MR HOGG AND HIS PARTY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12347, 18 October 1909, Page 7

MR HOGG AND HIS PARTY

EXTRACTS FROM THE EX-MINIS-

TEIIS SPEECH

Mr Hogg said he was glad to do honour to the Leader of the Opposition. He knew that the Leader of the Opposition was sincere, true to hisi principles, and true to his friends. Fo;- that he honoured him. "Be is true to his traditions, and ho keeps his -^irty remarkably well together. There is very little dissension of any kind. They are all bpund together as firmly as granite for a particular purpose. I may not agree with them, but I admire men who (-.tick shoulder to shoulder, even if they are fighting for a cause I cannot admire and cannot 'support." ''As for the Governmeint-s land policy, I don't know what it is now T don't know that the- House knows it. I don't know that the right hon. gentleman's colleagues know it- At all events it was never disclosed to me. I have had great doubts about it, very serious doubts. I did not know that the Government was opposed to land aggregation. It has been going on fo: years. My policy wee well known because I had been proclaiming it everywhere. The Prime Minister could surely not have closed his eyes to the reports that appeared of speeches I delivered in this district. My policy has been known for years." "If you put salt on the tails of slugs they shrivel up. I spoke out my convictions, and it operated on some of the political slugs even in this Assembly."

"The Chri&tchupch 'Press' described me as 'the untameablo Hogg.' That is perfectly true. I have never been broken in, I have never had the bit in. my mouth, the harness on my shoulders."

"Some <i;ty the dead carcass of the flour millers' monopoly will be found on tho beach, and there are gcing to be a crreat many other carcases. A great deal of blubber will be boiled down, and you will have the bones to stick in

our museum."

According to Mr" Hogg, the manufacture of big estates has been one of the most prosperous industries during the past 16 or 17 years. Monopoly has (he OMitinued) had a good innings, but it has never thriven so well as under the bad legislation of 1892."

Tlie allusion to preventing aggregation, coupled with recent addresses of 'the Attorney-General ga.ve Mr Hogg hope that the Cabinet sails were now bending to public opinion.. He was beginning alrea/jy to fesl compensated for what he had experienced. Mr Ballanco, Sir J. M'Kenzic, and the late Mr Seddon had gone through far worse ordeals of denunciation, for the public cause. They never yielded to weakkneed followers, ajid he was sorry for any statesman who would yield to those who wene simply cyphers; and unfortunately you would always find tliem wherever there was a strong party.