SPEECH BY MR. HOGG, M.P.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 591, 20 August 1909, Page 6

SPEECH BY MR. HOGG, M.P.

NATIVE DEPARTMENT CRITICISED,

','DEAF, DUMB; AND BLIND."

ißy.'TeieErapk—Special Oo.rreaDondoDt.) '■ ■ '■.-•'; Eketaliuna,; August" 18 . Mr, A. W. -fiogg, Jil.P.j ■ addrcssod a meeting, at Eketa-huna,on' Tuesday 'evening on the political situation and other • matters. There Were about fifty, present, and ilie Mayor (Air/ E. Pago) occupied tho chair. Mr. Hogg .said ho would divert somewhat from politics and- give those present a brief sketoh of. the'visits he had made to variouß districts ', while. he held office a6"a Ministorof die Crown.: He said he had,promised- '.lie King- Country people .during a visit ■ that when, ho returned to Wellington he would make -the city'; and "Parliament ring with their, drawback's. ' He.;found some ' of. -> he richest country ever seen, with soil, capablu of 'growing . any . cereals,, locked', lip: agauist labour.' ;. The. best. of the .land was' picked out by astute dealers. " This kind ,of thing was' 'going 'on, arid the : outsido,world know nothing • about < it. Over two million acres had. been, taken , , up in this , , manner.; In W:ellingtou he found \th'e industrial conditions in a-bad way. He tried to be hopeful ' and cheerful,- but each-meeting , of' Cabinet-filled hun;. with, -dismal forebodings. Clouds darkened the'industrial arena, labourers' werb begging for- work, and .settlers begging for money." On top.of: this came: Departmental retrenchment. Ch4l. servants/. ''with wives and families, were turned, adrift at- a time when work was unattainable. Gangs'of, men were turned off , the. roads for wbich settlers w-ere craving', arid iwcll-traiued overseers and inspectors were retired. He had. his instructions,'.' but he was made of. softer stuff , than, adamant. ' In the streets' he was assailed by workers begging' almost for bread. Much'.had- been. heard of ,tho condition of workers in the Old Country, ~but even in New Zealand somo of -the best workers were living, 'on: starvation wages; The state of; the labour market -gave him greater concern .than tbe evil designs of Germany or the gift of Dreadnoughts. When Parliament assembled,, and when he was assailed by the Opposition, lie would have something to say about land monopoly and restricted currency. , He hoped that many of those, present had read iri "Hansard" the speech that was' responsible , for his retirement. The capitalistic press' howled, and he had it on good authority that certain Government' supporters • stormed, ; and threatened, and even interviewed the Prime Minister, .who had asked for hie resignation, and - without, the least hesitation' ho had handed it.in. There- was no compulsion- as had been ■ suggested,- and not-"the-, slightest reluctance" on his. part.- Tho mere suggestion.that, at variance with the Ministry Was quite sufficient. • He -refused 'to sacrifice his principles'.- .Hβ had been inundated, with':telegrams ; and- corigxatulationsi He had a file of-telegrams several J inches deep, and : he-seriously considered;having it bound so as to- shako in' the faces.. of the Opposition when they .met in Parliament .They all kno\v that he (the spealcer) had done the , best ho 'could "to;get 'Native , lands on the northern and southern boundaries'of Eketahuna Ojpened for'settlement, also large estates on'itne coast. When- the people refused to-sell at*a reasonable price'it was not.'his. fault. ■■-. The. Native Depart-riierit, hod been deaf, dumb, and blind, and' ho regretted that nothing had.-come, of his agitation. Numerous pr6nuses liad , been made-by the Native ••Minister, but not one'had.'been fulfilled. It had been saidthat lib wae ansiouo to load an independent-party,-that he" at-tflnded-Socialistic.meetings; and was ■ a Socialist. There was not; an-atom.of -truth- in those statements. Thcrewosa , party hting formed in. the country, riot in Parliament, and that was a party of workers.' ■ .- "'■■. j