borrowing. The word Retrenchment, which is in everybody’s mouth just now, must be the order of the day. At the same time the pruning knife must be applied by a practised hand, guided by a skilful eye that can detect the next, and even the next again, season’s fruit buds, and use his knife accordingly. The spasmodic attempts at retrenchment to which we have been treated lately, a cut here and a snip there, are worse than useless. I believe it quite possible by judicious retrenchmentsomewhat on the lines indicated by Mr Locke in his farewell address—combined with a strict watch over expenditure, to see that value is obtained for every pound spent, to bring our expenditure within our income without further taxation, and without affecting detrimentally either the public service or the education scheme. Borrowing, in my opinion, should cease absolutely for sometime. If at any time resumed, loans should only be got for specific and reproductive purposes, and no other; not, as heretofore, in large sums, to be appropriated after the money was obtained. To this practice I attribute much of the demoralisation of New Zealand politics.

The Native land laws are a disgrace to the country, The framers of the various acts (they are all ike) did not know at the time what they meant, and neither the Native Land Court judges nor the Supreme Court judges, and least of all the unfortunate and bewildered interested individuals of both races, have yet succeeded in finding out. It is surely a grim satire on Government, this placing men in office to make laws for us, paying them for doing so, and then spending tens of thousands of pounds every year trying to find out what these laws mean. A strong Government, with the assistance of men who understand the position, should have no difficulty in passing such measures as would put a stop to this needless expense and uncertainty, would guard against the native owners being defrauded, or lelt paupers without sufficient land of good quality to keep them, while enabling them to sell if they wish the large areas of pastoral land which they themselves will never use. Crown and native lands should contribute equally with othdr lands to County and Bead Board rates, and the natives, many of whom are wealthy, should pay Property Tax. The laud laws of the colony should be simplified as much us possible so as to promote settlement. A district Waste Lands Board is urgently required here, aompo.ed ol practical men who would make themselves thoroughly acquainted with the nature and positions oi the different blocks and put them up in such a way and with such conditions as would ensure settlement. The present Waste Lands Board in Auckland know nothing about our land, As to the cry of Freetrade and Protection, I consider the present tariff quite ample proteation for any industries now or likely to bo successfully established in this colony for many years. I consider that the Government'a endeavors, in a country like this should be in the direction of fostering and protecting everything to increase the output of raw and food products, to assist the agriculturist, the uheepfarmer, the fruit grower, and4he miner to produce as cheaply as possible their various commodities, for which we know there is an unlimited [market, at a profit if only they can be produced cheaply enough. We cannot attempt at the present stage of the country’s growth with any hope of.success to establish factories on a large scale, or for the supply of anything outside of our colonial wants. I am opposed to the present Ministers, as I consider they have altogether failed ; they are a house divided against itself, and have not confidence of the country. In conclusion, Gentlemen, you will have noticed that the political platforms of the three candidates are very much alike. It lies with you, therefore, to consider carefully which of the three you believe to be the most sincere in his professions, the most able and willing to carry these out conscientiously, the one most to be trusted, and to give him your votes. 1 have the honor to be. Your obedient servant, ANDREW GRAHAM. Gisborne, August 4,1887.