The Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1911. WHERE MR HOGG STANDS.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XV, Issue 4088, 14 November 1911, Page 4

The Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1911. WHERE MR HOGG STANDS.

Practically Mr Hogg told his constituents in his speech at Masterton last night that he was a political free lance, and asked for carte blanche to perform any political acrobats he likes, and his past career leads to the presumption that they will be sufficiently amusing at times. Mr Hogg declared that he had lost confidence in both parties, but any one who takes the trouble to read carefully the report of his speech which we give in another column will have little difficulty in discovering that at heart he is a Ministerialist. Mr Hogg defined his attitude to-day by reading the statement he made when he resigned from the Ministry over two years ago, and said that on that occasion he proclaimed that he had lost confidence in the Ministry. His position to-day therefore is what it was two years ago. But is it not a fact that during the past two years Mr Hogg has sat on the same benches as Government supporters and on purely party questions voted in the same lobby as them? Is it not a fact that he has all this time been reckoned amongst the rank and file of the Government party? Is it not a fact that until he made an assumption of independence only a few weks ago he was universally considered a Government candidate? If his attitude to the existing parties is the same as it was two years ago there can be no doubt that Mr Hogg will be found following the servile majority of the Ward party into the lobby against very necessary reforms advocated by the present Opposition. The measure of his independence in the past has been the advocacy of certain fantastic proposals which neither side of the House has taken very seriously, and that will be the measure of his independence in the future. And last of all, and this consideration shows better than anything else where Mr Hogg really stands, is it not a fact that he is accepted by the Government, if not as a candidate after their own heart, at least as a candidate whose vote can be relied on when votes really matter. Mr Hogg announced his “independence” two years ago, leaving the Government plenty of time to put up a Ministerial candidate. He is in the same position now as he was then. His “independence” has not developed any, and the Government, having sampled his “independence,” like the flavour of it, and put no candidate against Mr Hogg. The sitting member may have lost confidence in the Government, but the Government have not lost confidence in Mr Hogg, otherwise they would oppose his return. We regret Mr Hogg refuses to pledge himeslf to vote against the Government. He has done good service for his constituency, is one of the cleanest of our members in speech and action, and these virtues, together with his pleasant personality, will no doubt ensure him, as in the past, a large personal following. We regret we must impress on the electors that the politcal issues of the day are to be considers! above Mr Hogg's personal popularity, and that a vote for Mr Hogg means a vote against reform.