THE REPRESENTATION BILL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1553, 9 May 1887, Page 3

THE REPRESENTATION BILL.

The proceedings m Committee on Wednesday evening are an unmistakeable indication of the earnest determination of the House to go m for a policy of retrenchment. Honorable members could indeed have given no more convincing proof of their honesty of purpose m this direction than by the carrying of a proposal for the reduction of the number of the House to seventyone, meaning as it does that no less than twenty out of the present ninetyone European members have performed the operation known among the Japanese as the hakodadi or "happy despatch." As it would not be difficult to pick out a score or so of leading men who are sure, under any circumstance to find seats, it follows that for the remainder they have voluntarily chosen for the country's sake to place themselves m a position m which it is about an even chance that there may be no seat for them, even to run for m the new Parliament. It may be said that the reduction of the number of members by twenty will not effect a saving of more than five or six thousand a year, but there is reason to suppose that an attempt, will be made to obtain a corresponding relative reduction m the number of the members of the Council, and if this be given effect to by a reduction to thirty-five (the other fifteen being balloted out), the total saving will m round figures be ten thousand pounds. But this is not all. We learn that it is highly probable that the honorarium will be reduced by meaning a further saving of six thousand pounds, and that with other, retrenchments contemplated, the total saving on the legislative department will approach very nearly to twenty thousand pounds. It njay be safely calculated that if Parliament thus commences with itself, the like policy will be carried out m all other directions, and that thus full effect will be loyally given to the almost universal wish of the public for a policy of economy and prudence. The change which has been made cannot, however, be carried out without some sacrifices on the part of the people as well as on the part of their representatives. The reduction m the number of seats, of course, means a widening of the bounds of the electorates, and a proportionate loss m the number of representatives of •particular areas of country. For example, the Ashburton and Wakanui districts must either be both considerably widened m area, or part of one added to the other, and the balance annexed tor some other electorate. These farreaching proposals will doubtless have a marked effect on the personnel of the new House, which will probably show greater changes as the result of the forthcoming elections than have ever heretofore been known. In order to enable our readers to work out for themselves the effects, so far as they may be foreseen, of the new distribution, we may say that the quota of population to entitle to a member m the cities and larger towns will be about nine thousand two hundred of actual population, and m the country districts the same number of nominal population. To find the nominal population of the latter add twenty per cent, to the actual population as per the census return \ the result is the nominal population for the purposes of the Bill. As between districts, there is a margin of adjustment, or "give-and-take" allowance, of one thousand. That is to say, m mapping out the electorates m order to allow for geographical, or rather topographical considerations, facilities of communication and identity of interests, the Commissioners may allot to one electorate a thousand less than the quota, and to another a thousand more, so that m town, electorates the minimum quota will be eight thousand two hundred, or thereabouts, of actual population, and the maximum ten thousand two hundred, and m the country electorates the same figures respectively will denote the minimum and maximum of nominal population. Ashburton electorate, containing 4789 of actual population, will count (adding the twenty per cent.) for a nominal population of 5747, and Wakanui, containing 5001, will count nominally as 6001. The two together will thus count for a total of 11,748, or about fifteen hundred above the maximum, which would mean that if the two electorates be thrown into one, then so much country must be cut off and added to some other electorate as contains twelve hundred of actual population. These figures will enable our readers to see at a glance the exact bearing of the redistribution as affecting this district, and it only remains to be mentioned that both members loyally carried out their pledges to the electors at their recent pre-sessional meetings, Mr Ivess voting for and Mr Walker against the reduction m the number of members of the Hcuse.

Since the foregoing was written, the stand taken by the Government renders it improbable that all the amendments made m the Representation Bill will be given effect to. It would seem likely that the allowance to country electorates will be slightly reduced, and the ratio of variation altered from one thousand to seven hundred and fifty. It also appears to be quite on the cards that the number of members may be raised somewhat,