PATEA ELECTORATE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 27 October 1917, Page 8

PATEA ELECTORATE.

PROPOSED BOUNDARY ALTERA

TIONS

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OB

JECTS

The Mayor (Mr E. Dixon) brought under the notice of the members of the Chamber of Commerce, at the annual meeting last night, the proposed alterations in the boundaries of the Patea electorate. He said that very few people realised what the alterations would mean to Hawera. It was proposed, for instance, to bring a portion of Wanganui and St. John's into the Patea electorate, which was most absurd. What community of interest could there be, between Hawera and St. John's? Normanby, practically a suburb of Hawera, was to be excluded from the electorate, and here agaJin was another absurdity. H© had a good deal of sympathy with the Wanganui peopl*, whom he understood were moving in the matter. While on this subject he would like to suggest that the time had arrived when the name of the electorate should be changed to "Hawera," considering the great progress made by the town during the past few years. Hawera was the centre of an important and flourishing district, and he considered it was right that the electorate should bear the name of its chief town. He moved: "That this Chamber expresses its disappointment at the proposed boundaries of the Patea electoral district, and urges that alteration be made so that Normanby township, Ararata, and Mere_ mere ridings of Hawera county be included in the Patea electorate." Mr J G. Osborne seconded the motion. He "supported the Mayor's remarks.

The president (Mr Lynskey) and Mr Hayton endorsed what had been said by the mover. The resolution was agreed to, and a copy will be forwarded to the Premier and Mr G. V. Pearce, M.P.