VALUE OF VOTES DISCUSSED BY MR O’REGAN

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 November 1949, Page 2

VALUE OF VOTES DISCUSSED BY MR O’REGAN

“It is a peculiar thing, if that argument is valid, why the Labour Party should have retained one representative in Parliament for 1100 South Island Maoris,” said Mr P. J. O’Regan at Kaniere bn Saturday night, in referring io the fact that the Grey River Argus, in wrongly accusing him of advocating the country quota, had made great emphasis of “one man, one vote.” Mr O’Regan said Labour politicians made great play on “one man, one vote,” yet at the same time one Maori vote in the South Island was worth an average of 13 European votes. He mentioned that fact, he added, not as' any reflection on the Maori voters, but merely to explode Labour’s professions of solicitude for the principle of “one vote, one value.” - . - . The speaker again emphasised that at no time had he referred to “loading electorates with a country quota, as had been alleged by the Grey River Argus, but had merely pointed out that, under the Electoral Act ol 1945, the definition of population had been changed to mean adults only. The result was that the rural electorates, where there was the bigger juvenile population, were made larger and more voting strength went to the cities. There was an attendance of 15 at the Kaniere meeting, Mr T. Chester - ■ man being in the chair. Mr O’Regan, was given an attentive hearing and • was accorded a vote of thanks at the conclusion of his address. Mr O’Regan will speak m the Miners’ Hall at Runanga tonight. Communist Candidate In South Westland

There was a small attendance at the meeting held at Camerons last night by the Communist candidate for Westland, Mr R. H. Mitchell. Mr T. Neame presided at the meeting, which gave the candidate an attentive hearing. Mr Mitchell will spend most of this week campaigning in South Westland, commencing with a meeting at Hari Hari tonight. He will return to Greymouth on Friday and that evening will address the first open-air meeting of the campaign, on the old Town Hall site.