MAORI ELECTORATES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 257, 29 October 1932, Page 11

MAORI ELECTORATES.

ALTERATION IN SYSTEM? GOVERNMENT INQUIRIES. FEW VOTERS IN SOUTHERN. (Bj Telegraph.—Jarrlamentarv Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. Changes are believed to be likely in the system of Maori representation in Parliament. There are four Maori nieni: bers, but it is known that the Government is making inquiries into the whole system and that it will consider alterations. ■ Dissatisfaction with the working of the Electoral Act. as far as the Maori elections are concerned, has been fairly general, especially in certain quarters in the North Island. As an example, the case of the Western Maori electorate has been quoted. Here 7793 votes were cast at the last general election, as compared with 917 in the Southern Maori electorate. At the Southern Maori by-election this year, when, in a keenly-contested poll, it- is believed that almost every Maori cast his or her vote, but onlv 951 votes were cast.

There* are no electoral rolls for Maori electorates, and the only records available are those of the general election. These show that Western Maori is the largest electorate. Eastern, with 70&9 voters, is next, and Northern, with 5030. third. Southern is a very poor fourth. Already the newly-elected member for Southern Maori, Mr. E. T. Tirikatene, has given notice of a question asking for an overhaul of the Act, especially in regard to the system of voting. Itis almost universally recognised that there are many difficulties in the conduct of Maori elections, and that several anomalies appear in the Act. One apparent defert is that the Chatham Islands, which for European purposes are part of the Lyttelton electorate, are portion of Western Maori, a North Inland seat, for the purposes of the Maori elections. Added emphasis i* given to this when it is recognised that Western Maori is the largest Maori electorate, and Southern Maori is the smallest.