THINKING FOR THEMSELVES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 6749, 22 February 1909, Page 2

THINKING FOR THEMSELVES

A MINISTERS OPTIMISM. LABOUR WORKING TOWARD THE EIGHT GOAL. The honest intentions of Labour and the tendency toward a more harmonious relationship between master and man wore stoutly proclaimed by the Minister of Labour, Hon. A. W. Hogg, in the course of a speech at the Mayoral reception at Lower Hutt on Saturday. ,Mr Hogg claimed te. have always had a deep sympathy with Labour—he had been a worker himself from bbyhood. They were often told that enmity was being engendered between master and worker by the trend of legislation. He did not believe this. He believed they were not at all likely to return to the “bad old times” of disputation • and recrimination. The tendency was toward making easier the, amicable ' settlement of differences. They often heard a different sentiment expressed. They heard such phrases as “the ascendancy of the worker” and “the unfortunate capitalist’’ ominously uttered. The “unfortunate capitalist” they were told “would have to abdicate”—to abandon his industries and withdraw. He had no such gloomy apprehension. It was an entirely different class of men te this that was occupying the New Zealand Labour field. -. The men in the field wore thoughtful workers who were not going to be captured and carried away. Ho had been very much tickled to read the reports of some of their meetings in Wellington, but those discussions were evidence of a healthy tendency. They arose because these men were going to think for themselves individually and not bo led by the of othera. This was the movement permeating the Labour ranks of the Dominion to-day and it meant, in the upshot, the cementing of a proper union—not a trades union this time—between employer and employed. As Minister of Labour it would be his aim to 'remove misunderstandings and bring about an ever more amicable relationship between master and man.

Even if he failed—as some scorned to think he would—there was still the portfolio of roads and bridges for which ho hoped ho could say he. brd some qualification. ' That was a X A'k and a trust that demanded energy and application. Since his appointment he had been travelling over various districts making himself intimate with the needs of the settlors, and ho found that, notwithstanding all the expenditure of late, years there was still a vast field calling for expenditure and competent engineering. Ho hoped ho might be able to overtake portion' of the bridge Work, than 'which nothing was moie likely to be conducive to the prosperity of the Dominion. Upon roads and bridges the prosperty of New Zealand depended. Settlement of tho land depended thereon—thorough success being achieved only if the settlor was given reasonable communication with the railways and markets. He intended to make the money go as far as possible, and of course his supplies would not be unlimited. They , had heard of the Scotsman who would keep the “Sawbath” and .everything else he could get hold of. All he hoped for was that he would get a good hold on the Treasury. (Laughter). If ho could do that he would see that the settlers’ wants got full attention.