VOTES AND VALUES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 20 May 1927, Page 8

VOTES AND VALUES

BIG ELECTORATES

MOTUEKA MORE THAN DOUBLED

BY EDEN

REDISTRIBUTION PROBLEM

Tho populations of electoral districts, as at the last Census of 192 G and at the Census in 1921. are given by the Census and Statistics Office in its official publication, "Population Census of 1926.'' The following electoral districts

The first seven in the North Island division reflect the expansion of Greater Auckland; the next two show that of Greater'■Wellington. Auckland' West (18,934), Auckland Central (16,800), and Auckland East (18031) fall short of the 20,000. So do Wellington North (18,082), Wellington Central (18,808), Wellington South (19,460), and Wellington East, though the last mentioned, with 19,906, falls only a little behind the 20,000 mark. Eden tops everything both in population, and in- increase since last Census; and Eden has become Labour's by-elec-tion gain. Another Auckland electorate, Manukau, is second in total and in increase. Wellington Suburbs' is third in total and increase, with 25,101 and 7046 Hutt figures confirm a recent forecast m "The Post."

At the opposite end of the scale are ,X e JZ ]loww S electorates with less than 14,000 population. In the North Island —Bay of Plenty with 13,586 (as compared with. 13,928 in 1921) and Wairarapa with 13,596. In the South Island—Motueka, 13,261; Hurumii, 13,567; Temuka, 13,540; Wakatipu, 13,410. It is clear that the Commissioners who are redistributing the electorates will have some boundary alterations to make, arid that the South Island must lose something. If boundaries were to stand as now, 13,261 persons in Motueka Would have a member of Parliament, and more than twice as many persons in Eden' (26.795) would have no more. So that a vote in Eden would be worth less than half what a vote in Motueka is worth. .

show <i population of over 20,000 each: North Island. 1921. 1926. Increase Wailemata 18,212 22,038 3,826 Eden 16,385 26.795 10,410 Grey TA'nn 18.369 20,907 2,538 Roskill * 17,934 24,160 6,226 Parnell 18,145 21,543 3,398 Manukau 17.268 25.948 8,680 Franklin 15,735 20.595 4.860 Wellington Sub. 18.055 25.101 7,046 Hull 17,135 21,401 4,266 Palmerston 17,858 20,637 2,779 South Island. Christchurcli: N. 18,365 20,438 2,073 Christchurch S. 17,995 20,107 2,012 Avon 18,381 21,313 2,932 Dunedin North 17,840 20,884 3,044 Dunedin West 17,997 20,385 2,388 Dunedin Central 17,965 21,289 3,324 Dunedin South 17,192 20,562 3,370