HAURAKI PLAINS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4466, 13 September 1922, Page 2

HAURAKI PLAINS.

REDIVISION OF COUNTY. NINE RIDINGS PROPOSED. A proposal to re-idivide the Hauraki Plains County into nine ridings, each to have one representative op the council, was made in a report submitted by the clerk (Mr E. Walton) at the Council meeting on Monday. The report is as follows ’.

“The next general election of councillors will be held on Wednesday, May 9, 1923. By section 60 of ‘The Counties Act’ it is provided that the council shall, on spine day in September preceding every general election, hold a meeting for the purpose of considering' the representation of the different ridings, and'shall, if necessary, adjust the same so that the representation of the several ridings shall, as far as possible, be proportioned to the rateable value and number of electors in each riding respectively. “In view of the fact that the abovementioned statutory duty will have to be performed about the same time as the proposal that the Tahuna riding should secede to Piako County will comp before you I have been directed by the chairman to consider and report upon the matter for this meeting; also to report upon the feasibility of dividing the count!' (less the Tahuna riding) into nine ridings, each of which would elect one councillor. ' AUTHORITIES FOR ALTERATION. “That there is ample authority Tor altering the number and size of the ridings of a county will be seen from the following sections of the Counties Act, 1920 : “Section 21 (2).—Where the boundaries of any county are altered' by the exclusion therefrom of any area the Governor-General may, if he thinks fit, by proclamation redivide the county into ridings or declare the remaining pprtion of apy ridipg, part of which has been so excluded from the county, to form part of any other riding thereof.’ If Tahuna riding secedes, then this section could be used to effect the change, and it would simplify the procedure. The power in this section is vested in the Governor General, to whom the Council would apply after having settled the number, .size, and names of the new ridings. “ ‘Section 23.—The Council may from time to time by special order alter the number of the ridings with,in the county, and the name and boundaries thereof, or any of them, and the number, names, and boundaries of the outlying districts in the county; subject to the condition that the number of ridings shall, not be more than twelve, except in the case of united counties.’ The power here is vested in the council to make t,he alteration by special order, which means a resolution passed at a special meeting and confirmed at a subsequent meeting, of which public notice must be given. Afterwards the special order requires gazetting. This is the general provision, which may be utilised at apy time, while section 21 is a special provision for use in the particular circumstance mention‘Section 58.—(1) The Council shall consist of not less than six nor more than twelve councillors. (2) There shall .be, at least one councillor for each riding.’ “' Section 59.—(1) The Council may from time to time by special order alter within the limits aforesaid the number of the council and the number of councillors to be elected by each riding as i.t thinks fit. (2) Such special order shall come into full force only at a general election of the council, except in so far and to such extent as may be necessary for preparing any roll or otherwise providing for such election.’ You will note that this is a separate proceeddng, which must be taken whether you use section 21 or section 23 for altering the ridings. This alteration can be made to take effect , only at a general election. Section 69.—0 n the happening in a county of any of the events mentioned in this section fresh elections of councillors shall be held, as hereinafter provided, in like manner! as if extraordinary vacancies had occurred in the offices of! the councillors by resignation in the respective cases mentioned, that is to say: (a) Where a county, or any part thereof, is redivided into new ridings all the councillors in office in the original ridings affected by such dedivision shall go out of office and an election of COUncillprs shall be held in respect of the new ridings, or such of the original ridings as are affected by the rediivsion.’” NECESSARY STEPS. “To redivide the county into nine ridings with each of which electing one councillor two steps will have to be taken: (a) To move either under section 21 or under section 23 tp constitute and name new ridings. This can take effect on any date fixed, in the proclamation or in the New Zealand Gazette respectively, (b) To move under section 59 to alter the number of councillors to be elected by each new riding. This step can take effect only at a general election, i.e., May 9, 1923. RIDING VALUES. “In accordance with the chairman’s instructions I have entered on a litho the rateable value of each subdivision of land. In some eases I have entered the aggregates of small sections. I have also with blue, lines subdivided the present ridings of Turua, Netherton, Waitakaruru, pnd Patetonga into nine areas, which for the sake of reference I have named as follows, and each of which is of the rateable value set .opposite the respective names:

“If you decide to redivide the c'oun-i ty into nine ridings I recommend' the

above areas as being suitable for constituting separate ridings. In arriving at the above the principal factor taken into consideration was that provided in section 60 of the Act, namely, rateable value and- number of electors. The next point in importance was to utilise natural boundaries and to avoid roads as boundaries where possible. Lastly, I tried to preserve community of interest where the first two factors permitted.”

Kopuarahi Nagtea - Turua Kerepeehi Netherton Pipiroa Waitakaruru _ Kaihere Patetonga _ £149,180 _ 151,245 _ 149,589 _,116,635 _ 150,050 _ 143,060 _ 142,165 _ 142,465 _ 139,620 Total £1,284,029 Average—£142,670.