The Dominion TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1907. REPRESENTATION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 17, 15 October 1907, Page 4

The Dominion TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1907. REPRESENTATION.

——A —— The Premier acted with wisdom yesterday in evading the request of a deputation of South Island members for increased representation in the House of Representatives. The position certainly is an unfortunate 'one. It is well known to most of our readers that the census of 190(i disclosed a distribution of population throughout the Dominion which necessitated much alteration in electoral boundaries and a loss ,of three seats to the South Island,' the North Island making a corresponding igain. The loss of three seats will compel the present holders of those seats to look around for fresh electorates to conquer, and necessarily, if they seek re-election, they must invade the territory of some other sitting member in the immediate vicinity of their old seat, or leave for a more distant part where they are, perhaps, less known, and. where their chances of election may appear more remote. Naturally, they are most likely to choose the battleground nearest to that on which their previous triumphs have been gainejl. It will thus be seen that the abolition of the three seats affects a good many more than the three members first concerned, and it is not surprising, therefore, to find a strong rally of Southern members, to endeavour to convince the Premier that the redistribution of seats consequent on the census will do injustice. It must be admitted that there is some just cause for complaint. The arbitrary rule under which redistribution takes place as population fluctuates may have much to' recommend it, but it cannot be expected to meet all conditions and all circumstances. The most useful I member may find his.electorate so dissevered and redistributed. as to render his chance of election almost hopeless; while'the most useless member may find that the goddess of chance has played into,his haudß and rendered his return a certainty. The old complaint that the population basis compels candidates for one electorate to address a hundred meetings and do so many hundreds of mile's of travelling in order to meet the electors; while another set of candidates can cover their electorate with half a dozen meetings and the use of penny sections on an electric tramway, still holds good. But notwithstanding these weaknesses in the system, and notwithstanding that the justice of the complaints made is generally recognised, we are afraid that the existing condition of things must continue until some more reasonable solution is put forward than that offered by the deputation to Sir Joseph Ward. The suggestion to increase the number of members will, we are sure, be viewed with general disfavour, and we trust that the Premier's promise to give the matter further consideration represents nothing more than the official courtesy which was certainly the deputation's due.