THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 1909. MR HOGG'S RETIREMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3221, 19 June 1909, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 1909. MR HOGG'S RETIREMENT.

Although it was known a week ago that the Premier was far from pleased with the conduct of his colleague, the Hon. A. W. Hogg, at the same time it was not thought that the disagreement would be so serious as to lead to Mr Hogg retiring from the Cabinet. Considerable surprise was, therefore, expressed in Maafcerton yesterday morning when it became known that the Premier had discharged a "painful and unpleasant" duty, or, in other words, that Mr Hogg had resigned his portfolios. A great deal of sympathy, and rightly extended sympathy too, in our opinion, will be felt with the Member for Masterton by adherents of both political parties in this district. His speeches and Ministerial conduct generally will be much criticised, and even at the hands of some of his supporters he will be condemned, but although we do not share Mr Hogg's political views, and regard some of them as being both absurd and dangerous, yet we contend that he has been most unfairly treated by the Premier, Mr Hogg may have talked rather freely, but the punishment should "fit the crime." To force him to abandon Ministerial rank, and to declare that he is "radically at variance with the policy of the Government," and, practically, to deprive him of all party standing and influence, because he delivered a few characteristic speeches, seems to us to be most unjustifiably harsh treatment, and an action on the part of Sir Joseph Ward that will not add many to the number of his friends. The Premier must have heard Mr Hogg express similar views on many previous occasions, and, moreover, the Cabinet contains men who hold absolutely conflicting views on most vital questions. For instance, we believe that the Hon. G. Fowlds is a singlc-taxer. If this be the case may we ask why Mr Fowlds, too, has not resigned from the Cabinet. It appears that the speeches which have given offence related to a State paper currency and land tenure and taxation of land, and in this connection it is worth noting that Mr Hogg was neither Minister for Finance, nor for Lands, and he was, therefore, speakirg on questions outside of his de-

partments, and would, we should imagine in the ordinary course of events, be deemed to be speaking in but a general way. Judging from comments in the Wellington morning papers, Mr Hogg is credited with possessing radical views of a very "advanced" character on the land question. The "Dominion"newspaper, for instance, remarks: "He has been one of the most bitter ana determined opponents of the freehold in the Government party." As a matter of fact Mr Hogg is. we believe, a leaseholder, rather than a freeholder, but, if we remember rightly, the member for Masterton told the electors, during the progress of last General election, that he was not opposed to the freehold tenure provided there was limitation of areas. As we recently remarked, the i member for Masterton clothes his

arguments, on occasions, in very strong language—his speech on Saturday last is an excellent example — and it is now apparent that what an ordinary member may do with impunity is an indiscretion of a very grave character in a Minister. The Premier, however, should have known —and must have known —all about Mr Hogg's political opinions, or principles, and it is unquestionably hard on the member for Masterton that he should have been elevated to Ministerial rank only to retire so ; quickly afterwards.