THE HON. A. W. HOGG

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2531, 18 June 1909, Page 5

THE HON. A. W. HOGG

RETIREMENT FROM THE MINISTRY.

THE' RESULT OF INJUDICIOUS " SPEECH.

’• [Pun Unless Association.] WELLINGTON, June 17. The Hon. A. W. Hogg, Minister for Labor, has resigned from the .Ministry as the outcome of his speech last Saturday. STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER. Interviewed by a “New Zealand Times” representative to-night relative to Mr. Hogg’s resignation, Sir Joseph Ward said the established parliamentary practice both in England and throughout the English-speaking countries renders it necessary for any member of an Administration who expresses opinions radically at variance with the policy of the Government! to which lie belongs, to consider his relation to his colleagues, and in his case it was the duty of Mr. Hogg to recognise that the views he expressed were opposed to the main lines of the Government’s policy, and therefore it was his duty to place himself in the hands of his leader so that the Government as a whole should not be embarrassed by his continuing a member of the Cabinet. This practice. which has been followed in England almost without exception during the last century, was recongiscd by Mr. Hogg, who readily admitted that the views he had given expression to on Friday last were inconsistent with the main* principles of the policy of the present Government, and that he was bound therefore to place, if asked, his resignation in the hands of the head of the Government. This course Mr. Hogg took in' the friendliest spirit, and I have received his resignation in the circumstances stated with the very greatest regret. As regards Mr. Hogg himself I entertain and always have entertained not only the highest admiration for the courage with which ho expresses his opinions, but for his sterling honesty and his devotion to doctrines from which although I differ 1 admit lie conscientiously entertains. To this I may add that I have always felt for Mr Hogg a very high sense of friendship. and the combination of these circumstances made our official separation one of the deepest regret to me, a regret tempered, however, by the fact that Mr. Hogg has retired from my Cabinet without a suggestion _ or bitterness on his part, and I believe without any strain being placed on the friendship which which for so many years we have mutually enjoyed. Without in the slightest degree reflecting upon Mr. Hogg’s judgment, I am entitled to say that his retirement was in itself regarded as necessary by the general opinion of my colleagues and ot our party as a whole. This opinion is not hostile to Mr. Hogg personally, but is based first upon the ground that the views expressed by him were radically inconsistent with the policy of the Government, and. secondly, upon the grounds that, being held by a responsible Minister‘of the Crown, they would scriouslv embarrass, if not imperil, the future financial position and operations of Zealand, not on much, perhaps, in this country itr-elf as in Great Britain. It is unnecessary for me to add that atticlvng to my office there are ro.snonsibilities where discharge, altho- , ugh painful and unpleasant, becomes ; imperative ’ when the welfare •and in-■ tero.st of the country demand it. Tho course taken has been adopted by me j after the most anxious and- painful consideration, and in view of my personal friendship* for Mr. Hogg, with extreme reluctance.

MR. HOGG’S INDISCREET UTTERANCE.

AX EXTRAORDINARY SPEECH

The following is a report of the speech which was delivered by tho Hon. Mr Hogg on Saturday, and which has led to his retirement I'roin tho Ministry:

The Hon. A. W. Hogg said the figures in the Year Book would show that the industries of the Dominion were not failing. He could remember when there was a great deal more unemployment in New Zealand than at the present time. The member for Manawatu kept crying out for the freehold. There were lo millions of acres available—how much more did they want? Too much money was used purely for speculative purposes instead of being used to help the industries. Too much money was invested in national loan companies and other companies of tho kind, and in the River Plate.

LANDOWNERS LIKE MEPHISTOPHELES,

The large landowners were like Mephistopbeles following Faust—as men who were delighted to see the swagger and the sun-downer going about the country, because they could make their harvest out of them. One of the causes of the present distress was tho lack of money. Tho men about whom he had been talking belonged to the class who sent their money out of the country —thus making capital scarce, and bringing about a rise in the rate of interest. ”lf those people could get a } per cent, more for their money in Queensland, they would send their money there. These men acted the part of the poor despised Chinese—they took the money which tliev made here to another country. They hated New Zealand; they hated its. Government. The reason why they were taking their money to Queensland and (South America was simply that a stop had been put to this land monopoly business. Land monopoly was, in liis opinion, tho curse of New Zealand. There were inconsequence,of tho action of the largo land-holders families in misery, who were deprived of the comforts of lne, so that, if it continued, instead of havino- to find domestic servants, they would have domestic murderers prowlmg round trying to stcarl tho homes of the people and drive them into the nit ipe LAND QUESTION TO BE REVISED Mr Hogg went on to sav that tho time was rapidly approaching when the land would be redistributed, ihe land question was going to be brought up again in a more formidable form than it had ever previously assumed. Whv was lie a land nationalise!? (as the Loader of tho Opposition termed, him) i He regarded land monopoly as a crime. Mr. Laurenson: Hear, hear. The man who added acre to acre, section to section, starved the people, was essentially a criminal. There must be further land taxation, apd every effort should be made to get tlio workers ou the land. If tlio Government were deposed, the. result would be that those who held. Opposition, views would carve up the Native land amono- themselves. The Government must not, allow Native lands to he <-Tabbed as had been done in the past. ”'hy the Opposition were growling \va\ +hat' the Government 'would mot let tK have the - Treasury Benches. Those who were advocating the umver-

sal freehold were going to have a tax imposed that would make them work their properties, speculate loss, and help labor more. STATE NOTE ISSUE.

Mr. Hogg then defended his recent statements on the question of State issue of banknotes. H e said he did not believe in an inconvertible paper issue. What lie would like to see was that the State instead of a few bank directors should have the power to issue banknotes. The State already issued postal notes, and what he proposed was only an extension of the principle.