COME NORTH, YOUNG MAN!

Taranaki Daily News, 19 August 1926, Page 8

COME NORTH, YOUNG MAN!

In the initial enthusiasm of his accession to the Prime Ministership, the late Mr. Massey visited the South Island on a general electioneering tour. Fully realising the potentialities of the sun-blest North Island, his call was: “Go north, young man!” Of course his gospel was unpopular with those who sensed the danger to the south if his advice were taken. At that time the south—the especial interests of which had for so long been fostered by Mr. Seddon and Sir Joseph Ward—was regarded with perhaps pardonable jealousy by the north. But human nature is human nature. The people came north. Since the time of Mr. Massey’s mission—but not necessarily because of it —the population statistics show very definitely that the north has, year' by year, been benefitting at the expense of the south. The change that has taken place in this direction was emphasised by the attitude of the South Island Parliamentary representatives who waited upon the Prime Minister last week. They desired to “stabilise” the South Island representation in Parliament. As Mr Sullivan expressed it, they “did not want to deprive the North Island of any advantages to which it was entitled as the result of increasing population; the idea was that the present representation of the South Island should not be further reduced.” On the last census figures the South Island was bound to lose one member and the north to gain one. South would then have 29 members and north 47. The Prime Minister’s reply to the deputation waa that “they must make no fixed number of electorates; the question must be subject to revision periodically, and it would be a mistake to separate the two islands in the matter of representation.” We cannot exactly determine what that reply means. It sounds diplomatic. To force the southern reasoning to a logical conclusion: What would happen if the whole of the South Island were occupied by one elector? As a matter of grace it might be given a much larger representation than that to which it would be reasonably entitled, but as a matter of equity and commonsense Parliamentary representation can only be based upon population, not upon area. If the North Island confines to attract the greater number of people, then it must, of logical necessity, have an increasing control in the Government of the Dominion.