REPRESENTATION ON THE CITY COUNCIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 11543, 30 November 1900, Page 6

REPRESENTATION ON THE CITY COUNCIL.

EFFECT OF NEW MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS ACT.

At tho City Council's meeting, held last night, Mr. H. W. Wilson, town clerk, submitted tho following interesting report on the effect of the new Municipal Corporations Act upon the representation of wards in the Council: — I have the honour to report upon tho change which the coming into operation on January 1, 1901, of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1900, will make in the representation of the various wards in tho Council. Under section 5, sub-section 7, tho wards of boroughs existing at the commencement of the Act are declared to be wards under the Act. The six wards now existing will therefore be continued. Under section 48, subsection 1, clause B, the number of councillors in boroughs having a population exceeding 30,000, is to be not less than 12 nor more than 15, and it is provided that there shall be at least one councillor for each ward. Sub-section 2 states that the Governor shall, in the proscribed time and manner, fix tho numbe. of councillors for each ward. Subsection 3 enacts that in so fixing tho number of councillors for the respective wards, the Governor shall have regard to tho population thereof respectively. Section 3, subsection 7, directs that whero the population of any area is referred to, such population shall be reckoned according to the then last periodical census that has been taken. Tho population of Auckland at the last census, taken in April, 1896, was 31,424, and if the number of councillors be the maximum of 15, then the proportion will bo one councillor to 2095 of tho population. Ignoring fractions, this will make the representation of the wards as they now exist to be as follows: —

By this it will be seen that two wards would be represented by a majority of the Council, while the minoritv would represent the remaining four wards. Should the Council deem this undesirable, it has the power under Part XVIII. of the Act to alter tho boundaries of any of the wards, or wholly redivido tho city, to alter the total number of councillors, and to alter the number of members for anj ward in such manner as to keep the representation of the various wards as nearly as may be proportioned to the number of electors of each ward. This power of altering may be exorcised at any time, and from time to time, but subject in each case to the provisions of, and within tho limits fixed by the Act. If the Council should think it advisable to exercise this power, I would point out the necessity of steps being taken at once, so that if any change be made, there will be time for preparing the rolls. The report was referred to the Legal Committee for consideration.

Population. Councillors. North Ward ... 3,74? 2 East Ward ... 4,312 2 South Ward ... 8,907 ' 4 Ponsonby Ward ... 7,873 4 Karangahape Ward 4,411 2 Grafton Ward ... 2,179 1 . 31,424 15