NATIVE ELECTORATES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 21049, 7 December 1931, Page 11

NATIVE ELECTORATES.

PRESERVING VOTING POWER. EFFECT ON EXISTING SEATS. POSSIBILITY OF REDUCTION. The suggestion made by a correspondent that Maori irepresentalion in the House of Representatives is perhaps too great comes at an interesting time in New Zealand's political history. .An examination of the circumstances in the four Maori electorates shows that there is considerable argument in favour of a reduction in the number of constituencies. At the same time, important difficulties would be encountered if an attempt were made to divide tho Dominion into th ree native areas. Tho existing seats were defined largely on the basis of tribal associations, a condition in which there are niceties not easily understood by most European electors. A new division would have to be on a system satisfying to native tastes. Considering representation on population, the Maoris, assuming their number to be 60,000 and the inhabitants of the Dominion to total 1,500,000, are entitled to only 3.2 seats of the 80 in the House, where at present they have four representatives. Another aspect is the extremely high percentage of European blood among tho official native population. There are many native homes where English only is spoken and it is probable that the actual number of voters in the native elections does not give an accurate idea of what is virtually the Maori population. In recent years, the perecentage of mixed blood has increased enormously and the only prospect in view is a gradual decline in the number of pure-blooded Maoris. Poor Voting in South. This is the case particularly in the Southern Maori electorate, where the smallness of the number of voters caused tho suggestion that native representation was unduly strong. In the three North Island Maori electorates—Eastern, Western and Northern—the strength of tho voting has been maintained to a reasonable degree. Should any scheme to eliminate a native constituency corao about in the event of Parliament considering that four seats no longer were justified, several factors would require careful study. There is tho responsibility which falls upon a Maori member of tho llouso in giving attention to tho affairs of the Cook Islands. Such an activity obviously demands a special knowledge of the Polynesians possessed to an admirablo degree by Sir Apirana Ngata and the late Sir Maui Pomare. New Zealand's responsibilities in the Pacific will probably increase in the future. Above ail the obstacles would be the grouping of the tribes. Under the existing system, the Northern seat includes principally the Ngapuhi and the NgatiWlftitua peoples and there is a substantial population. Western embraces the NgatiMaru and Ngati-Tamatera of Hauraki and Thames, tho Nga 'i-te-Rangi of Tauranga, the Waikato and Ngati-Maniapoto of South Auckland, the Ngati-Awa and Ngati-Ruanui of Taranaki and tribes on tho south-west of tho North Island such as the Whanganui and Nga-Rauru. Eastern includes the Arawa, Ngati-Porou and 'Ngati-Kahungunu, but in Southern the principal tribe is tho Ka'i-Tahu, which is virtually the entire Maori population of the South Island. There are numbers of niinT tribes linked up with these groups. The NgatiTama and Ngati-Mutunga of the Chatham Islands, for instance, are in Western because they came originally from Taranaki. Bonds of Ancestry. It is evident that the electorates have been defined with a regard to bonds of ancestry among the tribes and, should there be any necessity for rearrangement, tho problem would be to interpret this principle. Maoris attach the greatest importance to their "canoes," which is merely a reference to one or other of the vessels of the Great Migration from Tahiti in 1350. Every tribe traces itself back to the people who arrived in a particular canoe, although there may be lines of descent from earlier and lesser migrations. Maoris still show scrupulous regard for tribal origins, but the present century has been notable in the history of the race for the departure from superstitions and tribal enmities. There are survivals of these tapus, of course, but a definite desire among the Maoris for co-operation has been created since it has been realised, more or less unconsciously, that mutual help is essential for existence as a nation now that the old order has disappeared. Could three members servo tho native race in Parliament ? There would undoubtedly he opposition to a proposal for reduction, but it, could be argued that, three representatives would be virtually as effective as four, who really are not considered as a voting force in the House. Their principal purpose in Parliament is to be the voice of the native people and to direct European members by presenting Maori opinion. With this circumstance appreciated to the full, opposition to a suggestion that one constituency should he eliminated, In the event of Maori voting declining further, would be lessened. Tho extent of the diffusion of European blood in the race is an important factor in determining the time to which the number of those qualified to vote as natives will bo preserved. The position probably will approach the point of change within the next few elections and tho existence of four seats may no longer bo required.