H.—2B

1911. NEW ZEALAND.

REPRESENTATION COMMISSIONS' REPORTS.

Presented to the House of Representatives pursuant to the Legislature Act, 1908.

REPORT OF THE NORTH AND SOUTH ISLAND REPRESENTATION COMMISSIONS SITTING AS A JOINT COMMISSION. To His Excellency the Right Honourable John Poynder Dickson-Poynder, Baron Islington, Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Dominion of New Zealand and its Dependencies. May it please Your Excellency,— We, the undersigned, appointed by Commission bearing date the 17th July, 1911, issued under the hand of Your Excellency and sealed under the seal of the Dominion, sitting as a Joint Commission for the purposes of the Legislature Act, 1908, and its amendments, having received a report from the Statistician showing the results of a census of the population of the Dominion taken on the 2nd day of April, 1911, proceeded to ascertain the quota of the population required for each electoral district of the Dominion 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 Statistician showing the total population of the Dominion was received and read by the Commission on the 18th day of July, 1911. From the said report it was ascertained that the total population of the Dominion amounted to 1,008,206 (exclusive of Maoris and the inhabitants of the Chatham and Kermadec Islands), distributed as follows : The population in forty-six cities and boroughs of over two thousand inhabitants, including those on shipboard, amounted to 432,283, and the urban population within five miles limit of the Chief Post-offices of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin Cities, exclusive of the population in' cities and boroughs of over two thousand inhabitants within that limit, amounted to 56,432, a total urban population of 488,715, leaving a rural population of 519,491. Having added 28 per cent, to the latter figures, the total nominal population of the Dominion amounted to 1,153,664. This divided by seventy-six, the total number of members, fixed the quota at 15,180. It was further ascertained that the total actual population of the North Island amounted to 563,729, equivalent to a nominal population of 643,673. Likewise, it was ascertained that the total actual population of the South Island, including Stewart Island, was 444,477, equivalent to a nominal population of 509,991. A consideration of these figures showed that the number of members to which the North Island was entitled was represented by the figures 424, and the South Island 33"6. As the fractional part was greater in the second case than in the first, the number of members for the North Island was fixed at 42, and that of the South Island at 34. This result added one member to the North Island, and reduced those of the Soutli Island by a corresponding number. The Joint Commission having fulfilled the functions devolving upon it in terms of the above Act, resolved itself into the separate Commissions, which respectively proceeded to apportion and define the electoral districts for each Island. Given under our hands and seals, this twenty-first day of July, one thousand nine Vmnrtrrd find olovon. John Strauchon, (1.5.) H. S. Wardell. (1.5.) Chairman, Joint Commission. Eric C. Gold Smith. (1.5.) \V. Armstrong. (1.5.) Harry Quane. (1.5.) E. H. Wilmot. (1.5.) G. H. M. McClure. (1.5.) Chas. S. Reeves, (1.5.) James Trounson. (l.s.J T. N. Brodrick. (l.sJ

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