THE COUNTRY QUOTA

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 48, Issue 2818, 5 October 1938, Page 5

THE COUNTRY QUOTA

(To the Editor). Sir, —At a meeting held in Coromandel on the evening- of Friday, September 30, I asked the Labour candidate for Thames what I considered a perfectly fair question concerning his attitude to the abolition or retention of the country quota. My opening remark as to the country quota was received with, what I and many of Mr Thorn’s hearers considered to .be, offensive and insulting laughter from Mr Thorn and some of his supporters on the stage and Mr Thorn remarked “Mr Brook, you make me laugh.” The reply to the question was not a definite answer at all, Mr Thorn summing up his reply by the statement that as the Government is not worrying about the country quota, why should “Mr Brook and other Tories” worry about it. The National Party is worrying about a great number of things about which the Government affects to be quite indifferent, e.g., the cost of their social security schemes, fairness in allocation of radio facilities, defence, and other matters.

May I ask space in your paper to repeat the question to Mr Thorn — will he pledge himself to vote against the abolition of the country quota, “Yes” or “No,” Mr Thorn, please. Many electors besides “the Tories” are awaiting your reply.—l am, etc., M. A. BROOK, Coromandel.