THE COUNTRY QUOTA

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 23, 13 November 1945, Page 4

THE COUNTRY QUOTA

Sir, —It is natural to cling tenaciously to what we, have but surely if we. have something which gives us an unfair advantage we should yield it up gracefully. The farmers who are going to meetings now and saying that the abolition of the Country Quota "seriously affects the interests of Rural Areas" should ask themselves why rural electors should have a vote which is 28 per cent, more valuable than that of city electorates. It is> true that the farmers are the backbone of New Zealand but a backbone is of no use without the rest of the and the farmers of New Zealand could not produce without the workers in the towns. In a democracy 'one man is as good as another and each should have an equal say in government. The Court.' try Quota is an anachronism j and New Zealand is one of the last countries in the world to have retained it. Its abolition simply ensures that a vote in one part of the; country will have the same value as a vote in another part of the country— neither more nor less. Sixty years ago when the Coun_ try Quota was introduced there mayhave been a case for it, but in these days of modern roads. railways motor cars and radio* there is no reason why a person -who lives in the country should have more representation than a person who lives in a city. The abolition of the Country Quota is a reform which is long and progressive and rightthinking people throughout New in town and country alike will welcome this measure which is a big step in the direction of placing the New Zealand electoral system on a truly democratic footing. Yours etc. Eclgecumbe Branch Communist Party.