THE MEMBER FOR MASTERTON

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3086, 7 January 1909, Page 4

THE MEMBER FOR MASTERTON

After many years of service as a member of Parliament, Mr A. W. Hogg ha 3 attained to Ministerial rank, an I his inclusion in the Ministry will, certainly, be most popular in this electorate. We congratulate Mr Hogg upon his appointment, and it is certainly pleasing to realise that the Member for Masterton is a Minister of the Crown, holding important portfolios. As Minister f(.r Labour, Mr Hogg has unques-tioi-ably "a hard row to hoe," but we have no doubt that he will do his best to discharge his duties successfully. A-t Minister for Roads and Brieves he will be quite at name. During the campaign which preceded last election, Mr Hogg expresses the opinion that this electoral -■ had not been fairly treated by the Government in the matter of closer settlement. Now, however, we take it that past acts of injustice will speedily ba swept away so far a& it is possible to rectify the errors of the past. Mr Hogg has been chosen by the Premier, who is Minister for Lands, to fill a most important portfolio, and he should, therefore, be in a position to have his own way in the matter of land settlement in this eleccorate. Mr Hogg can assist labour in Masterton in no better way than by increasing the extent of settlement in the. surrounding districts. Another question too will, we hope, claim the earnest attention and action of the new Minister for Labour. The Hon. A. W. Hogg has, we believe, expressed himself as being in favour of country industrial districts. The proposal that country districts should settle their own labour disputes has always appealed to us as being of an eminently fair ! character, and if country districts freed from the city agitator nuisance in industrial labour questions they would have, every reason to admire the Minister for Labour. We trust that Mr Hogg's work, as Minister for Labour, will be of advantage to the whole Do - minion, and that when retiring time arrives he will have the consolation of knowing that he has, as a Minister, performed valuable work in

the interests of the Dominion, which he has served for ao many years as a member of Parliament.