H.—2B

1917. NEW ZEALAND.

REPRESENTATION COMMISSIONS' REPORT.

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

REPORT OK THE NORTH AND SOUTH ISLAND REPRESENTATION COMMISSIONS SITTING AS A JOINT COMMISSION. To His Excellency the Right Honourable Arthur William de Brito Savile, Earl of Liverpool, Governor-General 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, constituted by virtue of the provisions of the Legislature Act, 1908, Commissioners for the North and for the South Island, were called together by the Governor-General and sat as a Joint Commission on the 10th day of September, 1917, for the purpose of dividing the Dominion of New Zealand into electoral districts for the apportionment of the representation of the people of the said Dominion, and for this purpose proceeded to ascertain the " quota." The Commission now respectfully submits for Your Excellency's consideration the results of its proceedings. The report of the Statistician showing the total population of the Dominion was received and read by the Commission. From the said report and from returns furnished by the Defence Department as to the number absent with the Expeditionary Forces it was ascertained that the total population of the Dominion on the night of the census amounted to 1,142,081 (exclusive of Maoris, and the inhabitants of the Chatham and Kermadec Islands, and interned aliens), distributed as follows : The population in fifty cities and boroughs of over two thousand inhabitants, including those on shipboard, amounted to 538,334, and the urban population within five-miles limit of the Chief Postoffices 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 36,343, making a total urban population of 574,677, leaving a rural population of 567,404. Having added 28 per cent. to the latter figures, the total nominal population of the Dominion amounted to 1,300,954. This divided by 76, the total number of members, fixed the quota at 17,118. It was further ascertained that the total actual population of the North Island amounted to 674,101, equivalent to a. nominal population, of 766,618. Likewise it was ascertained that the total actual population of the South Island, including Stewart Island, was 467,980, equivalent to a nominal population of 534,336. A. consideration, of these figures showed that the number of members to which the North Island was entitled was represented by the figures 44-78, and the South Island 31 -22. As the fractional part in the first case was greater than that in the second the number of members for the North Island was fixed at 45, and that of the South Island at 31. This result increased the number of members for the North Island by three, and reduced that of the South 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 Tsland. Given under our hands and seals, this twenty-first day of September, one thousand nine! hundred and seventeen. E. 11. Wclmot, Chairman [l.S.]. W. IT. Sktnner [l.S.]. J. W. A. Marchant [l.s.]. Harman Reeves [l.s], Harry Quane [l.s.]. G. H. Bullard [l.s.]. James Trounson [l.s.]. Thos. Brook [l.s.]. H. M. Skeet [l.s.]. Robt. T. Sadd [l.s.].

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