PREMIER AND MINISTER FOR LABOUR,

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3217, 15 June 1909, Page 5

PREMIER AND MINISTER FOR LABOUR,

A DISAGREEMENT. By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, June 13. In the course of an interview tonight, Sir Joseph Ward was asked by a "New Zealand Times" representative if he desired to make any statement upon the speech delivered in the House on Saturday by Hon. Mr Hogg. Sir Joseph said he had heard only a portion of the speech, but what he did hear expressed the views neither of himself nor of his colleagues.

"NO UNPLEASANTNESS IN THE CABINET." By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, June 14. : Speaking to a "Post" reporter, this afternoon, on the subject of his Address-in-Reply speech, the Hon. A. W. Hogg said: "As far as lam concerned my position with my colleagues is totally unchanged. I know nothing of any unpleasantness whatever in the Cabinet."

MR HOGG AS A HUMORIST. Mr Hogg made some remarks in lighter vein during the debate on the Address-in-Reply on Saturday. He denied that the Ministerial members were dumb dogs. There was, however, a great difference between the Opposition and Government members. On the first side they would hear all the growls, and on the other all the appreciative barks. (Laughter). He had been called by the Leader of the Opposition a fly in amber, and he was quite content to occupy that position at present. He was afraid that the Leader of the Opposition was a fly out of amber, and was disappointed at seeing him enshrined, because there was such a broad line of difference between them on every subject. (MrMassey: "Thank Heaven"). He had not been surprised at his elevation to Ministeriaijrank, because he was not sur prised at anything; and he had never solicited it. He had never acted the part of the caterpillar on the gooseberry bush, creeping ana ciawling. Later on Mr Hogg referred to the Opposition seats as "those miserable benches where all the growling of the djmb dogs is heard." (A member: "How do dumb dogs bark?") "Sir," went on Mr Hogg, "they can't become flies in amber. (Mr Massey: I don't want to). Mr Hogg continued, that when Mr Massey's hope was realised, and Sir Joseph Ward was Leader of the Opposition, as a fly in amber he would remain stationary. Imuiediately afterwards Mr Hogg declared that he was "not a fixed planet," but moved round among the farmers. Returning to his earlier metaphor, he declared, "the. Leader of the Opposition would prefer to see me, not in amber, but in molasses, where there might be a chance of my being drowned."—"Dominion."

The talk of the lobbies since Saturr day has been the Address-in-Reply speech delivered by the Hon. A. W. Hogg, Minister for Labour. Dealing with the land question, he remarked that the landowners were like Mephistopheles following Faust —as men who were delighted to see the swagger and the sundowner again going about the country, because they could make their harvest out of them. One of the causes of the present distress wasthe lack of money. The 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/inte'rest. They hated New Zealand, they hated its Government. The reason was 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 his opinion, the curse of New Zealand. There were, in consequence, of the action of the large landowners, families in misery, who were deprived of the comforts of life. The time was rapidly approaching when the land would be redistributed. The land question was going to be brought up again in a more formidable form than it had ever previously assumed. He regarded land • monopoly as a crime. There must be further land taxation, and every effort should be madejl to get the workers on the land. gThose who were opposing the universal freehold were going to have a tax imposed that would make them work their properties, speculatejjless, and help labour more. As to the State note issue, he said that what he would like to see was that the State should have the power to issue bank notes.

Under the heading "An Indiscreet Minister" the "New Zealand Times" has the following:—"ln all walks of life discipline is essential. Even the private individual finds it impolitic to speak always as he thinks, and though what in a corporal is a choleric word is in a private flat blasphemy, it invariably happens that the higher t.he responsibility the greater the need for discretion. Mr Hugg, the new Minister of Labour, doesjnot seem to have realised this fact. He has overlooked the Japanese proverb that "the mouth is the front gate of all misfortune." By his more recent utterances he has precipitated a • crisis. His speech on Saturday has called for censure from the head of the Government. The new Minister's heterodox views do not meet with the approval of his colleagues. Mr Hogg must either discipline himself or adopt an obvious

alternative. As a private member he could as heretofore enjoy absolute freedom of expression without the restraint of This latest incident will be taken by certain critics as indicating a disruption "in the Government camp." it is merely an indication that obtrusive individuality can cause as much embarrassment in a Cabinet as in an army, on board a ship, or amongst the directors of a public or private company. We regret the indiscretion of Mr Hogg, because he has rendered grand service to democracy in New Zealand in a number of ways, and because we regard him as thoroughly honest and well-inten-tioned. But when from his place on he Ministerial benches he advocates impracticable schemes and outlines radical reforms which his colleagues have neither considered nor endorsed, he places both himself and Cabinet in a false position._ The Prime Minister's pointed indication to the' Minister of Labour, ia that this sort of thing cannot go on." The "Lyttelton Times," referring to the Minister of Labour's speech in the House on Saturday, says:— "Mr Hogg appears to have talked like an irresponsible demagogue seeking notoriety, by attacking lardowners. capitalists and every one else who had accumulated a little wealth under the existing economic system. Then he betrayed the depth of his own ignorance of the elements of banking and banking reform, regardless of the fact that his wild ideas might be seriously credited to the Government itself. It is not pleasant to have to condemn a Minister at the outset of his career, but Mr Hogg has left us no alternative. He has angered the whole Liberal party, and it is obvious that his presence in the Ministry must strain the loyalty of sane and cautious men, who have no desire to be regarded as supporters of hare-brained and ill-considered schemes. It seems to us that he alone can repair the damage he has done, and that he can do this all the speedier by retiring from the position for which he has shown himself so poorly qualified."

The "Otago Daily Times" says 'The Minister for Labour is simply irresistible. By his .blundering speeches he seems to justify the fears of Ministerialists that the Government cannot safely be trusted to catry on the business of Parliament during Sir Joseph Ward's absence."