PATRIOTIC AREAS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 13, 8 October 1943, Page 6

PATRIOTIC AREAS

SUBDIVISION OF PROVINCE

HON. W. E. PARRY'S PROPOSAL

The following letter from the Hon. W. E. Parry, Minister of Internal Affairs, sets. out. this proposal lor splitting the Auckland Provincial Patriotic area into three sections

with a view to overcoming the present widespread dissatisfaction regarding the allocation of funds and the basis of meeting the annual appeal.

The letter reads: You will remember that early last, year a special committee of the National Patriotic Council at my request investigated at considerable length a request of the Waikato Zone for the separa-

tion of the area within its jurisdic-< tion from the Auckland Provincial Patriotic organisation, and its constitution as a separate Provincial Council. You will remember also that the report of the special committee being unfavourable, I: took no further action. At various times since then, however,, further representations have been made to me from the Waikato Zone. I ! have intimated that any question of this area by itself being constituted a Provincial Council could not be considered, but I have given very care* ful consideration to the whole question of subdividing the huge Auckland province, and as a result I have in mind its division into three areas and raising each of these to full provincial status.

As you are aware, the present organisation of the patriotic effort is. in effect, the same as. that originally devised for the purpose of celebrating the New Zealand Centennial of 1940. For that purpose the old provincial boundaries were taken as indicating, even after the lapse of over sixty years, areas of substantially the same, community of interest. One exception however,, was made, by the constitution of East Coast (North Island) as a separate province, it being £ully realised that no longer did Gisborne and its surrounding districts have any real community of interest with the areas of the Auckland province. This division of New Zealand; on the whole worked admirably for the particular purpose of. the Centennial, the activities of which extended over no more than three years or so. As time has gone on, however, it has become apparent to me that the Auckland province,, including as, it does within its boundaries roughly one-third of the population of New Zealand, is really too bing an area satisfactorily to function as one whole for patr riotic purposes. In connection with this, may say that, apart altogether from Waikato, other areas in the Auckland province have from time to time indicated some desire to have a separate existence., or to be included in a smaller area than the Auckland province as a whole. Incidentally, I am advised that the Executive and Finance Committee of the Auckland Metropolitan Patriotic Committee recently expressed its opinion that the set-up of. the patriotic organisa? tion might well be amended in the direction of abolishing the Provin-< cial Council and leaving the zones to deal direct with the National Fund Board. This appears to me to proceed too far in the direction of subdivision. I am of opinion that the division of the Auckland provincial district as it exists at present into three areas would provide a satisfactory solution of the difficulties that have arisen.

The first of these, to be named, say,, "North Auckland," or "Northland," would comprise all that area from the North Cape down to and including Rodney County. lam aware that both in Centennial and patriotic matters up to the present the Rodney County area lias been in a somewhat, peculiar position which has been met by declaring it a separate zone. It would appear, however, that Avith the establishment of the American forces at Warkworth, there is a growing community of interest between Rodney and Whangarei.

The second area, to be named af? might be desired locally either "Auckland" or "Central Auckland," would comprise the Auckland city and metropo'itan area generally, together with Waitemata, Eden,, Manukau and Franklin Counties, including also the islands in Hauraki fiulf which are not within the boundaries of any county. The position of Great Barrier Island., which is a county in itself, requires special consideration Though more closely adjacent to the north area its community of interest through means of transportation (Continued in next column)

might conceivably be with the central area. The third area, to be named "South Auckland" would comprise the rest of the Auckland province. lin area, both the north and south subdivisions would compare with any provincial district in the rest of New Zealand, apart perhaps from Wellington and Canterbury, and would certainly exceed that of Taranald, Hawke's Bay, East Coast,, Nelson, Marlborough or Westland. The central area, though not so large, has, it must be remembered, within its boundaries;, onesixth of the total population of New Zealand.

The Auckland province as at present constituted is,, on the basis of a mean between population and capital value, responsible for 31.7751 per cent of the total; levy made by the National Patriotic Fund Board on all Provincial Councils. Dividing this 31 per cent, between the three areas, it works out as follows: — Northern 3.988 Central 16.103 Southern 11.684 This shows, of course, that while there is comparatively little between central and southern, the northern area is responsible for only a small percentage of the whole. This, however, is off-set not only by the very large area, but by a comparison with the quotas of other provincial districts,, which are as follows: — Taranaki 4.465 East Coast 2.45 Hawke's Bay 5.6' Wellington 22.0 Canterbury .... 15.335' Otago 8.87 Southland 4.4 Nelson 2.3 Marlborough .... 1.425 West Coast 1.38 From this table alsio it will be seen that even under the proposed subdivision the central area would still be required to find a greater quota than any other province with the exception of Wellington, and that the southern area would have a greater quota than all other provinces except Wellington and Canterbury. On the whole too, the division would tend to a greater uniformity of quotas between provinces than exists at present.

The. headquarters of each of the three new provinces would most appropriately be„ I think, "YVhangare.i, Auckland City and Hamilton respectively. X should be glad, before coming to a final decision, of the comments of your Provincial Council, both on the general proposal and its) details, particularly with regard to the suggested boundaries of the three new districts. On the assumption that before submitting the matter to the Provincial Council itself you may desire to consult the various zones within the province. I attach sufficient number of copies of this letter to enable you, if you so desire, to furnish each zone executive, with a copy. ,