Page 3 Advertisements Column 4

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 993, 1 November 1881, Page 3

TO THE ELECTORS OF THE EAST COAST ELECTORAL DISTRICT. Gentlemen, — I beg to announce my intention of contesting the forthcoming Election. I do so from a feeling held by a large number of the electors in common with myself that the personal interests of three of the Candidates already in the field are so identical with each other, of such magnitude, and at the same time so thoroughly antagonistic to the best interests of the Electoratethat this important constituency cannot be faithfully represented by the return of any one of them to Parliament. In a district like this, where, from the peculiar complication of the Native land laws, almost every man, except, indeed, the largest capitalist, is virtually excluded from acquiring land no matter how small the area desired, it cannot be to out individual interest 1 , nor to the interest of the Colony as a whole, to have it represented in Parliament by a large land speculator, nor by one, whose pecuniary interests are bound up with an association of capitalists for acquiring in a wholesale manner, large tracts of country along the East Coast to be locked up for years. The individual prosperity of the district, it is patent to us all, must depend on the wise legislation to be enacted for the simplification of the Native land laws. The conflicting interests at the present time existing here, aTe bf a twofold character. There is the interest of one section of the community —a section numerically insignificant, but financially powerful, to whose present advantage it is to retard whatever tends to promote settlement, or the opening out of the country until such time as they have secured complete title to the large blocks of land now' being purchased by them from the Native owners. Whatever contributes to the present prosperity of the district, directly or indirectly, increases the cost of such lands to the detriment of the persons now buying. The poorer the district can be kept, the less money permitted to circulate in it, the less labor employed, the greater the necessity of the" Natives to realize upon their lands, and greater the profit hereafter to be reaped by the earthhungry speculators. But how different is it with the interests of the other section of the community, of which every working man in the district forms a unit, that section of the community, whose whole prosperity is bound up with the. opening up of the country, with the development of its resources, and the location of the people on the land. For years the district has longed with the hope that a law would be passed that would enable the people to acquire settled homes, free from all prospect of future litigation —a law that would enable every Maori landowner in the district to have his individual portion of land sub-divided, and held free from all tribal difficulties. Such a law while bringing total extinction upon land speculators, and land rings generally, if passed, would enable the man of small means who has to rely on his manual labor to compete in proportion to his savings in acquiring a plot of land, as a home for himself and his family. If you do me the honor to elect me, I would pledge myself to have a law passed that would remove the barrier that has so long stood in the way of persons of ordinary industry obtaining land in this district. I would support a measure having for its object the rating of Crown and Native Lands. I am altogether opposed to any return to the old form of Provincialism. I am opposed to the waste lands of the Crown in this district being administered by Boards located either in Auckland or Hawke’s Bay. Upon the other public questions affecting this district and now engaging your attention, I shall in due time avail myself of the privilege of making my views fully known. I am Gentlemen, Yours faithfully, 62 M. J. GANNON. Patutahi Bakery. TO THE RESIDENTS OF PATUTAHI. LOUIS STEVENS, BEGS to announce that he will open a Baker’s Shop on or about Monday the 7th November next, and will be in a position to supply— First-class Bread. A good supply of GROCERIES always on hand at current rates, 87 MACFARLANE’S HALL. REAPPEARANCE OF THE LYDIA HOWARDE Comic Opera & Burlesque Company, FOR A SHORT SEASON ONLY, On which occasion will be produced Colville’s Great Musical Extravaganzas, IL TRQVATORE ! CHILPERIC ! FRA DIAVOLO ! ALADDIN I SWISS SWAINS! 64 And other celebrated pieces.