PARLIAMENTARY ROTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 10 August 1917, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY ROTES.

VANISHING SEATS

SOUTHERN MEMBERS TROUBLED

I (Special to Star.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 9. Ihe manner in which the growing population of the North island js every nve years encroaching on the Parliamentary representation of the South island nas long been a matter of vexation to southern politicians, who are once again within sight of losing two or three seats in the coming electoral boundary shuffle. The matter was I brought up in the House to-day by Mr! McCallum, who urged the Prime Minister to give serious consideration to a proposal he had to make. The member said he did not suggest any interference with the forthcoming division of electoral boundaries, but in future he thought, the position would be greatly simplified by leaving the South ! Island electoral boundaries as perman-j ent boundaries, and by giving the in- I creasing population of the North Is- '■ land its due by increasing the number : ot seats ac occasion demanded. The ! member contended .that by such a pro- ! cess much of the confusion arising from I the present system would disappear, I while it would also be much fairer be- j tween license and no-license districts ! At present, said Mr McCallum, the Boundary Commissioners had power to put a portion of license districts into no-license districts, which, he urged, : was a most unfair procedure. j Mr Massey expressed the opinion that the possibility of license districts ! being placed in prohibition districts , was minimised by an Act passed, he !" believed, in 1914. In fact, he thought ' anything of the sort was made impossible by it. j Mr Dickson (Parnell): No, it does not make it Impossible. i Mr Massey: Well, it was intended to prevent any further injustice being done. There certainly is provision to prevent that sort of thing, if it- is possible to do so, but I .will look up the point, and if it requires amending 1 will be pleased to give members an '< opportunity of doing so. As to making South Island boundaries perman- ' ent, it would doubtless be very excellent from the point of view of mem- ; bers of Parliament and candidates for ' Parliamentary honors, but we have to do justice to the whole population. j The Premier went on to point out : that in some of the electoral" districts ' of Britain the population was very * little over a thousand, while in others ' the population was nearly 50,000. That ' was the result of fixing permanent ' boundaries, and we in New Zealand < would have to try to avoid anything ( like that. He had no doubt, however, ] that legislation would be put before < Parliament dealing with the whole' question before another election oe- '' curred, whether it came in a few months or in eighteen months. j ' Mr Pearce: We don't want,to in- j crease the size of the House;" thfere -.a are enough to talk in- j,t already (Laughter.) i ; INDUSTRIAL SITUATION. | i What is taking place in Australia, ! ! and disturbing statements which are < being made -in New Zealand, formed * the reason given by Mr Horrisby for asking the Premier to-day if'the Gov- < ernmerit woulcT recognise the necessity ? for ending the difficulty between the - Welliaigton Gas Company and its ? stokers. ''The reason why I ask," } added Mr Hornsby, "is. not to put too ' fine a point upon it, whether we are 1 not entering upon a phase of the ques- ! tion which threatens an upheaval in .1 this country." • i s Mr Massey assured members that he ' had done everything possible to bring ' about a settlement. As ,the result of < a long conference between himself and J the parties an agreement was signed, ] and Mr Justice Stringer had accepted < the position of arbitrator. This agree- . <

ment was not carried out, and," continued Mr Massey. ''I can only come ' to the conclusion that there is some influence at work which does not appear on the surface. I do not want to reflect on either the men or the company, but in a period such as this, when the Empire is involved in war and New Zealand trying to do its full share, Jboth employers and men should do everything possible to avoid industrial disputes, and if there were more 4?ive and take by both parties there would be fewer difficulties." ; "I am prepared to face any difficulty that comes along," added the Premier. "I don't want to fight, but if a fight is forced upon us we will put up the best fight possible." The Premier added that the present difficulty was not with the gas workers, but with the watersiders, who refused to discharge cargoes of coal for the gas company. i