ELECTORAL DISTRICTS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume L, Issue 175, 5 October 1917, Page 7

ELECTORAL DISTRICTS

BOUNDARIES -commission \s REPORT. MOTUEKA ELECTORATE TO BE ELIMINATE© 1 . E URTHER Jt>ET AI LB. iUnitkd Press AsSociAtloM.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 4. The report oi the North arid South Island Representation .Commissions, sitting as a joint commission, has now been received bv the Governor-General. Th e Commission found from the report of the Government Statistician and from returns furtv'shed by the Defence ■Department as to the number of persons absent with the Expeditionary "Force, that the total population of the Dominion on the nigh I of the census was 1.142,^ -jl .{exclusive of IMaoris and inhabitants of the Chatham and Kermidor Islands and interned aliens), distributed ag follows :—The population in 60 cities and ooroujjhs of over 2000 inhabitants, including those on shipboard, amounted to 530,304 a>>d the urban population within th e five miles limit of the chief post offices of Auckland., Wellington, -.aristchureli, and Dunedin cities, exclusive rf the population in cities and boroughs of over 2000 inhabitants within that limit, amounted to 36,343, making «. total urban population of 574,677, leaving a rural population of 567,404. With the addition of 28 per cent, to the latter figures, the total nominal poDulation of the Dominion amounted to -,.~-j,954. This, divided by 76, the total number of members. fb:ed the quota at 17,1i8. It was further ascertained that the total actual population of the North Ibland amounted to 674,101. equivalent to a nominal population of 766,618. Likewise it was ascertained that the total actual population of the South Island, .including Stewart Island. was 507,980, equivalent to a nominal population of 634,J36. Consideration of these figures showed that the number of members to which the North Island was entitled was represented by the figures 44.78, and the South Isl'and 31.22.

As the fractional 'part in the first case was greater than that in the second, the number of members for the North Island was fixed at 45, and tnat of the South Island at 31. This result increased the number of members for the North Island by three, and reduced that of the .South Island by a corresponding number.

In accordance with the provisions of the Legislature Act, notifications will shortly be published in the Gazette describing tnc proposed boundaries of the electoral districts, giving particulars where maps of ttie proposed districts may seen, and also particulars as to the* lodging of objections to such pro posed boundaries The principal effect of the proposed alteration i s as follows :

NORTH ISLAND. Owing to changes in the incidence of the population "f the Dominion during the period which elapsed since the apportionment of tnc Dominion into electorates in 1911, it is found that the ~orth Isl.-'i'd would gain three members and the South Island lose a corresponding number, which, oi course, meant the creation oi three new electorates in the North Island and the elimination of three in the Soutn. This could not tie done without considerable disturbance of existing electorates' boundaries. A preliminary map supplied by the Commission shows, however, that they have been able to adapt these old boundaries to quite a remarkable extent. Of the three new electorates in the North Island, one (lloskill) has been formed in tne suburbs oi" Auckland, and is an almost entirely "urban" electorate. It is continuous* to the Eden. Grov Lynn, i'arnell, and Manukau electorates and is bounded on the south by 'Manukau xiai-bour. It comprises portions of the existing Eden and. Manukau elftorates and very small portions of GreyLynn and Parnell adjoining MountF.d^n. The second electorate has been named Rotorua, and is surrounded by the EBaA' of Plenty, Hawke's Bay, Waimarino. Waikato, and Tauranga electorates. It is principally made up from the Bay of Plenty, Taumarunui, and Tauranga electorates, and includes a small portion of Waikato. The third district has been named Manawatu, and takes in portions of the Otaki, Raiigitikei, and CPalmerston electorates. . ,vith regard to certain alterations oi names of electorates in the North 1° land, they have been made so as to better indicate the localities of the electorates, and the same consideration has> led to the adoption of the names of the new electorates. The only : effect the alterations have made" in respect of "wet" and "dry" districts, is that it has been found necessarv to include in a dry district two small "hotels, one the White Horse at Kumeu Junction and the other the Waihou Hotel, which has been taken into the Ohinemuri electorate.

SOUTH ISLAND ._ Owing to the decrease in population, the existing electorates have been reduced from 34 to 31. by the elimination of Motueka, Selwyn. and Otago Central. Portions of these districts have been absorbed by Grev. Buller, Nelson, Wairau, Ellesniere, "Ashburton, Chalmers, Oamaru, Wakatipu, and Waitaki electorates. „ , A new district proposed to be called Tuapeka has been formed out of the existing electorate of Bruce and par ft of Otago Central. As the preponderance of the population in this proposed new electorate is now in a "dry" area, this will have tno effect of turning "dry" a large proportion of the "wet" area of Taieri and a small portion of Tuapeka country., apparently necessitating the closing o.t several'licensed houses at the next election. , , . , The name Tuapeka has been adopted as suiting a large part of the proposed electorate, a;>d on account of numerous objections to the. name being eliminated by the last Representation Commission. .., The new Oamaru electorate wil. apparently eliminate one licensed house at Windsor, and the new Ashburton electorate will do the same thing at Chertsey. ... Maps and detailed descriptions v.iH not be available till Monday.

Telegrams have been sent by Mr C R Fell, President, of the Nelson Chamber of Commerce, to .Messrs T. A. J3. Field and R. P. Hudson, Ms.F. askino- for" particulars of trie new boundaries "as it is proposed to call a meeting to protest against the elimination o" the Motueka electorate.