AFTER THE BATTLE.

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 December 1911, Page 3

AFTER THE BATTLE.

SOME FALLEN FIGHTERS.

PERSONAL PEN PICTURES

fBX TELEGBAi’H —SPECIAL TO THE STAB.]

WELLINGTON, This Day

The law of averages decrees that nearly one-third of tile members of the New Zealand House of Representatives shall go out of otiice at each triennial period. Their retirement is not put to the inexorable law, but the result is the same, and it has been exemplified even more strongly this year, when many old Parliamentarians have been wrenched out of the familiar place auu have no further part in the working oi the legislative machine. MR HOGG.

After eleven years of whole hearted service for the people in Parliament, Mr W. A. Hogs has had to go into retirement, broken in health if not in spirit. Friend and enemy will miss his burly form and hearty voice. His retirement reminds me that he had the reputation of providing the best humorous contribution to the annual mock parliament ever remembered. A Maori representative almost totally devoid of capacity for understanding English and a hot supporter of the Seddon Party determined to take part in the Parliamentary frolic on the last day of tire session, when for an hour while legislators waited for "The other place” to pass the Appropriation Bill, a sham Speaker took the chair arm the emblem of authority was ashillalairhly. Mr Hogg volunteered to interpret, and h:s Maori friend got under way upon Iris only theme, the good ness and generosity of the Pakeha oovernment in power. He utilised all the arts of the Maori orator to paint tin picture glowingly, and felt sure he ha succeeded for me r rerun r looked im mensely pleased, and tire whole House even the Opposition warmly applauded, but alas for the unsophisticated Maori member ,the honest friend he so admired had "translated” everything upside down. He had been represented as expressing a fervent wish to bring about a horrible end t-> the Government and the Premier, also lh. political disappearance of "'lire Louu Demagogue Mr Hogg. ’ "V arious reasons were given by the “translator, who borrowed freely from the Opposition repertoire, and it was a, vert angry Maori who subsequently became disillusioned in the lobby. THE WHOLE LABOR PAR 11. The fact that he was. the solitary representative of the official Labor Part) in last Parliament seemed to oppress Mr McLaren wifh a sense of rvspon sibility. David McLaren’s “Hansard reports are crammed with solid des nuisitions upon economic rights ane wrongs. He preferred the battering ram k> the rapier. He found a, sympathetic comrade in the late Mr 1. E. Taylor, and some of the Liberals, bin as an Independent his was a lonely political existence. However, the exmember for Wellington East obtained a lot of satisfaction for the work. Hr closely followed every move of tin political game. In committee he waran exceedingly useful member, <>nt. where there was much work to do oui of the limelight “the whole labour party” was always to be found. After nearly three years in a hard school McLaren’s ways softened. He began to appreciate the attenuated humor which does duly in Parliament and helps tc sustain a somewhat dreary existence, while his power to hold an audience and strike home smartly at a _ critical interrupter developed amazingly. Cradled in "a rough stern school of life, and regarding Parliament as a means for the achivement of a serious purposi he went there to work and not for purposes of social prestige and enjoyment THE LATE OPPOSITION WHIP. Parliament loses'a genial personal ity as a result of the Liberal win n Selwyn. The ex-member (Mr C. A. C Hardy) was senior Opposition Whip and absolutely untiring in keeping lin team up to the mark. His methods, were sometimes quaint. He kept a large supply of sweetmeats in a capacious pocket, and “sweetened” friend and foe with impartiality. For many years he held the title of “The Silent Member” sustaining that rare honor from 1889. until 1908, when hi s storekeeping experience made him talkative on the tariff, and he lost his reputation. “Being somewhat unaccustomed to public speaking,” as the amateui orator put it Mr Hardy helped out his statements with practical demonstrations, a display of brushes and bill hooks being made to an astonished house one evening. On another occas ion he adorned hi R speech with an illustration borrowed from Bellamy’s—a box of cigars—and ha incautiously took it into the Press gallery to prov, his point. There “his evidence” evaporated. Gossip had it that Mr Hardy did not approve of a certain local bill he was asked to pilot through the House. Recognising his duty r.s the representative of h:s district, he loyally accepted the uncongenial task. The secret of his antagonism to tin measure the “fathered’ came to the knowledge of half a dozen parliamentary colleagues, who affected to hotly oppose the Bill, thus forcing its uncon verted champion to defend it, with equal vigor. After an hour or two of well stimulated obstruction the ob lectors kindly allowed Mr Hardy to get bis unwelcome Bill through Committee.