BOUNDARY REVISIONS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 199, 23 July 1937, Page 7

BOUNDARY REVISIONS

SEATS IN PARLIAMENT. LICENSING ISSUE AVOIDED. (By Telegraph—Special to Standard.) WELLINGTON, July 23. The electoral boundary revisions have frequently caused licensing complications owing to tho inclusion of hotels in areas attached to “dry” electorates. However, the new revision alias apparently avoided this difficulty completely. When the question was raised with Hon. H. G. U. Mason (Minister in Charge of the Electoral Department) he replied that, so far as ho knew, there was no interference proposed with hotel licenses and the Commission would, no doubt, have called attention to this point if there had been any such proposal. “There are a number of electorates where new boundaries have obviously been dictated by reference to the licensing question,” continued the Minister. “1 can mention my own, Auckland Suburbs. It previously was bounded by Kaipara, being just below Kumeu, where, a short distance away in the Kaipara electorate, there is a licensed house. The Kaipara electorate has not retreated a great distance, but instead of the ‘dry’ area of Auckland Suburbs following it, which would have extinguished tho license, tho boundary of the Waitemata electorate has been brought across to form a barrier between the other electorates, thus saving the extinction of tho license, which would have happened if an hotel had been includod in Auckland Suburbs following the retreating boundary. “Another ease is that of Masterton, a *‘dry’ electorate with a ring of licensed premises. Tho development of the population is such that the Masterton electorate required to bo increased, and in the ordinary way it would probably have extended towards the south, where there is a row of licensed premises sanding like a barrier of fortresses to prevent expansion in this direction. To prevent their extinction, it has forced Masterton’s expanded boundaries northward, producing a boundary of such configuration as probably would not otherwise have been contemplated. “As Mid-Canterbury has not been touched in this revision, there are no more licensing complications in that area.”

Mr Mason was reminded of anomalies which had been created through the inclusion of hotels in “dry” areas through automatic boundary revision without the electors getting an opportunity of voting on local no-license. He replied that this was an important point to be considered in revising the licensing law. “There is no specific undertaking on the part of the Government to deal with this question,” Mr Mason added, “but our licensing law is entirely obsolete in my opinion and requires to be overhauled.” “Will that be done next session?” the Minister was asked.

“The prospect of giving it attention immediately is not very considerable,” ho replied, “in view of other important items of social legislation comprising tho Government’s policy.” As the Boundary Commission decides on the figure to represent the average voting population per member in city and country electorates separately,' Mr Mason was asked for this information, but he smilingly expressed regret at not being able to recall these quotas, “although,” he added, “one of the Commissioners with a passion for mathematical detail for which lie has long been notable gave it to me w'orked out to the fifth decimal point of a person.”

'She electoral changes aro outlined on page 9.