HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 564, 20 July 1909, Page 2

HUTT AND PETONE NEWS.

(From Our Special Reporter.)

ADDRESS BY ME, A. W. HOGG. : Mr. A. W. Hogg, ex-Ministor for Labour, addrcssod a crowded meeting at the Oddfellows' Hall, Potoue,.last night.. The Mayor (Mr. J. W. M'Jiwan) presided, and briefly introduced : the speaker. Mr. Hogg spoko oh similar lilies to those of jus Waiignnui addrofw.- Ho commenced by stat- ■ ing that every evil wo know is associated with • the monopoly of land aud wealth. Only for this, tho world would lie nearer paradise than, it is, the problem of crime'would be solved, and , there would be no need to send prisoners to tree-planting camps. They might have heard, ho continued, of the Hod puMic-honoo system. Workers resented this, but had they , heard about tied farms? There were a-lot of these in New Zealand, and a great many in this district.. In these coses farmers were only nominal owners, being compelled to purchase everything from tho big men, and tho little shopkeepers had to go without. It was, therefore, : no wonder that .country townships dwindled. Hβ attributed tho ■ financial depression to tho , feroat profits made by the money-lenders, Who hold men by tho throat, instead of helping thenn The Advances to Settlers' office - had , been drained, and tho n>oney-lcndorß. raised iy their rates of interest. As a measure of relief, ho'. had suggested a State currenoy, and thus fol-O. low tho oxamplo of enlightened countries. The speaker then read a letter from a Pctona. worker suggesting the iomation of an Indo^ , : pendent Labour party, and added that.it gave ; him much satisfaction to see how Labour was ■ combining. He would bo speaking from Auckland to Dunedin, and lib would ronse, if he could possibly manage it, all tho workers to! do some lasting Denofit not only, to themselves, but to the whole community. : (Hear, hear.); It was not for want of capital that the; financial stringency occurred; but owing to. the'conduct' of those, who: held capital, and, if the people would only rise and. dp their duty ; an<3'com- v bine, they jwould be bound to achieve some-', thing -which, perhaps,,they Uttle, anticipated now in the shape of prosperity,- , '■■"'■'■ , MrMV.B. Nicholson moved that tkie large ■ and representative' meeting- of : citizens of P*tone records its high appreciatiott of; th« action, , of Mr. Hogg , in' resigning 'from , the Ministry ' rather than eubverti his principles. ,:••; . v Mr. D/ MTaren, M.P., - said; that he felt qiiite confident that' a political ohange was in' the,air right- down the, country, and-was coming.'. It.vas time that 'the mass of.the people V got together, • formed a labour federation,- r and - electea menlike Mr. Hoge, who, would act o» -~-. principle- for tho good- of: the conntryiae -i '.whole.--'•: '.' ■'' r : ■■' ■ ■".- '■■'-.; ; :--.' ■':■' ■'.'"■■"■.■/■'.:'■■:■ ■'-.. . Theßev. A. Thomson enpported the'moHoa, '. which was carried; unanimously. ' : : ;; ;; PETONE 'POLICE COUET. (, .P : /' r A sitting: of the. Maeistrate'e 1 Conit wee'held at Potone yesterday, before Dr. A. M'Arthur, : S.M., and Mr. E. W. Short* J.P. :; f . - ••■ A number of old'age pensions .were granted, ,; Charges of being drunk; and disorderly"on , i the platform of the railway etdiion, and with.' throwing, his swag in. front, of ; anjncoming : . train, "were preferred'against •' ■ who, oh undertaking to return , 'to the'doun-•'.-try,. -was rconvicted ■ and discharged.; -~ ir| • ; ii-; ; -- ; -. ■ . .James Ashby. was-charged; with- , being th« owner .of an unregistered^dog, , and was, fined, 55.; with costs (7s.) v !, r : 'v : : . ■ .-".','■ .; i' , ■';'A'charge ; bf receiving wood, knowing it tahave ' been: J stolen,. was preferred ■ against . a woman named .Harriet Broad. The case was ; dismissed.'' ,;; .. , ;■: '■■■;■'■:■ :-■'"■■,■ "' : ''' ■'■!; '■\:;':. : ..: ■ , Two lade were' deajts with at a ■ sitting of; tho !■ Juvenile -'Court ,- 'in 'coiinection with the V same case. Tho offenders'were admonished bj' ; the' Bench. ; ■ . y ; .:.-. r; vy.r :: .■ ; --- , i r J' ; ; ;;';-l-.:' ; -: : a -liTOttings.v■■';•■,'^: : f"^% : , The'E«man Catholic; Mother/ProvincialV.will, iliay -. a visit to Petone next; week to .transact.: . business'in oonnectiori ' with the new chapel. , Messrs. H; J.'. H. 'Mliott, , ' J. Wilkins;: J. ';; Cudby, J.P.'s, presided over a sitting of tm] 'Police Court at' Lower Hutt yesterday, W. A; Barney',, was charged ", with ' stealing": tirnbei- ' valued-at- «C 3 -the' property -of-. Kiohard'-*'-80nd,,; builder.- Ho : was . ooavicted.'. and > dis«' • charged. ''.:.■ ;i':,\- : \'.l:. !^• ■'■ A meeting of the Hutt, Park. ,: ,held last ; niglit-ftt;Lower Hutt,-,.Mr.^H.-,Bald':,; win , presiding."''Arrangeihents- yrere ; inade '-tsx - .the'ebservance of. Arbor Day;'',.-. . „,, ' r ;.'::.'Vx...