ELECTORAL CHANGES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19658, 9 June 1927, Page 13

ELECTORAL CHANGES.

NEW THAMES BOUNDARIES. PROTEST BY LOCAL BODIES. " NO COMMUNITY OF INTEREST. Strong exception is being taken in the s Paeroa and Ohinemuri districts to the I changes proposed by the Electoral Boundaries Commission. A conference of representatives of the Ohinemuri County - Council, Waihi Borough Council and 0 Paeroa Borough Council was held at ) Paeroa on Monday to discuss the effect 1 of the commission's proposals. Mr. W. 1 Marshall, Mayor of Paei-oa, presided, and a full discussion took place on. the proposed boundaries of the new electorate, 1 the abolition of the Ohinemuri electorate, : and the law bearing on the alteration of 1 boundaries. The conference agreed to record its ' objection on the following grounds:— (1) That part of the boundaries of the proposed Thames electorate com- ' pletely violates every consideration laid down in sub-clause (e) of section >lB of ' "The Legislature Act, 1908," in that: — (a) That the Ohinemuri County ridings ' of Karangahako, Waikino and Waihi aro ' boundaries of the present Ohinemuri elec- ' torato (b) They have a community of ' interest only, with the portion of the ; electorate which it is proposed to ' include in the Thames electorate. 1 That the major portion of the population ' of Waikino and Karangahako are engaged 1 in the mining industry, and should not be separated from the Goldfields electorate. (c) That their principal and daily communication facilities are with the Boroughs of Waihi and Paeroa in the proposed Thames electorate, (d) That ■ all the past and present topographical features make these areas part and ■ parcel of the portion of the Ohinemuri electorate which it is proposed to include I in the Thames electorate. (2) That, while feeling keenly the i loss of separate political entity, we ' recognise the obvious necessity for a , drastic change, and are of opinion that some advantage should be gained by the grouping in one electorate of the Hauraki 1 Goldfields area; but we strongly protest 1 against the proposed new electorate being known as the Thames electorate, as such name would lack any geographical significance w-hich wo think should be pre- • served if possible. We would suggest as a better name the Hauraki electorate, in support of which 1 we would point out that originally the district generally was known as the Hau- : raki Goldfields. That it includes a considerable portion of the Hauraki Plains County, that the tenure of the hill coun- } try is Hauraki pastoral lease, and that it contains the headquarters of the 6th i Hauraki Regiment, with units in each of its town centres. The Mayor of Paeroa was appointed as a representative of the combined local bodies present, with full power to act and to endeavour to obtain an interview with the Commissioner of Crown Lands, Auckland, and the chairman of the Boundaries Commission, with a view to placing the views of the conference before them He was authorised to take any steps necessary to secure the results desired by the conference The conference recommended each local body to pass resolutions and to lodge definite objections.