SOUTH ISLAND AFFAIRS

Evening Star, Issue 19327, 13 August 1926, Page 8

SOUTH ISLAND AFFAIRS

THE ELECTORAL POSITION COMPLETION OF TRUNK RAILWAY [From Odr Parliamentary Reporter] WELLINGTON, August 13. Members, including Legislative Councillors, interviewed the Prime Minister and the Minister of Works to represent, as they stated, unanimous points ot view regarding tho completion of the South Lsland° Main Trunk and the electoral position of the South Island. Introducing the deputation, Mr Sullivan stated that it was absolutely nonparty. Members were greatly disturbed over the possibility ot representation being greatly reduced, and they wished to maice suggestions to stabilise the position. Mr Sidoy stated that the ever-increas-ing size of constituencies had forced the position on members. They had obtained an official statement from the Minister in charge of the Electoral Department that tho South Island would lose one seat as a result of the census. A proposal had been made by one Representation Commissioner that tho number of European seats ho increased by four, giving tho South Island thirty-two and the North Island fortyeight members, and that tho position remain for ten years. It was felt by South members that this would bo open to objection. Therefore they had decided to ask the Government to regard the present South representation of thirty as the minimum, and that the South Island population, divided by thirty, ho a quota to decide the number of the Northern seats. This would menu: South Island thirty seats, North Island forty-eight, making an increase of two; though, having regard to the increase in population since the scats were fixed tit eighty, tho real representation should bo ninety. So far as' they had been able to gather, there was no serious objection from North Island members, and could speak definitely for the Opposition. Mr U. Jones mentioned that Mr Horn represented an area iormorly covered by five members. A great difficulty arose over the position of licensing areas. It would he difficult to keep hotels in licensed areas. Mr Girling advocated the completion of the Main Trunk Railway. It seemed that tho Premier had taken the railway officers’ report as conclusive, yet tho Royal Commission strongly advocated bridging the gap, not so much for local as tor national advantage. The Marlborough and Canterbury people would bo able to show in a few weeks that the traffic figures quoted in the official report were a good deal out. He wished tho Minister to motor transport for stock between the present railheads to obviate the great loss now occasioned. Mr Coates: Why not passengers, too? Mr Girling replied that there was an efficient car service, but the Government might well consider tho whole question. Sir Joseph Ward suggested that, as tho South Island had no opportunity of receiving immigrants, the direct expansion in tho North Island would go on disproportionately. Ho did not think the North Island would object to meeting electoral expansion as suggested. Ho strongly urged tho completion of tho South island Main Trunk, reminding tho Premier that in concentrating money on the North Island Main Trunk the Liberal Government was criticised because it was alleged there would bo not enough traffic to maintain one train daily.

Mr Holland, Leader of tho Opposition, said lie personally supported proportional representation, but ho would advocate the deputation’s request, as tho southern constitutional's were becoming too large to represent. Tho addition of two members would not bo heavy. The Prime Minister stated that ho was fully seized of tire electoral difficulty, but they must have no fixed number of electorates, nor should tho two islands be separated. This would bo wrong in principle. He would place their representations before Cabinet, lie hoped, this session. There was no question of North v. South on railway matters, but ho reminded tho deputation that tho South still had more miles of railway than tho North. When the responsible men declared tho railway policy in tho past they wore right, but conditions had changed with tho advent of motor transport, and no responsible man would undertake new railways without careful consideration of this factor. There had been promises regarding the South Main Trunk lino since Sir Julius Vogel’s time, hut motor transport development had altered the outlook. Ho had an open mind, and the matter was being carefully investigated. There were ample statistical data to justify tho report made on tho probable traffic by the railway officials, and the survey of tho Parnassus to Kaikoura line would ho sufficiently complete to enable a fairly correct estimate to be made of the cost to that point, which would he heavy owing to the number of largo viaducts. Ho emphasised that he would want these figures and full information on tho probable returns before making a decision. He recognised that tho Puller Gorge Pailway tapped a huge bituminous coalfield, and gave oast to west communication.