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Evening Star, Issue 16549, 8 October 1917, Page 4

TnE work of the Electoral Boundary Commissioners, based on Electoral Changes, the Census' of last year, has resulted in the, transfer of three seats from the South Island to the North Island. Otago Central, Selwyn, and Motueka are to bo eliminated, and there is to be a consequential adjustment of tho boundaries of the remaining electorates. All this is the inevitable outcome of the preponderance of population north of Cook Strait. Parliamentary representation must follow the distribution of tho people. It behoves, however,, the inhabitants of the South Island, and particularly of Otago, to examine the causes of their falling back in. tho race for population. Some of the causes are rooted in unchangeable conditions, and at these it is useless repining. On the whole, settlement in the South Island proceeded faster than it did in the North during the middle decades of the Dominion's history. The opening of the present century saw the North Island with a vastly greater area of resources undeveloped, but potentially of immense richness. The exploitation of these resources, the building of means of transportation, and the employment of all the labor and capital incidental to the settlement of new lands have attracted many enterprising men from this and other (southern provinces. There is still a great amount of practically untapped wealth in tho King Country and in the peninsula north of Auckland.

Tho plain fact of the matter is that, so long as Now Zealand remains . pre-emi-nently an agricultural and pastoral country, tho North Island mil be more populous than Ihe South, because of its more abundant natural wealth. Probably ib were foolish to attompt for some time to arrest the drift northward. But, even if that be conceded, it is undeniable wisdom to lessen the volume of that drift. Speaking of our own province, Otago ought to make a bettershowing in comparison with the northern provinces. Too many sources of wealth are lying in it untouched or but inadequately drawn upon. Lately Mr W. D. Hunt has revealed the potent and removable cause of so much relatively waste land around Dunedin. After many, many years of land legislation, the productiveness of the provinco is seriously hindered by lack of such a tenure as will give security that the harvest of improvements will be reaped. Again, great tracts of the Tichest land of the Dominion, located in Otago Central, have the "appearance of a desert, because of the want of tho water which runs through that district wastefully to, the sea. To the need of better cultivation and of irrigation is added the need of extracting mechanical power from our swift rivers and deep, expansive lakes. We urge the Otago Expansion League to redoubled efforts. They have already rendered signal service, but much more requires to be done if Otago is to be saved in five years' time from the reproach of another lost seat.

The adjustment of boundaries reveals tho unscientific and haphazard nature of the country's electoral system. Chalmers, for instance, is to remain an aggravated Chinese puzzle, the wedge between the Port end and the Taieri end being driven deeper in. Willy nilly, people are thrust from this electorate into that. Violence is done to community of interest at a hundred points. No-license areas aro jammed into licensed areas, and vice versa, under the tyranny of a discredited system, which must make everything bend to the arbitrary slicing of the Dominion into electorates containing approximately equal numbers of voters living in juxtaposition. The report of the Boundary Commissioners furnishes one of the most cogent arguments for Proportional Representation, which will make a member of Parliament's constituency not an artificially carved-out bit of territory, with boundaries cutting a town into sections or bisecting the street of a village, but a .group of people thinking alike on political matters.

Short trips into the country to tho south of Dunedm reveal unpromising prospects this spring. Largo areas of tho TaierT are submerged or sodden; Inch Olutha is swampy. But men who know Otago as a whole report most hopefully. They say that there has not been such'a good season for farmers for many years. Plentiful vams havo fertilised districts that usually are too dry, and there have not been tho cold winds that often prevail at this time of the year. Tho grass is coming up at a great rate, and the cereal crops aro looking well. At Hawea thero is wheat a foot nigh and looking well. The weather has been just what was wanted in most districts tor breaking up tho ground for turi l -!??' j 1 , 116 sowin g o{ "this crop may be a little doiayed here and there, but there is plenty of time, for turnips can be put in up to tho middlo of December. On Saturday evening the West Harbor Council received a letter from Dr Thacker, M.P , acknowledging the council's thanks tor' his efforts to get an evening suburban train service. The letter continued: "Yes, we aro up against ignorance and cussedness, red tapo and officialdom;. one thing alone can now free us, and that is to let the people speak.'" Councillors smiled approval of tho outspoken statements, and lormally «V received " the letter. The following is a selection from the yP° a««ed to tho lending department of the i Public Library during the week ended to-day:—'My '75,' from the French of i aul Lmtier; 'ln the Royal Naval Air Service,' Harold Rosher; 'Legal Life and Humor, edited by J. Heighten; 'Forty Years at the Criminal Bar,' Edmund D. Purcell; 'lsles of Spiel and Palm," A. H. Vernll; ' Across Asia Minor on Foot,' W. J. Childs; 'The'Real Story of the Whaler," A. H. Verrill; ' England—From Earliest Times,' Gilbert Stone; 'Food and Fitness," James Long; 'History of Serbia,' H. W. V. Temperley; 'War Plays," Allan Mohkhouse; 'The Ideals of Painting," J. C. Carr. An effort is to be made to increase the mem r ? hip of the Y - M -CA. by 200. Mr (x. M. Thomson presided over a meetine of members on Saturday night, when the preliminary steps to organise a campaign were taken. The speakers included the acting secretary (Mr Drew), Rev. Weslev Bratt, Messrs W. L. Logie, E. Nicol, E.' Brown, and D. Gilmour.

