THE "QUOTA"

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2185, 29 July 1889, Page 2

THE "QUOTA"

A oloar exposition of what the 'Qacti 1% has been oumpl ai by Mr Mobb, A1.13.R, Of oonrsQ the oplnlonj expressed are those of a town member. Uuder tbe proaent syatem says M.c Moas, tbe oomputatloa at the last, ekotlon was aa follows j— Total population, 578,482} fro il this 4925 wai deduatod aa bilng on shipboard and at Oil&tham Islands, and 205,540 as the population of the wholo of hd oltiea and boroughs oto., which had oioro than 2000 inhabltaots The n»t cojoh 368,017* and the allowanos of J8 pir oent gave 06,213. Tbeae were added f • ihi total population, >\id the result, 644 697, divided by ih.3 01 member^ g*ve th . quota of 7030 Twenty-nine boroughs at tula quo* absorbed 205,540, l^avin^ th ) remain ng 367,987 to be divided among th ' 62 oountry motubdrs, who thus had a quo;;* of 5905 Mr Mp s added tha.t tbeie tro only approximate figures, as the aotnal o»loalatlou3 of the Oomoiisaionors sro lot mide publto. He i«i oercntu. however, that they aru vory nea-.- the m >rk. But h»ra a vory distufblng li.flaanoo ooraei In. The O)mmlßtj|ou jre have a d stationary pivrar of 750 over or under this qaola. Tills, In fact, gives np to 1500 for eaoh constituency, aud tho ro.u «1 ditforenoes In tho

•h;a orUes, as th y wero filed by tho O rnmiajlonors unde- 18 por oont nominal quota, atuoant m niMiy oab-o nc.irly lo 60 por cent. They raige from 7^32 for Pouinnby, "he hl^host on tho li«,, to 5383 fo: th) Ola'hi. L'jrg-) numbora of the dliflots show the dlacrdp^ny of f rum 3,5 to 45 pec oant uader lh3 nominal quou of •»ly 1Q p^ir oout, und it will ba re.-y maoh greater nudor r nominal quota of 33£ per cent. The inversion of tho proosnt» of oaloulatlo.i, namo'y, nubtraotlag from the town lnß'eud of adding to the oounlr/, makes tuls gee .fc diffareno-a vory ouunin^iy and very unwoufhtly, isr Mr Mobo puts It. By thli lnvatdlon thu whole ratio la o^angod. Tbo following are Mr Moat's igures. The toUl population Is |HI ito be tak,on aa at th,o last oaueus, 60Q. Tho Qiijos and boroqgha to bj treated e,^ <iptlonal)y oontain 146,CD0. The oulou h'pn is thoreforo 578,5J0 minus 36.60Q— {42 000, wheh di^idod by 70 gives 77/43 r«o|ulrins: 10,334 town or bnrougli people !or on i momVr, r I hi 12 city muinbora done would absorb 23,888, an i leave about <nough for two or threo morubora more locording to the manner m waioh the C'omtn'Fßionjra might uao thotr dHQra<oniry power, 'IJ>a balanoe noigut bo (Biuraod nt 432,000, ro bo divided among Jii 55 or 56 ootiDlry uiembaffl tbat woul.t lo !o r t Tho quota wouid thijj be about |850 fov pooafy detrjetii — tljat ia to say, [early 33^ por o nt leqa than tho towns.