ELECTORAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6807, 21 March 1890, Page 4

ELECTORAL.

THE BOUNDARY COMMISSION. [from own special correspondent.] WELLINGTON, March 20. The Boundary Commissioners have had their formal meeting (to which I alluded in my former message), and having handed their- papers in are preparing to return home. I mean, of course, the unofficial. The maps for both islands are being got ready in the Surveyor-General's office, and will be ready, it is expected, on Saturday morning. The descriptions for the North Island are now in the hands of the printers, and those for the South Island will be to-morrow ; so that everything will be ready for the Special Committee on Saturday. I hear that the boundaries are likely to be the subject of lively discussion and much heart-burning. The Commissioners, finding themselves bound down very strictly by the conditions of the work to be done, were debarred from making allowance for community of interest in places to the extent that would have been desirable to those interested, and for Government reasons known to the Commissioners themselves. The general expectation in well-informed circles (necessarily limited just now) is that there will be a fearful row. Eegarding the advisability or otherwise of waiting for the census, it is not anticipated.thab the census returns, when made, will be found to make much appreciable change in the Registrar - General's estimates, which have, of course, been before the Commissioners. When the boundaries sire committed it will, I learn, be found that the present balance between the two Islands is not disturbed, and that the general balance is not disturbed to any appreciable extent. There are changes in localities, however. Speaking generally, I hear that the population has shrunk in Auckland city, in Westland, Invercargill, and perhaps Nelson. The shrinkage in the far South is probably balanced by increase in the settlement of the country districts. Wellington shows an appreciable change in the country i population, owing to tbe progressing settlement in the last few jears. The Canterbury district remains unchanged in its ! proportion.