At the morning service in Chalmers Church .yesterday the Rev. E. Adams ?r m ? re i ere »ce to the death of Air Donald Thomson, who had been one of the promoters of the original Chalmers bnurch and for many years an elder until about five years ago, when he joined the Mornington Presbyterian Church. Many in the congregation remembered him with the kindliest feelings. He was a loyal and faithful Church member, and until shortly before his death, in spite of nis 90 years, was regular in attendance' at worship. Mr Adams said that those who recently joined tho Church knew Mr ihomson through his relative, Mr Jas. A Ihomson, who is an elder of the congregation, and now on active service, and in his prayer following commended the young soldier to God's keeping, and also gave thanks to the Heavenly Father for the ong and valuable life and service that had been given to tho Church for so very many years.

The fact is that you can't get servants for love or money, because a silly notion exists that it is better to work in a store and dress a little better," remarked Mr Isitt, M.P., in the House of Representatives on Thursday night. *£ speaking before tho First Auckland Military Service Board of the efforts being made by boot manufacturers to obtain the services of experienced men no longer in the trade, in order that young men might be released for service, Mr A Hall bkelton mentioned the case of one old man ot OS, a dicker, who had taken up work again in order to assist during the present time of stress. "Although this old man is showing a truly patriotic spirit," said Mr Skelton, "he now finds that the Government have cut down the old flea pensions of himself and his wife. I think such an action is a shame and a discredit to the department." t T^ e Jt ea,i \ afc Dun edin of Captain F. J. -kasther, E.N., recalls memories of the Maori War, says the Auckland- < Star.' It wag m 1863 that Captain Easther arrived m Manukau Harbor in charge of the small war.steamer Avon. On the same vessel as engineer was Mr George Ellis, who still resides in Auckland, and vrM- attain lus 80th year of age next month. Referring to the death of his old commander, Mr Ellis, who is still hale and hearty, remarked :" I am the last r.f tfie lot, now the captain is dead. We were preparing for the Maori War in the Waikato, and I waa employed sheathing boats with iron plates up tho river. Ine Maoris were very fond of lyino- hidden on the banks of the Waikato h nd takmg pot shots at the boats as they wen by. J

The following is the inscription on the memorial portrait of the late Mr George Heron, which was unveiled in Masterton on Wednesday:-"Presented to the Masterton Bprough Council by the friends of George Heron—lß3B-1916—Mayor of Masterton for sis years : a man of sterling character and rare intellect." A Chelsea grocer who told a customer (a policeman m plain clothes) that he could have lib of sugar if he spent 2s on other goods was fined £2O at Westminster Police Court recently. On expressing sunprise, the defendant was told by the_ Magistrate that it would be £IOO next time.

The report called for by tho chairman of the Otago Harbor Board (Mr Loudon) as to the present condition of tho whole ot the harbor will, we understand, be ready -very shortly. It should be of material value, as showing what has happened May of 1916. Tho opinion seems to be he d m certain quarters that a considerable amount of silting has taken place, but so far as we can gather the report is likely to show that the depths have been < well maintained, one important factor in this satisfactory result being the effects of fte sou* endowment wall, which it is stated, has practically pre- ;'„? *x. a i large ? D f mt ? t y of silt coming into the steamers' basin and the Victoria

Cneenng reports are to hand as to the angling season An angler just returned from the JWaikouaiti River says that in the early .part of last week the water was l-Z 1 - i* and whilst in that condition the sportsmen were using worm bait instead of the minnow. Later in the week the stream cleared. About 500 fish wero landed for the week. Tho streams m the south are yielding good sport, and promise to be better tfim for years past, m consequence of carrying a lot of water which means an abundance ot tood and therefore an abundance of fish.

Mr R. W. Bligh, the White Cross lecturer, visited Waikouaiti on Friday. He gave addresses at the public school in the morning.

At the monthly business meeting of the Hanover Street Baptist Church opportunity was taken by those present of expressing, on behalf of the members and adherents of the church, their sincere appreciation of the services of their minister, tho Rev. R. S. Gray, not only in his own special ministry, but also in the interests 01 the people, generally, and particularly in connection with the No-license movement. The congregation rejoice to know that Mr Gray's health is so much improved, and they desire to assure him of their hearty sympathy and support in his work in all its different phases.

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