The Dominion. MONDAY, JULY 31, 1911. THE NEW ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1193, 31 July 1911, Page 6

The Dominion. MONDAY, JULY 31, 1911. THE NEW ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES.

It would seem that very material alterations will require to be made in the boundaries of the Wellington City and Suburbs seats in order to bring about a readjustment to suit the new quota caused by the increase of population. After the census of 1907 the quota for the 76 scats worked out at 13,400. There was a total urban population of 424,072, and the rural population was 464,304. To this latter total had to be added the 28 per cent provided by law, making a total nominal population of 1,018,381 which, divided by 76, produces in round numbers 13,400. The census just ended has shown an increase in population which, seeing that the number of seats has not been added to, has necessarily increased the quota, the number fixed on by the .Representation Commissioners being 15,164. In other words cach electorate in the Dominion will at the coming election contain nominally 1764 persons more than it did at the last election. As the growth of population has not been evenly distributed over the whole country the readjustment of electoral boundaries, which is now being carried out, has become necessary; and one of the additional cffccts will bo the less of a scat in the South Island and a corresponding gain in the North. This will mean that the North Island will have 42 members and the South Island 34. It is not our purpose, however, to discuss this aspect of the position. The most notable increases of population have taken, place towards the" northern end of the Main Trunk line ana around Auckland, and the expected new electorate will probably _ be created somewhere in that direction. Coming to the Wellington seats the census figures show that as at present constituted all of the City seats contain a population below the quota required. The actual figures axe is follow: Population. Shortage. North 12,935 2,229 Control 10,092 5,072 South 14,650 514 |' East 11,700 458

Total 8,273 This shortage of 8273 has to be made up by a readjustment and extension of the existing boundaries. The point of interest will be, of course, the direction in which the extension will take place. In a previous article we suggested the probability that the very heavy shortage in the Wellington Central electorate would probably bo met by encroaching on the present Wellington South electorate towards Brooklyn, while Wellington South would in turn expand into that portion of tho Suburbs seat lying between Newtown and Miramar, including the latter. But even with the assistance of the surplus population of the Suburbs electorate the shortage cannot be fully made up. The population of Wellington Suburbs is given as 19,080 or, allowing for a portion of this electorate extending into the rui-il area carrying the 28 per cent addition, about 5000 above the required quota. This 5000, if added to the population of the City seats, still leaves a shortage of over 3000 which has to be made up from somewhere. Taking_ the total population of the four City electorates and the Subuibs electorate, 72,072, and dividing it by 5 gives a quota of 14,414 for each of the live seats, whereas the quota required is 15,164. The electorates which adjoin the City and Suburbs seats are Hutt and Otaki. The Otaki seat already has a slight shortage of population, or at any-! rate has nothing to spare; but the Hutt electorate has a surplus of something like 2000 which will enable the Suburbs seat to spread in that direction. This may drive the boundaries of cither the Otaki or the Hutt electorate farther north. This state of things will probably surprise and disappoint a good many people. The position, however, is not so bad as it at first sight looksit does not mean what the figures seem to imply, namely, that- the average of increase in this part of the Dominion is below the general average for the whole Dominion; for it has to be borne in mind that the quota of 15,164 is based on the nominal, not the actual, population of New Zealand. That is to say, as already pointed out, the city or 111 ban quota is based on actual population, whereas the country or rural quota is based on actual population, phi a 28 per cent. All the same the rate of progress has lagged somewhat- and some very material changes in the electoral boundaries in and around Wellington can be anticipated. Probably of the City seats the East electorate will be the •least affected.