MR. HOGG EXPLAINS

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 543, 25 June 1909, Page 7

MR. HOGG EXPLAINS

WHY HE RESIGNED. be "tongue-tied, cacced, ' v '" : and muzzled." 'a resolution of approval '"Mr. A. TV. Hogg, ox-Minister for Labour and for Roads and Bridges, addressed a meet- > ing in tho Town Hall last night to explain the circumstances wluch led to his retirement from,tho Ministrj'j and to expound his views ori\ the land and currency questions. The large hall was well filled, and Mr. Hogg had a very good hearing. Mr, D. M'Laren, M.P., presided, and was supported by Messrs P. J. O'Regan and W. S. Bedford ' I The'.< chairman said that Mr Hogg had ' taken a fine stand on two of the greatest questions of tho 1 day—how the land should be.' sottled, and what medium of exchange we' should have so as to properly employ tho multitude of our peoplo At tho present time we had labour power in abundance— much of it regrettably idle—and we had land enough to spare. Mr. Hogg would bo ablo . to,show how these might be brought together with tho aid of a utilisation of tho national credit. Theso woro the basic principles iipon which the Labour movement and any movement of progress must rest. (Applause ) >' ' MR. HOGC'S SPEECH. , Mr. Hogg, who, on rising to speak, was lpridly applauded and cheered, said "I need ( noi tell you how sweet the music which I just listened to sounds in my /oars It is the 1 voice of the peoplo, and you know r that tho voice of the peoplo is the \oice of God V (Renewed appfauso ) He had been t*ld"that it was his first duty to explain hit conduct to his, constituents,' but after ntore than a quarter of n century's exponenco with his constituents, ho thought they knew him ivell, and ho was iatished that they would not chaUongo him for selecting tho largest hall in the centre of New Zca- > land i for tho purpose lof expounding vieue TTp.icb|Tvero lifelong ivith him, and which he beld to be of infinite importance to tho whole people, Presently, he would be told, perhaps, the proper time to*speak and what ho ought to say, but he "as not in the habit of being dictated to. (Applauso) ,i , \ Not the Slave of a Party. , > ' "it , had been said that he had always been a ( 'etrong party man, but those who sajd tbatj'did not know him or his political histtory-' When first returned to Parliament, \ h6 was bound to no> politician and to no party vHe had aha}a insisted on having a luce hand to he thought good He had never Deen'the -slave of a party, aHd he nover would be (Applaiiße ) In. his he. bad been supported almost ae much from the Opposition as from tho " Government side, beoause even those who , ,were opposed to ha viens, behoved that he Was honest and fearless, and would not bc'ti4y tbeir interests Ho had claimed the v right to t think and to speak out Ins con- ' victions 20, all honesty | and it was because he still claimed that right that he occupied , the. position that he did that evening. (AnI plause) To vary Shakespeare, he would /Wither be. a toad and lire upon the ' vajxrar of.- a dungeon, than be , a', "Minister,'* tongue-Hed, gagged, and muzzled—oven for £1000 a jear. (Applause) His name might bo Hogg—(laughter)—butho n6t gomg to bo led behind any man liko , ft.pnw) bnll at a v oattlo fair witfr a rrng tbVough his nose. Ho wished to speak'that eybnrag of two great qnoetrone—land and currency. If he bad ever been proud of anything ihe nas proud of having by one simple act focusaed the attention of the people on thoso two momentous questions.' One might make tons of speeches, and write for 'r years in the papers, but one saonficial act , would do more-.to attract public attention than all tho other efforts of 3,lifetime (Applause.) The bttlo act ho hnd performed was likely to hasten forward tho splendid period i when l the people of this and other countries , would hive their rights demonstrated His tows' on the land question bad been implanted in him during the early years. < > Fighting tho Monopolist. r 'When he came forward ae a public ropre--1 BCTitative in Ifew Zealand he was associated ,• with such, men as Mr, Ballance, Sir John ~ M'Kenzie, and Mr. W. P. Reeves—(applause) —who were Using their best endeavours to place ,the workisg men on the Land, so that »' labour and lands dionld be wedded Those

