NEW LABOUR PREMIER

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 127, 2 June 1927, Page 9

NEW LABOUR PREMIER

'■ ■'•■ „ ' '—+ MR. HOCAN, OF VICTORIA SIX FEET FIVE AND A HALF. INCHES IN HEIGHT (From "The Post*" Representative.) SYDNEY, 27th May. Tho leader of the Labour Party in Victoria, Mr. Edward Hogan, known to his friends as Ned, became the southern State's third Labour Premier a few days ago I', —)nr|Mririn»«»wß with three or MB _ . Hnr « u four independ- MR- E> L HoGANente promising him support, Mr. Hogan is hoping that his Government, in office but not in power, will nevertheless last longer than those of his two party predecessors, Mr. Elmslie and Mr. Prendergast. These lasted thirteen days and six months respectively. What sort of a man ib this newcomor among Australian Premiers? Like most Labour Premiers in this country, Ned Hogan worked his way up from the lower rung. Born at Wallace, near Ballarst, in the State he now governs, the future Premier left school at twelve years of age and worked on his father's farm. He drove a team of horses at that age, and did a man's work in the fields even before that. In 1908, being then in his early twenties—Mr. Hogan ■ is not-yet 45-r-he. went to Western Australia and ongaged in timber-getting and prospecting on tho Kalgoorlie goldfield. His public career may be said to have begun when he was appointed in 190.8 one of the firewood workers' delegates in a dispute. That and a subsequent dispute were settled in the men's favour. On the goldfiolds he identified himself with political and athletic matters. After a bout of typhoid he returned to Victoria, soon became a union official, and a couple' of years later was returned to the State Legislative Assembly for a rural constituency, which he has represented ever since. On the goldfields, Mr. Hogau was a big figure, literally and figuratively, at athletics. He stands 6ft 5 Jin in his socks, and his thin build disguises his great strength. But on the goldfields, where men lived by their brawn, he beat all-comers at tossing the caber, throwing the hammer, and pntting the weight. At one athletic meeting ho created an Australian record by putting a 561b weight 21ft 7iin. On his watch chain to this day ho wears a medal won for putting the weight at a Kalgoorlie' meeting in 1911. "If 'Ned' can put through IaWB as well as put the ■weight," said one of his old friends, "he'll make a record succesa of his job." Mr. Hogan's height sooms the greater because of an unruly thatch of hair with an intriguing snow white -patch just above the forehead. An abundant moustache is a added characteristic which will make Mr. Hogan popular with the political cartoonists.