THE NEW ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7914, 25 September 1911, Page 1

THE NEW ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES

The Boundaries Commissions, after dealing with petitions in connection with their first definition of electoral boundaries, have now issued an amended report, The chief features of this report are given below. The statement available to the press does not define the alterations in detail, but there is sufficient information to give a clear idea of the concessions that have been made to tho petitioners. One of tho localities upon which attention had centred a good deal was To Aroha, the northern tourist resort, the inclusion of which in the Ohinemuri electorate meant: that the throe hotels in the town would bo deprived of their licenses. This, it was stated, would considerably affect tho prosperity of tho town as a tourist resort. The Commissioners wont into the matter fully, and, as will bo eceu below, the petition of tho To Aroha Council and Chamber of Commerce was complied with. To Aroha being retransferred to the Tauranga electorate. Apparently also the Katikati protest against inclusion in the Ohinemuri electorate has been practically successful, and here again a “ half-way” tourist hotel is reinstated in the /'licensed” district of Tauranga. In Mr Massey's electorate of Franklin, Pukekohe, which objected to transference to Raglan, is put back again into its former doctorate.

The name of tho Xtangitikei electorate, which has been considerably altered, has been changed to \Vaimarino, and the Hanawatu electorate assumes tho name of Kangitikei. The Commission found it impossible to re-establish tho townships along the Hanawutu line, as far north as Plimmorton, in the Otaki electorate, and in tho case of the Hntt concessions have been made to the extent of giving back to the Hutt that portion along the hillside of the railway lino towards Moonehiud that was taken into the Wellington Suburbs and Country electorate. In the South Island tho name of the Geraldine electorate lias been changed to that of Tomuka.

In their report the South Island Commissioners make one comment. They state that it was found that the boundaries of the Tuapcka and Taieri electorates had to bo so altered, as to render either name unsuitable, and so the commission decided to i ame the newly-de-fined distrnj; Otago Central, as better describing the same. It was also decided, as the Geraldine electorate had been altered so as to exclude Geraldine town and most of tho county, that the electorate should ho renamed “Temuka.” Tho North Island Commissioners have no comments to make.

NOJRTH island • OHINEMURI. dr G. V. Stewart, the Katikati Farmers' Union, and 173 residents of Katikati potioned that; tho Katikati riding remain in tho Tauranga electorate, and bo not placed in the Ohinemuri electorate. —Partially complied with. Tho Tauranga County Council also petitioned that the Katikati riding be retained in Tauranga.—Partially complied w-ith. Messrs Gaum and Gilchrist requested that Te Aroha township and a portion of To Aroha riding-bo excluded from the electorate of Ohinemuri.—Partially complied until. Tho Te Aroha Borough Council, Chamber of Commerce, and 333 residents protested against the inclusion of To Aroha in the Ohinemuri district, and petitioned that they be retained in tho Tauranga decorate. —Complied with. FRANKLIN. The Pukekoho Town Board and Mr W. F. Massey asked that the Pukekoho dis trict be retained in the Franklin elec-, torato instead of in tho Raglan electorate.—Complied with. This alteration placas the township of Pukekohe in the Franklin electorate. TAUMARUNUI. N. 'Winter, Tanmamnui, wrote request lug that tho head polling place should ho at Taumanmui, instead of at Wattn.ra.—Referred to tho chief doctoral officer. STRATFOEL. A resolution of a public meeting at Stratford requested that tho whole of Stratford County bo included in Stratford electorate. —Complied with. Tho chairman of tho Stratford County Council wrote asking that the west riding of Stratford County bo included in Stratford electorate and not in Egmont. —Complied with. EGMONT. The Stratford County Council asked for the exchange .of tho West Riding of the county (which had been trnne ferret! to Egmont) for tho Mangamingi and Omona district (which had been placed in Stratford).—Complied with. WANGANUI. The Mayor of Wanganui and four local bodies (also the town clerk of Castlo cliff and 220 others) protested against Cnstlccliff being taken out of Wanganui and put in Patca.—Complied with. The tov.-n clerk of Grenville and 120 others objected to severance from Wanganui.—Complied with. OEOUA, MANAWATU, AND RANGE . ’ TXKEI. The Mayor of Feildiug, the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, and tho chairman of tho Oroua County Council wrote suggesting alterations in th(‘ electorates of Oroua, Manawatu, and RangiHkei.—Partially complied with. E. W. Smith sngcgsU-d alterations in

COMMISSIONERS’ AMENDED REPORT SOME IMPORTANT CONCESSIONS

tiie boundaries of Rangitikei—Complied with.

J. G. Cobbo, Foilding, and others wrote protesting against inclusion in Manama tu anti asking to be put in Oroua.— Complied with. The clerk to tho Huntervillo Town Board forwarded a request that the name of Rangitikei electorate be changed. to Wai marine. The town lork of Marton and tho Rangitikei County Councill made tho same request, and also asked that tho name of the Manawatu bo changed to Rangitikei.—Complied with. An objection to the alteration in tho name from tho Manawatu County Council was not upheld. PAHIATtJA. Tho Waipukurau County Council wished to bo included in Waipawa electorate instead of Pahiatua.—This was decided to bo impracticable. W K LLLVGTON SUBURBS. Messrs Field and Lnokie forwarded a petition from 166 electors objecting to the exclusion of Porirua, Pareraata, Plimmerton, and Pahantanni from Otaki electorate and their inclusion in Wellington Suburbs. —Doomed impraotdoable. HUTT. M. A. Rowlands and 155 others asked that Silverstream, Trentham, Horetaunga, Ncrmandale, and Maungaraki bo not removed from the Hutt electorate. —Partially complied with. Mr C. R. Dir and twenty-nino Hutt residents objected to their removal into tho Wellington Suburbs electorate, but the Commission decided it would be impracticable to grant the request. SOUTH JSLAND NELSON. Nelson residents protested against any portion of the Sounds County being included in Nelson electorate.—Deemed impracticable. CHRISTCHURCH. A petition that the whole of Spreydon Borough bo included in Christchurch South was deemed impracticable. WAITAia. A large number of protests and resolutions of .public meetings were received from Waimate against its transfer from Waitaki to Geraldine electorate.—Doomed impracticable. GERALDINE. T. Buxton, M-P., requested that the name be changed to Temuka, or Gladstone.—Changed to Temuka. O AMARU. In tho case of Oamaru, where protests were received against the severance of tho suburbs from the borough, alterations wore made as far as practicable. ' BRUCE. Messrs R. Wood and T. Pilling, of Dunkeld, requested that portion of Beaumont Riding comprising blocks 1, 14, and 16, Crookston survey district, be .severed from the proposed Bruce electorate, and included in Otago Central. — Acceded to in regard to blocks 1 and IS. INVERCARGILL. Mr J. A. Hanan, M.P., forwarded a protest against the inclusion of tho east end of the borough of Invercargill in tho Awanui district.—Boundaries amended to ‘ include sections 8,5, and 10, Block 1., Invercargill Hundreds.