THE NORTHWARD DRIFT.

Evening Star, Issue 22261, 12 February 1936, Page 8

THE NORTHWARD DRIFT.

I.v 1881 the population of the South Island was 296,886 and that of the North Island 193,047. Subsequent statistics reveal that this margin steadily decreased, disappeared altogether, and then again made itself evident—this time in favour of the North Island. It was the census of 1901 which first disclosed the Northern lead. In that year the North Island had a European population of 300,579, as against the South’s 382,140. From then onwards the North forged ahead until, at the last official census, taken in 1926, the figures were: North, 831,813; South, 512,656. On April last, however, it was estimated that there were as many as 1,003,180 Europeans in the North Island—a larger increase than is manifest in the South Island’s estimated increase to 550,650. It will be interesting to hear the story of the next official count in April of this year, for upon that will be based the findings of the two statutory commissions to be set up by the Government to determine what the parliamentary representation of New Zealand will be at the next General Election. If the views of the commissions bear out the forecast of the ‘ New Zealand Herald ’ that “it is almost certain that when the commissions present their joint report the North Island will be given an increased share of the seventy-six European seats in the House of Representatives,” then the people of the South may once more have to submit to a thinning of their parliamentary ranks. At first thought it would appear that the case for altering the proportion of representation in accordance with the drift of population is a strong one. The popular Northern reply to the South Island’s argument that its electorates will become territorially unwieldy is that modern speedy transport enables members of Parliament to cover much larger areas than formerly was possible. But the fact remains that a well-balanced parliamentary representation does not necessarily follow in the wake of changing population statistics. However true it may be that there has been a steady drift to an island which lies on the main trade routes and the soil and climate of which encourage closer settlement, it is also true that, industrially and commercially, the South Island remains essentially sound. Indeed, it is not too much to say that it has weathered the economic storm of the past few years better than has the North. The point is, however, that it would be a grave mistake to persist with the paring down of our parliamentarians simply because the Northern population has shown a greater increase, if a reasonable alternative can be found. South Island business men—and farmers, too —have a reputation for solidity which entitles them to a parliamentary representation which certainly should not be less than it is at present.