THE New Zealand Herald. AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 1908. ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13768, 5 June 1908, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald. AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 1908. ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES.

Sir Joseph Ward, on the eve of the Tuapeka election, was evidently unwilling to offend an Otago constituency by reaffirming his profession-of faith thai there are, no sectional differences between the North and the South. This declaration is.apparently kept for use in meeting North--ern demands, and does not apply when our fellow colonists beyond Cook Strait ask for representational changes of a wholly sectional character. In this peculiar case the Premier has announced his willingness to ask Parliament to adjust the electoral boundaries so as to leave the South island as at present, with an additional six seats for the North, if the Leader of the Opposition will agree to support the proposal. Mr. Massey is, however, far too old a politician to allow his South Island rival to unload a purely local trouble upon his shoulders, and only retorts jocularly that this shows that the Government cannot pass any important legislation- without the Opposition. It is somewhat extraordinary, however, that the Premier should regard such an alteration of our political . constitutionthe effects of which might be very far-reaching, and for which there is no reason excepting the natural reluctance of the South to Btep down from its oldtime political and commercial preeminence—as properly to %e the subject of a compact between party leaders. Mr. Fowlds, with all the dauntless spirit of the Minister whose portfolio is still visibly new, has denied in a loud manner that there has ever been any genuine idea of coalition between his political chief and, his political opponents. But a readiness on the part of Sir Joseph Ward to come to an understanding with Mr. Massey, whenever it suits him to do so, is certainly hinted at by his statement in the matter of boundaries. This seems not a serious matter in the North, but it may be a very serious matter to the South, which sees the sceptre departing, and dreads the coming of the time when the North will insist on having a proportionate mileage of railways, equally good roads, its full share of public buildings, and proportionate influence in the. Cabinet. The Otago Farmers' Union actually goes to the extent of asserting that it is "largely in the interests of the farming community throughout the Dominion that the boundaries of electorates remain as at present," though as there is no suggestion of any change in the proportions of representation, it is hard to see how the interests either of Central Otago or of the Waikato can be touched. The apparent fact is thai/the South Island desires the retention of its existing number of seats as a sop to its sorrow at fall-

ing behind in the race.. And why should it do so, we would ask Sir Joseph Ward, if there is no sectional feeling, and if the whole of the Dominion is inherently and integrally one?

The existing law assumes that there is no, difference whatever between ■ North and South, the two islands being separated electoral!}' only to avoid the obvious inconvenience of cutting an electorate which fell half on the one side of Cook Strait and half on the other. There are now 38 members of Parliament Representing South Island European constituencies, and 38 representing North Island European constituencies, and if Parliament does not intervene with an amending Act, the automatic working of the law, upon the recommendation made by the Representation Commissioners, in reporting upon the last census, will give -the South Island electorates 35 members, and the North Island elect-orates 41 members. To the impartial New Zea* lander it must appear quite indifferent whether there are more electorates on one side of the Strait than on the other, and as almost every electorate in the Dominion has to be modified in any case, to meet the constitutional condition of approximately equal representation, it cannot really affect the public to have them modified a little more, however much it may inconvenience ex-members who find their seats snatched from beneath them. We would suggest that any South Islanders who find their Parliamentary occupation gone might join the stream of migration which is so steadily passing northward, anil try their fortunes in those new electorates which are being made in the North. If they would do so, and would fight for our Northern interests as stoutly and as stubbornly as they have done for their Southern interests, we should within a few years have a very much better administered North Island, in spite of Sir Joseph's constant assurance to us that he knows no section, and only hears of it when- he comes to Auckland. Otherwise, we hardly see what can be done for them. A tradesman must follow his job, just as trade, 'follows the flag, and it would be much cheaper to pension off all unseated South Island members than to change our electoral system, as they ask, so that its basis should be the allocation to the South Island of 38 members. It has not occurred to anybody to advocate a basis giving 38 members to the North and proportionate representation to the South, though much might be said in its favour by any citizen who did not hunger for political prominence, and had a careful eye to the cost of government. Our present House of Representatives, numbering 80 in all, is surely large enough ; nor would anybody dream of increasing it were there as much good pasture land in Canterbury as in Auckland, and if the Otago Central Railway were as necessary a public work, and would open up as much new country as an East Coast railway. The possibilities of Parliament, if the South. Island is always to have 38 members and the North proportionately, are really terrifying, as the practical insight of the Premier ought to show him. With everybody moving North we might see nearly two score of modern Old Sarums occupying the political map of the South Island, and be unable to find representatives enough in the North to make up our proportionate quota. Tito South has. really done its best. It has taken most of the railways, spent most of the Lands for Settlement money, had a lien on the Cabinet, kept the Maori Lands locked, and generally done its utmost to remain the senior partner. To become the basis of Parliament 'representation is, after all, a sterile honour to the public, however fruitful to a few politicians, and would needlessly remind the future stranger that there was a time when tin- South ruled I he political roost.