men. had to fight the capitalist in the early ; dnyi 'just as, others wero hghting the monopolist r ' and capitalist now. After further reference to t 4he previous history, of the land question, Mr. Hogg went on to say that l it i was said that he was in favour of paper money The country had been flooded , ffitl} paper money., and tho people had been 1 ' paying for it dearly. How many of thoso bright l home3 of a few years ago worh in tho country now? They had had prosperity, but aftpr prosperity camo monopoly. (Applause.) Wool and sheep advanced in price, and families began to disappear, because they wre'bought out by the agent pf thocapi--1 tslist How many transfers had been sanctioned by the Land Boards In ■Wellington and eisowbero, and hpw many of those holdings had been aggregated and amalgamated o Tho little townships were falling into decay Here * "and there were rusted engines, the only remains of prosperous\butter,factories. Dairy farms sof a few years back were now sheep walks, iand roads were falling into disuse. Thote had beon settlement and plenty of land transfers, but there had been no progress • the land transactions of tho past few years * might bo likened to tho turning of a treadmill—-there was no forward movomont. *' v Native Lands. •" In the King Country there were thousands of acres cryiug out for settlement, and producing nothing but strong bracken. Here was material to build hundreds of home- ' steads, yet the land was virtually unsettled, 'l'he Government had purchased a small block here and there, but they had never been oponed up. * Meanwhile, tho Maons were leasing their lands privately for 21->ear terms, and befdre the term was tip the land would bei, ' dome' tho property of tbo lessees, who were mostly speculators. ("Shamol") This land ought to bo the heritage of tho people. (Applause.) He had said he w.ould try to / get .it, opened up. It t had been stolen. Ihose private dealings in Native land were a flagrant injustice to every man and woman in ..the' country. (Applause.) People talked of, "gridiromng," in tho early days of Canterbury, and similar exploitation in Wairarapa and Eawke's Bay, but the presentday dealings in Native lands were the same kind of thmg. Tho Land Monopolist a "Criminal." ■It was because he saw people starving orf the streets and roads, tvhilo the cattk

were fattening in the paddocks which the people dared sot enter, that ho regarded tfte land monopolist flho was scooping up the land and buying out the little fanners ail. a criminal. Tho best weapon to use against Such men was tho graduated land tax, which was like & manure that actually compelled production. (Applauso) Ho was delighted when bo saw a number of small, prosperous farms, but the man who joined farm to faim, in one hngo property, was Dtft.a respectable member of tho community, and ought to have tho broad arrow stamped on his baok (Applauso.) He honoured Mr, M'Nab for getting tho tax increased, but a beginning should have been made lower doivn tho scale of properties. > The Cause of His Resignation. It was because he had, Within tho last few , days, expounded those views, that he had fallen out with the Ministry. (A Voice • That's it!) Tlio tax was now being evaded by tho pretence of subdividing big properties .among tho relatives of the owners. Valuations were complained of by those who were formerly able to starve the valuers into submission, and it looked as though they rmghfc got their own way again, for, ivith the amalgamation of! the Valuation Department, t and the Advances to Settlers Department, the valuers who had been fairly appreciating property were going to be retrenched for tho benefit of tho big landowners Both ' those Departments were epparcntlyjoing to be throttled in company.

Tho Advanora to Settlers Department had been for tho last two years in about a state of collapso, and had not been doing half tho good it ought to havo dono for tho producing community Increased Currency Wanted. Tnrniug to tho currencj question, Mr Hogg remarked that when a reduction came in the vahto of their products, a rush for moucy was made on tho Advances to Settlors Office, which becamo paralysed Boceuing application's daily from his own constituents for advances on their properties, ho asked tho Government to borrow monov and como to tho relief of tho Advances to Settlors Office (Applause) Ho nsked that the currency should be increased If tho banks could not do it, tho Government should have come to tho rescue If this could havo been accomplished a year (.go, it would have relieved tho farmers, and would have helped tho country's commerce For many years ho had advocated a State note issue, and, when he spoKe of this, tho Farmers' Union got up and said, "Hog? wants to spread worthless paper all over the country " Ho wanted nothing of tho Kind, but ho considered that, if a few bank directors could be entrusted to issue paper monev in this country, surely I tho peoplo themselves, tho Government, could bo entrusted with the pnviI logo of a note issue (Applause) I In Canada authority had been gn on to jssuo State notes to an unlimited extent Hotvover, tbero must bo a reservo in gold, for six millions, up to 25 per cent, and for I more than si\ millions tho reserve was 15 i per-cent If snch steps had been taken in Now Zeahnd a year ago the stringency would havo e\ aporated like the morning mist in i tho sunshine. (Applause) With a State note issue, the Advances to Settlers Dopai tmont need not have gono short There was now, 1 as then, plenty of money in tho country Their settlers nerd not havo been mustered liko sheep to be shorn by the I usurer, tho monoy-lendor, and tho mortgagee I "Our Views do not Correspond."

