THE NEW ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 9, 5 October 1917, Page 4

THE NEW ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES

The- extent to which the _ Nortli Island continues to outstrip the South Island in the matter of population is again exemplified m the report of the Representation Commissioners- presented to Paidiamejil yesterday. As the result of the investigation of the Commissioners; based on the census taken earhei in the year, the North Island gain; three additional seats in Parliament and the South Island loses a corresponding number The quota oi population required for a seat lr 1911 was 15.180; on the . present occasion it is 17,118. The stead advance of tho North is shown b> the-changes in Parliamentary representation which have taken place during the past quarter of a century The census results from 189J to date have led to the following ad justmenfe: N . Isl i„a S. Istad m'bers. m'bers, Prior to ponsw, 1891,.. » « 1901 .:. '34' 36 1906 ... 38 38 1911 ... 41 35 1917 ... 42 34 ( . After the census, 1917 ...' 45 - 31 It will be seen from this table thai the advance of- the North Islanc has been maintained over the whole of the past 26-years,, and. that froir. being in a minority of 10 in a House of 70 members in- 1891 the North Island will, after the ricjxl election, be in a majority of 14. lr a House of 76 members. This is, oJ course, exclusive of-Native members, three of whom represent the large body of Natives in theNortt Island and one the few Natives lr the South Island. The three seat: lost to tho South on the prcsen occasion from the party standpoinl represent a-loss to the -Mom Party of two, viz., Otago Central (Mr Scott) and Motueka (Mr. Hudson), while the Liberal Part.v loses Sclwyn (Mr: Dickie). 11k gains in the North are the result of tho increase of population in anc around Auckland City, the new clee torate of Roskill being composed oi practically a city 'and suburb™ population; the progress and do velopmcnt on what is known as the Main Trunk lino accounts for another scat; and coming, furthei south the growth of tho district be tween Wellington and Marton has justified the allocation of the thirc seat to an area spreading out frcr Foxton into the southern part of the Rangitikei electorate, the northcrr part of tho Otaki electorate, and en croaching also on the Palmerston electorate. How tho changes wil. affect political parties will no douol afford room for diverse opinions but until details .of the. new boun- ' daries for the whole of the'electorates are made known there is vcrj ' littlo on which to base an opinion Judged by the polling figures at the last general elections, when some thing like a score of members won their seats by comparatively -narrow ' majorities, the next elections held under the new electoral boundaries may bo expected to lead to consider- ■ able changes in the present per--1 sonncl of the House of Representatives.