The Star. MONDAY, JULY 31, 1911. REDISTRIBUTION OF SEATS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXII, Issue LXII, 31 July 1911, Page 4

The Star.

MONDAY, JULY 31, 1911. REDISTRIBUTION OF SEATS.

Delivered every evening by 6 o'clock in Hawera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, iiltnam, Mangatoki, Kapon^a, Awatuna Opunake, Otakeho, Mam^ahi, Alton! Hurleyville, Patea, and Waverley. '

The latest information seems to indicate that after all there will not be so great a transfer of representation from the South Island to the North Island as was anticipated when the census returns were made public. At one time it was freely stated that for certain the South would lose two, if not three seats, and that the North would gain correspondingly, which would have involved a very substantial change in the relative electoral strength of the two islands. But it now appears that the South may not lose more than one seat. The twenty-eight per cent .allowance to rural districts seems to have modified the situation. When the Representation Act providing for automatic changes in the boundaries and equal electoral districts was under consideration it was contended that practical injustice would be done if the representation were fixed strictly according to population. It was pointed out that it would bear hardly on districts which were sparsely populated owing to the rough and poor character of the country or to the fact that settlement was in its early stages. Further, it was argued that in cities and towns members and their constituents were constantly in close touch with one another, and that the position was much more difficult in country districts where members had to travel over large areas to keep in touch with the district's requirements. The political objection to throwing too much power into the hands of city electo/s was also raised. Eventually Parliament decided that before making up the quota there should be a nominal allowance of 28 per cent to the rural districts. This modification of the strict principle of representation according to population has been of considerable advantage to the South Island on this occasion, and as already stated it is now estimated that it will not lose more than one member. On the whole this does not seem a matter for any serious regret. There are already some very large, if not practically unworkable, electoral areas in the South Island, and we dare say it would be a hardship if they were made still bigger. No doubt in the centre and on the east of this island there are also some inconvenient districts, but the means of communication are improving, and the increase of population giving even one additional seat will ease the position somewhat. It is to be regretted, of course, that the continuous increase of the ratio of population in the towns is reducing the electoral power of the purely rural districts, but it seems difficult to find a remedy for it. The authorised Labor platform, we see, advocates the abolition of the present allowance of 28 per cent to the rural districts in making up the electoral quota. The Labor party want the principle of representation according to population applied without any modification. The country representatives, it may be hoped, will be sufficiently strong and united to defeat any movement of the kind, but the fact of the proposal being made indicates that it may yet be necessary to fight for the retention of the none too liberal allowance now made to rural interests.