SOUTH ISLAND PARLIAMENT

Evening Star, Issue 22146, 28 September 1935, Page 23

SOUTH ISLAND PARLIAMENT

AN INVERCARGILL SUGGESTION PRESENT SYSTEM FAVOURS NORTH [Per United Press Association.] INVERCARGILL, September 27. The establishment of a Parliament for the South Island was suggested _in a letter, from Mr W. Hinchey, chairman of the Southland Electric Power Board, which was read at a meeting of the Southland Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union to-day. It was decided to place the matter on the agenda paper for the next meeting. “ There is no disguising the fact that we have for some years been losing ground to' the north,” Mr Hinchey wrote,. “We have lost our regular and natural shipping connection with Australia, and trade has been drawn to the northern ports. The Union Steam Ship Company removed its headquarters from Dunedin, the place of its birth, to Wellington. This was a very serious loss to Otago and Southland. We are threatened with the centralising of shipping in Wellington, and should this occur it wnlud spell destruction to the ports of Bluffi and Otago, and largely affect the port of Lyttelton. The tourist traffic to Rotorua has contributed extensively to the growth and prosperity of ’Auckland, and notwithstanding that this island has much to attract tourists, we have not had a failshare of the revenue derived from that source.” Two Parliaments, Mr Hinchey continued, w-ould give members more time for details, and would largely avoid the necessity for commissions. The _ tendency seemed to be in the of smaller Parliamentary territories. Points to be considered were::— (1) Would a Parliament situated at Christchurch or Dunedin help towards greater prosperity in this island? (2) Would it be more costly than one Parliament? (3) Are we getting an equitable share of public money—viz., Highway Fund. Unemployment Fund, and expenditure through the Public Works Department? (4) Having regard to the large expenditure of public money in the North Island of late years, do we in this island pay more than our share of taxation to meet the interest payments on that money? (of Can members of Parliament for the North Island, who have never seen the Soutli, be expected to he perfectly unbiased in discussing interisland questions ? It was noticeable. Mr Hinchey said, that the northern Press frequently attacked proposals for development works in the South with the object of influencing the Government, which was entirely to the detriment of this island. “ I feel sometimes,” he concluded, “ that this island is like a mandated territory with its Government on the other side of the water.”