CORRESPONDENCE

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 54, Issue 32645, 14 November 1945, Page 6

CORRESPONDENCE

COUNTRY QUOTA

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —Would 1 you kindly allow me space in your paper to refer to your leader in the issue, of October 31, the subject matter of which was the “Country Quota.” It would' be most difficult to have made other than a weak argument in support of a weak case.

I am afraid that our Farmers’ Union leaders may do untold harm to the hope of getting unity and cohesion amongst the farmers by their raising this hue and 1 cry about this’ purely political matter. It is fairly evident that the opposition to, and protests about, the Bill, have 'been inspired from the top, a case of, call out the pack. No movement can grow and remain strong that way, it must have the broad base and solid foundation of the wholehearted and voluntary support of the bulk of those concerned, otherwise it is like an inverted pyramid and will not stand the stress if put to the test.

I certainly agree with you that nd one- could honestly disagree with the principle of one vote one value, on that score alone, (but if we start imputing motives, I think the same motive van be imputed to the Opposition. It is all part of party system strategy, getting or keeping in an advantageous position for the election contest, getting the light in the other fellow’s eye.

You suggest that the most “powerful argument” in favour of the quota is that the farming community produces practically the whole of the exportable produce, often quoted as 90%.

Alone they did not. do it. iWas that the amount in 1®81? Should the quota percentage ibe varied as the.production output varied'? Was the quota introduced to give any specific section of the community special or greater representation, or merely to facilitate the representation of the truly rural areas ? If, incidentally, we rural dwellers have had privileged representation for all these years, does it not savour rather of the action of a spoilt child to squeal that we should have it for all time.

To get things' in their proper perspective we must follow them out to their logical conclusion. For the sake

of friendly argument, we will allow that the quota was introduced to give the producers of 90% of the wealth 28% greater representation. I would be delighted to know just how you would, to be logical at all, apportion the representation of the producers of the other 10% of the wealth. Another small problem, how are we to reconcile the attitude we were supposed to adopt towards the recent Local Bodies Elections and Polls Act and oppose the giving of even one vote at county elections, to say, our carrier and roadman, as against our own two or three, whereas we are now supposed to be prepared to put cream, not skimdick, but actual cream, down the drain if these people’s votes are not allowed to have a 28% greater representative value than that of their counterparts in the urban areas? Sounds inconsistent to me, to say the least. Perhaps, ours not to reason why, our but to vote and die.

I am not blind to the faults of any, or all parties, for that matter, as in my opinion the party system is fundamentally wrong. If you can show just how to apportion the representation of the balance of the community on a production or occupational basis the same as we farmers have and w6 add to that preferential voting, we may have a democracy almost worthy of the sacrifices that have been made ifi defence of our so-called democracy. However, so long as we have to endure the party system I think we should be prepared to let the parties compete on an even basis 1 , one man, one" vote, one value.

You concluded your leader, by suggesting that if the Government can show that the country quota is causing any harm its passage would be smoother, logically then, I suppose if it can be shown that its abolition, in itself would not cause any harm, and I think we agree on that, then its passage should have been smoother than it was. Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. —I am, etc.;

THOiS. E. SIMPSON. Kuaotunu, 4:11:45.