Mataura Ensign GORE, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1884. SOUTHLAND RIDINGS.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 7, Issue 412, 25 November 1884, Page 2

Mataura Ensign GORE, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1884. SOUTHLAND RIDINGS.

The unequal nature of tho rnpresenta" tion in the Southland Comity c.vised by its absurd construction has b'*en brought iv prominence during the elections just completed. We recently ' published a letter in which "A n Unrepresented Ratepayer " complained of the diversity of interests which existed between electors on different sides of the Mataura. The misfortune lies in the construction of the Counties Act and its amendment Acts, which makes it compulsory that ridings shall be conterminous with road districts. Perhaps this method of subdivision may have hud a show of adaptability to convenience of book-keeping when ! the Acts came into force, but t-'tnee that several of the Road Boards have become defunct and the ridiculousness of -the position has been intens fied. ' Take the Hokonui )iding for example. What concord of inteiest can there be between reridents of Ri\ersdile and j those o£ Hed^ebope 1«^ Or in the Mataura Riding what consensus of feeling can there be between the settlers of Otama and those of Tuturau ? Th« very essence of the form of local Government which we have in the County Councils is that the representation shall be direct and intimate. It is proper that representation on a national scale and with national object should fo»Mn the basis of pailiarnentary institutions, but the constitution of a local body should be upon a totally diffi rent footing. Alteration could on!y be effected — (1) by fresh legislation ; or (2) by creating the lower part of Hokonui riding into a separate riding and similarly splitting up the. Mataura riding. The allocation of the ridings could very well be left 10 the discretion of the County Council. Although we recommend direct repre' sentalion, we deprecate the system which demands a rigid balance as between ridings. The same system is carried to ridiculous extremes in small road , boards where great jealousy ie j often manifested between subdivisions, i If, the representation were more nearly ins accord with the unification of local wants, there would be no need for the jealousy with which members regard the expenditure in other ridings than their own. The question is one which would profitably engage ,'the G-overn-ment in their promised consideration of: tho local Government question "during the recess.