THE LABOUR MINISTER.'

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 407, 16 January 1909, Page 3

THE LABOUR MINISTER.'

DEFINES HIS DUTIES. >-•;MOSTLY "ROADS AND BRIDGES.'' ; "(BY TELEGRAPH.—SFECI At. COJtItKSI'ONDBN'T.) *'■'' 'Napier, January 15. v At the conclusion of.thp gathering in his .hpno.ur' jori- the recreation ground last /even- . ing,.Mr. J., : Vigor Brown, M.P.yientertained the':Hpn.' Mr.. Hogg;.. Mr. 0: Hall, M.P., and room' in'- the Council Chambers.- In replying to the 'tpa'sjs,.of" HTS.. health,the .fipn. llr. Hogg, said' that hisi eleVation to the Ministry:had> come.to;: hijn, totally.', .unsought.. .iln ; - accept-, mg the. position,he .did.'not, seek, anything-,in the way :of emqlunient for himself, but he desired to leave a reppM.behind.him'of last-, ing 'benefit to the; people.; ,Ho was very glad that -he' had been appointed to the position in charge, of roads and bridges,-as,, by means of this Department,, ho would be able, to leave monuments- which!would ,be of . benefit -to -tho settler's.. ,He ,had-some kriowledgP of what .a settler'? life, was, having lived in .the Aus-. .tralian bush before coming to -New Zealand. : ; Hs' ; -toeW , .-.wliat.'ilie settlers; : h'ad to ■ put- tip. with in .places where there was no communicationwith, the- outer world; where theyisaw-.the;-same faces;day,after day, and'; livih'g;;becaihe' a; dreary monotony. He' wished < to remove, this ! 'isolation by roading .the backblocks. ' ; " • •' ■' • ,