After dealing mth tho question of bank profits, Mr. Hogg said "Why detached myself from the Cabinet? Simply because our mows did not correspond on' some vory vital questions (Applause) Ono is the suppression of aggregation and land menopolj Theso aro things that I have always opposed, havo constantly bittlcd with, and as long as I live I intend to battle, against thorn." (Applause) As Minister for Labour tho dutioe he had had ,to perform were hcartrondinc; Ho had been besieged in the street and at his office bj men and women, and all he could do was to send them along to iho Labour Department, whoro he know their names would bo registered without tho slightest hope of their Retting employment. It had been ono of the most trjuig ordeals of bis life, and he hoped ho would ■never again have such an experience In such a country as this thero should not be sucn a thing a-s a willing and ' idle hand, (Applause) If tho land wero properly distributed, there would be no lack of employment, destitution would bo prevented, and vice and crime would be eradicated (Ap , - plause.) But tho peasant had been placed I in a false position, and tho monoy-lendor had had the koy to tho situation Many settlers all over tho country uero simplj working for •jibe mortgagee, paying him nine and ten per cent For some time the financiers had been putting tho screw on tho working settlors, and tho monopolists had been bujing them out To chango this, he relied on education, and chiefly "ducation from the platform. . There won a great cry for jnstico in this oonntrj, hut the settlers must unite and fight foi themselves. \ / Critics and Sympathisers. Mr Hogg went on to correct an' Auckland critic, who had stated that ho regarded''freeholders an criminals Ho. had freeholders as well as leaseholders among his personal friends, and the criminal was not the freeholder but t) e monopolist, who bought up tho land of the people. Ho had had piles of, lotters and tele,jrams from all tho Dominion approving of his action Ho had hoped to do much, for the sottler by means of tho Roads Department,' but ho hoped his work ftould be continued His administration of the Labour Department had been harmonious with all interests Sneaking of the Government; retrenchment scheme, ho said that while ho agreed with, superannuation of the aged on liberal terms, thoro shonld bo no necossity for cutting down the young branches that wore doing good and efficient work. (Hear, hear) In Conclusion. He hoped ho had satisfactorily explained his conduct (Applause ) Ho had nover had an unpleasant word with a Minister. Ho had no grievance, but in matters of principle bo was not going to budgo a solitary inch—not if it ccet him his lite. (AppLtusc) This was a glorious land, with good schools, and tho children tvere not going to put up with what tho presout generation had endured Ho suggested the formation of a land and labour leaguo New Zealand had slackened in the pace of reform, but sho must not fall

into the background. (Applause.) In conclusion, Mr. Hogg expressed hearty thanks for the reception accorded him A PROPOSED NATIONAL CAMPAIGN. Tho chairman read a letter from Hr. Robert Hogg, expressing good wishes jn Connection witlrtho meeting" (Appl.iuso) Tho working men who had promoted tho meeting (continued the chairman), and who had put their handb in their pockets for the purpose, did notwant the movement to stop; thorp. Thoy invited assistance for a national platform campaign. Mr. P. J _, O'Rcgan moved. "That this meeting heartily thanks Mr. ,flogg for his address, and is of opinion that in resigning his position as a | Minister in deference to nis convictions bo has acted in a manner worthy of tho I highest commendation." ,' , i This was secondod by Mr. AV. M'Lean, and carried by acclamation. Atter thanks to the chairman, and moro' apDlauso and cheering, the meeting dispersed, i \ A WORD OF APPROVAL. At a well-attended meeting of tho Hutt branch' of tho New Zealand Single Tax League, held on Tuesday evening, tho following resolution was earned.—"That thi3 meeting cordially endorses tho candid troths uttered by tho Hon. A. W. Hogg, m his famous speech on the land question, end heartily congratulates him upon hie steadfast adherence to Liberal principles, and nis honest and manly action in resigning his Ministerial office rather than support a policy of sham-Liberalism. Also that this meeting strongly urges tho trade unionists, Socialists, and fciingle lasers throughou- the Dominion to federate for tho purpose of securing land reform, and a just distribution of the national earnings, and is of opinion that the only way m which the wage-earners can obtain common justice, is by uniting, in one strong league, and contributing a small weokly sum towards a candidate's election oxpenses fund, to enable them to put up the best Labour advocate obtainable in each constituency, as a candidate at the nost general election."