H.—45.

NORTH ISLAND REPRESENTATION COMMISSION REPORT. To His Excellency the Governor-General of the Dominion of New Zealand. May it please Your Excellency,— We, the undersigned members of the North Island Representation Commission, have the honour to report that, as directed by Your Excellency on the 25th day of May, 1937, we commenced our sittings on the 6th day of July, 1937, for the purpose of dividing the North Island into electoral districts. The boundaries having been provisionally fixed, maps were prepared showing the same, and descriptions were published in the New Zealand Gazette, notice being given at the same time therein that objections would be received up to noon on the 30th day of August, 1937. In all, forty-five objections were received and dealt with, as set forth in the schedule herewith. This Commission now respectfully submits for Your Excellency's consideration maps showing the boundaries of the electorates as finally fixed, with a schedule showing the actual and nominal populations in each electorate, which agree with the figures set forth in the report by the Joint Commission, and also descriptions of the said boundaries. Two new electoral districts have been created, one in the Auckland Province, to which the name " Otahuhu " has been given, the other in the Wellington Province, being designated " Wellington Suburbs," the former electoral district of that name being renamed "Wellington West" as better describing the remodelled district. One electoral district " Oroua " has been eliminated, due entirely to the unequal increase in the density of the population. Through representations received it was decided to rename the Parnell " Electoral District " Remuera " as better describing the area comprised, also to change the name " Manukau ' to that of " Onehunga " for the same reason. After consideration of the objections received, it was decided to rename the electoral district provisionally gazetted as " Palmerston " to that of " Palmerston North. As directed by the provisions of section 41 of the Licensing Amendment Act, 1910, the Commission has declared that the Auckland East, Auckland West, and Auckland Central Electorates shall constitute the Auckland Licensing District, and that the Wellington North and Wellington Central Electorates shall constitute the Wellington Licensing District, The Commission was unable, owing to the restrictions imposed by the Act, to give effect to the wishes of the objectors in a number of cases based principally upon community of interest, although the grounds for the objections were recognized as being just and reasonable. This Commission would therefore respectfully recommend that Your Excellency's advisers consider the advisability of minimizing the effect of these restrictions by suitable legislation- Firstly, increasing the margin allowed above or below the quota from the present figures of 250 for urban districts and 1,250 for rural districts (approximating 1 per cent, and 5| per cent, of the quota respectively) to 2f per cent and 10 per cent, thereof; and, secondly, providing that where by giving due weight to community of interest and other considerations provided for in the Act it is found desirable to extend a boundary of a no-license district so as to include licensed premises, the licenses thereof shall enure and be in no way affected by such boundary adjustment. Given under our hands and seals, this third day of September, one thousand nine hundred and thirty-seven. H. E. Walshe. Arthur Rosser. K. M. Graham. Jno. Payne. A. E. Waters.

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