LABOUR AND THE COUNTRY QUOTA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22718, 2 November 1935, Page 12

LABOUR AND THE COUNTRY QUOTA

The leader of the Labour Party is to be commended on the frankness with which he has admitted that his party considers that the principle of the country quota in representation is wrong. And, though he is very guarded as to the policy that would be pursued by his party if it should secure a majority in the Lower House, he does not pretend that it would not propose the abolition of the quota. One of the candidates who is standing in the interest of the party for a North Island constituency has taken it on himself to say that Labour, in power, would not interfere with the quota. He is, however, one of the new recruits of Labour. And other new recruits, deficient in their knowledge of the history of the party to

which they have been attracted at this election, will, if they are candidates for rural constituencies, equally protest that their party would not think of abolishing, or even of reducing, the country quota. Mr Savage gives them small ground for the expression of any such view. Sir Alfred Ransom has said that the abolition of the country quota is a hidden part of Labour's policy. There was for many years no attempt to conceal the opposition of the party to the quota; It occupied a prominent place in the first article of the party's political faith. All votes should have equal value, Mr Savage has declared. "We are asking," hg has" said, "that all persons should have representation in accordance with their numbers." To say that is to condemn the system under which an allowance of 28 per cent, in respect of population is made in favour of rural constituencies. And all the comfort which candidates on behalf of the Labour Party for country seats are offered by their leader is that there is "not the slightest intention of altering the electoral system during the life of the first Labour Government." But the country electors, knowing that the strength of the Labour Party in Parliament at the present time is almost wholly derived from urban and suburban constituencies, may ask themselves whether, if a Labour Party secured power, it would, with its declared adherence to the principle of "one vote one value," be able to resist the temptation so to alter the electoral law as to weaken the representation of the districts in which it is regarded with least favour. If they return Labour candidates they are certainly exposing themselves to the danger that the measure of representation which they enjoy will be curtailed in future.