H.—2B

1907. NEW ZEAL AN J).

REPRESENTATION COMMISSIONS' REPORTS.

Presented to the House of Representatives pursuant to " The Electoral Act, 1905."

REPORT OF THE NORTH ISLAND AND SOUTH ISLAND REPRESENTATION COMMISSIONS SITTING AS A JOINT COMMISSION. To His Excellency the Right Honourable William Lee, Baron Plunket, Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Colony of New Zealand and its Dependencies. Mat it please Your Excellency,— We, the undersigned, appointed by Commission bearing date the 26th October, 1906, issued under the hand of Your Excellency and sealed uitder the seal of the colony, sitting as a Joint Commission for the purposes of " The Electoral Act, 1905," having received a report from the Registrar-General showing the results of a census of the population of the colony taken on the 29th day of April, 1906, proceeded to ascertain the quota of the population* required for each electoral district of the colony as defined in the Act referred to above, and now respectfully submit for Your Excellency's consideration the results of our proceedings. The report of the Registrar-General showing the total population of the colony was received and read by the Commission on the 15th day of November, 1906. From the said report it was ascertained that the total population of the colony amounted to 888,376 (exclusive of Maoris and the inhabitants of the Chatham and Kermadec Islands), distributed as follows: The population in forty-seven cities and boroughs of over two thousand inhabitants, including those on shipboard, amounted to 376,177, and the urban population within five miles limit of the Chief Post-offices of Auckland, Wellington, Christphurch, and Dunedin cities, exclusive of the population in cities and boroughs of over two thousand inhabitants within that limit, amounted to 47,895, a total urban population of 424,072, leaving a rural population of 464,304. Having added 28 per cent, to the latter figures, the total nominal population of the colony amounted to 1,018,381. This, divided by seventy-six, the total number of members, fixed the quota at 13,400. It was further ascertained that the total actual population of the North Island amounted to 476,732, equivalent to a nominal population of 544,019. Likewise, it was ascertained that the total actual population of the South Island, including Stewart Island, was 411,644, equivalent to a nominal population of 474,362. A consideration of these figures showed that the number of members to which the North Island was entitled was represented by the figures 40-6, and the South Island 354. As the fractional part was greater in the first case than in the second, the number of members for the North Island was fixed at 41, and that of the South Island at 35. This result added three members to the North Island, and reduced those of the South Island by a corresponding number.

I—H. 28.