The Star. TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 1905. SOME PLAIN SPEAKING.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 8241, 13 June 1905, Page 2

The Star.

TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 1905. SOME PLAIN SPEAKING.

Dfllivored every evening by 6 o'olook in H»wor» Manaia, Noramnby, Okalnwa, Eltham, Manga* »okl, Ktponga, Awntuna, Opunake, Otakenn, Manntah* Alton, Hurleyvflle, Patt», nud Waterier

Lately there has been quite a series of protests from Government- members against, the political heads of Ihe several departments. At Ekctahuna recently tho Government Whip charged Hie Government with a lack of backbone over the land question, and "t he altitude (hen taken up seemod to |»leaho him so well upon reflection that he repealed the statements in Wellington. The occasion was a social gathering of I lie Liberal and Labor Federation at which the Hon. Colonel Pitt represented the Ministry. Probably had Mr Hedckui been present he would have administered a crushing rebuke lo the grumblers, but Colonel Pitt is reported to have replied, in effect, that candid friendship was a good and auanly thing, and he. would muni ion Ihe subject of the giriuvauc-os to the Premier. Mr Hogg appealed to his political leaders to .stiffen their backs on the land question. No mutter who turns aside, the member for Maeterton has still his "back to the door." "Wo are," he said, "on tho eve of a great battle. I'm not frightened of the battle for a, momma. Some of us may [ havo to suffer martyrdom, but- 1 admiro the man' who can laugh at those who try to make a- martyr of him. . . It- is the. timo for our leaders to be fearless. . .* . I trust that our leaders will be quite prepared to go down if necessary for a. lime, knowing Iliad, in the long run right- must, triumph." Tho colony has two coal-mines, slated Mr Hogg a little later on, but how much coal has the GovcrnnnMi'l distributed in tbo City of Wellington? "Tho Government wants lo be slimuhiled, it wants moro backbone, more courage." Otherwise, "wo are not going to have in the future the achievements wo ha.vo had in tin 1 past."' Mr Hogg then put- in a. word lor decentralisation. He described as "it greater reform than any," the application of the Parliamentary franchise to all local body ejections. The whole lands administration could then bo handed over t-o the local bodies elected on this broad franchise. Thus tho people would be their own landlords, the revenue wou'd be expended locally, no one would ask for a better tenure than his own local body gave him, and the cry for the freehold would disappear. Emboldened, it would appear, hy Mr Hogg's courageous outspokenness Mr Allan Orr took up the cry. While giving the Government every thanks for legislation such as had enabled drivers' wages to be raised, he agreed that the Government needed '•more backbone," and "should not be frightened of the few coal-dealers in Wellington," Tho Premier had promised lo have coalyards for distribution of State coal, and this promise should bo kept if the worker was U> have his coal' at a fair price. Jf there wero not shed», a vacant- allotment might Ik: it&iird fur ilimijuuy tlio coal, ;m<l ;t inaii employed to distribute it in binall quantities lo poor people. "I like lo hear people speak out," said the Attorncy-Geu-cral ou ri&ing lo reply, "and they are hue friends of the Government who pointout shortcomings they believe to exist." It was better to speak out, ho thought, than to keep quiet about it, and then vole against the Government at the elections. This "breaking loose" from Ministerial rcstrainl- is rather refreshing, .although it tan hardly make for the solidification ol the parly in power. Colonel Pitt is nut gtvi-ii (o rapinug iiu'iiilxTh ovvr lliv knuckles to keep them in order, luit- the extreme, gvuialily of his reply would bvein to iudicaic'that some apprehension exists regarding the growing independence uf theparty with which Mr Hogg is associated.