THE COUNTRY QUOTA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23631, 15 October 1938, Page 9

THE COUNTRY QUOTA

TO THE EDITOR Sir,—“ Countryman ” should keep to the text, and not strive to draw unjustifiable inferences for political purposes. I stated—and my statement is unchallengeable—that the country quota has never, since it came into existence, been made a party question. And to talk, or write of it, as the “country’s heritage,” is mere political bathos. The elector at Lake Wakatipu mentioned by your correspondent has better facilities and more opportunities to meet his representative than the electors of some of the most important (numerically and commercially) constituencies in Great Britain have. Our voting facilities far excel those provided in Great Britain or the other dominions, so that the passenger overseas and the helpless invalid in home or hospital, or the pastoralist at the “ back of beyond,” may record their vote with ease, As for the conference between representative and constituent, have motor cars and telephone not yet reached Wakatipu and beyond. If “ Countryman ’’ would cast off the cloak and admit his party bias he would see more clearly that my letter was a record of my opinion, and not that of a party—l am. etc.. W. D. Mason. Middlemarch. October 13.