ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14521, 17 August 1911, Page 2

ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES.

IN SOUTH OANTERBURY. The proposed readjustment of electorate boundaries brings 'about soma odd aggregations of discordant interests. Tee alterations made in South Canterbury are not extensive, but they increase the absurdity of the previous arrangement. The changes that have been made appear to have been found necessary in order to enlargo some northern electorates, forcing the southern boundary of Ashburton furthor south, and this, notwithstanding some contraction of tho Timaru electorate owing to increase of population in the town and suburbs, lias driven the southern boundary of Ooraldino further south. Ashburton at present is bounded by the Orari river from tho sea to the old railway reserve, eastward of the main railway line; the boundary follows this reserve towards Winchester, crosses the railway and main line north of Winchester, and runs across country on the boundary of the Raukapuka riding to the Hae-hae-te-moana, and then up this stream, to leave it in Pleasant Valley and run across counl try again to Woodbury and Arundel. ! The new lino is the same, or about the same, from the Orari to tho Hae-hae-te-moana; but instead of turning up stream it turns down stream to the junction of that stream with the Opihi; then follows the Opihi up to Pleasant Point, and on to Fairlie; then follows the new Geraldine county and Opuha road district boundary to the Opuha river, and runs up this river to the rango. Ashburton therefore takes in tho whole of Geraldine county except that part of the Temuka road district south of Orari to the Hae-hae-te-moana. A peculiar result of this arrangement is that the tongue of laud between the two rivers at Temuka, crossed by the main road and the railway, is in Ashburton, while tho outer banks of both streamb are in Geraldine. Whoever therefore is member for Geraldine, in order to get from the chief centre, Temuka, to the larger area of the electorate by main road, will have to go through a bit of Ashburton. The whole of tho Waitohi and KaJcahu and upper Te Moana districts are therefore added to Ashburton.

To make up for this loss on the north side, Geraldine gains a slico of the present Timarc electorate. Instead of the lower Opihi being the boundary, the line is laid along the east and west road that runs near the Seadown homestoad from the sea to the Middle Road, Levels Plains, w.hich runs from Arowhenua to the Levels homestead. The present boundary across the plains is the road on the east side of Pleasant Point park. From the Levels homestead the new line runs along the roadf to and through Papakn, Settlement, and up the valley to Brookloy road, and then along the western boundary of Gleniti and Otipua ridings to tho Pareora river, these ridings bemg in Timaru.. Timaru therefore loses a strip along the lower Opihi, and another on the western side as far as Brockley road, which runs just west of the smallfarm settlement of Rosebrook. Geraldine takes in all the Mackenzie county and the greater part of Waimato county. Its area is enlarged on tho south side also. The present electorate boundary on the south runs in a line from the sea to the railway a little north of Studholme, and thence runs inland same way north of Waimato borough. The new line is the same as the old from the sea to the railway; but thence it follows the main line and the branch line to Waihao Downs, save that the borough is, so to speak, cut out. From the terminus of the branch line the boundary runs ahout as at present, along the north branch of the Waihao, reaching the Waitaki at Castle Hill, and thereafter following the Mackenzie County boundary to the Southern Alps.

Waitaki includes Waimat© borough, Waikakahi, the Waihao and Waihaorunga country, and the lower half of Hakataramea Valley. Southward it almost surrounds and runs far south of Oamaru, to the Horse Range, and includes large areas of pastoral country in the west. The borough is at thto northorn margin of the new electorate, as Temuka practically is in the new Geraldino, though less conspicuously so as Oamaru borough is in the Oamaru electorate.