MR. A. W. HOGG M.P.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 547, 30 June 1909, Page 9

MR. A. W. HOGG M.P.

ADDRESS TO HIS CONSTITUENTS U IB y. Telegraph.—Special .Correspondon t.)

m a 117 tt , Master ten, Jnno 20 , M r v A. W., Hogg, M.l. for -Masterton; ad.droased .his-'constituents, at the .Town Hall -therb was a crowded -attendance. ; V...

, : .Tho speaker said - that hii reason for : rfci nin S ■ from.v^hovCabinet waa that' Jie^difiered avjth his. cqlleaguca on . certain,- im- ■ pprtant; quesftpna:of ; policy.;: Ho' might kve' oonoealoa^liis: views,, but- preferred -to>'•- be :fTO«.s':fle«A'ai'.jiqi,qn»riel! ( with .the, Cab-' . netjvrand .parted: , pith its ,: members oh ; the . (bestof ."terms, i "'After -tho, advent' of Viand- , settieipni),^when, ! ;tliipes:.becnn,.to. , ,improTe ) : .the,, speculator. and. monopofiat 'camo alongtempting trio settlors to fiell out,' helping- ;the' greedy ..to buy pift their neighbours, and' causmg -tho country >to be .depopulated. Iwads . became linuscd, and public works fell into ruin,, vHe , tjoplorcd the way; in which thp • villages,': and spccial settloinonts ! which: h© had taken -an netu'e part.in 1 - promoting,■ woro allowed; to go:.to wreck; His recent mfc toPongaroa convinccd hmv that; owing to the-aggregation. going on, tho countryjinBtead No .wonder, ho ;tormed -monopoly a .crime.The potty, thief i injured . the. individual, but the monopolist' played havoo with tho whole coni-jniunity.v,:.;^,^.:,,;;:,;;:'-\V-, v Vto- taxation, the. r speaker\'sai,d'' ,that:,tho; remedy v.for,-the' land-grabber :-was ! prescribed by the late . John Ballanco, but, ' for .'eighteoii: vears,':only. a mild dose, of -it .had: been administered;- wliiqh' had ,'littlo or no offwt.v.The Hon.' II.M-Nab's second doSe ;was' not; powerful: enough.: Ho '(the' speaker) had wanted, an improved treatment,., and hence his .departure from tho -Cabinet.V Ha ;■ dewrited-; tho fine land; - which - lie ■-had. seen in ; the Kinp; Country, and expressed disappointment that it was. not prepared properly for settlement-, and was producing no-truo-that the alienation; Native: lunda.^Vas' hedged in by conditions .of various; kinds, these cbpditions' didhot hinder ..'the ?spo£ulator.. from /getting long leases, and keeping tho/land idle;'a*aiting . its improvement - by public, works . at ;thp ;gonoral oxpensol .E.Within - the . laftt ' year ::'on two a : couplo <jf : million acres had been privatoly acquired from the Maori owners. The -speaker,;, strongly.' deprecated these "private dealings,';-' holding that Governmerii should secure tho 'land and treat it as land : - under Hho; Laiids.vf or Settlement, system.. .:> .Mr',;.Hogg: : next'dealt with t-bo various' explanations .respecting the >;causo. of the, de-. pressipri: now previiilingif ln the .interests'of settlors jind farmers ho! had urged, a 'State currency, bccause tho:.Advances to Settlors Offito oould not deal with thocrisis, Ho referred:.to'.Kis experience when, -as. Minister, !for;Lab'our,- lie was besieged by unemployed. Tho letters, which ; /hc'received, were heartrending,' and all he' could do was to refer the,'applicants to the Labour Bureau. They could feelings \when,. after ascertaining .tho requirements of settlors,-'ho re-.. :csiyed^an-'imperative notice i that ',:works, fiiust bb - ; wholly or partially suspended. l He was a Minister for Labour with no work for tho unemployed, and a Minister for Roads with'noVmbney forr.public works,, and ho could not relieve tho situation. Apparently, tho bad times - which the people were experiencing were 'not felt! by . the banks.. and their shareholders. „- The,;., speaker proceeded to. make . roforenco .to'.;State. currenoy, mainly on tho lines of his "Wollingtoa address. . ; V- r.