PARLIAMENTARY REPRESENTATION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1737, 6 October 1917, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY REPRESENTATION.

BOUNDARY COMMISSIONER’S REPORT. NEW MANAWATU SEAT. EOXTON PRINCIPAL CENTRE, The report of the North and South Island Representation Commissions, sitting as a joint commission, has been received. The principal effect of the proposed alterations, so far as the North Island is concerned, is as follows: —Owing to the changes in incidence of the population of the Dominion during the period which has elapsed since the appointment of the Dominion into electorates in 1911, it was found that the North Island would gain three members and the South would lose a corresponding number, which, of course, meant the creation of three new electorates in the North and the elimination of three in the South. This could not be done'without considerable disturbance of existing electoral boundaries. The preliminary map supplied by the commission shows, however, that they have been able to adopt their old boundaries to quite a Tenia rka !flc -eslcaL-. Of the three new electorates in the North Island, one (Roskill) has been formed in the suburbs of Auckland, and is almost entirely an “Urban” electorate. It is contiguous to"the Eden, Grey Lynn, Parnell and Mauukau electorates, and is bounded on the south by Mauukau harbour. It comprises portions of the existing’ Eden and Manukau electorates, and very small portions of Grey Lynn and Parnell adjoining Mount Eden. The second electorate has been named Rotorua, and is surrounded by the Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay, Waiinarino, Waikato, and Tauranga electorates. It is principally made up from the Bay of Plenty, Taumarniiui and Tauranga electorates, and includes a small portion of Waikato. The third district has been named the Manawatu, and takes in portion of the Otaki, Rangitikci and Palmerston electorates. “With regard to certain alterations of the names of electorates in the North Island, they have been made so as to better indicate the localities of the electorates, and the same consideration has led to the adoption of the names of the new eleel orates. The only effect that the alterations have made in respect of “wet” and “dry” districts is that it has been found necessary to include in dry districts two small hotels —one the White House of Kmncu .function, and the other the Waihou Hotel, which has been taken into the Ohineiuuri eleel ora to. Owing to the decrease in (lie population in (he South Island, the existing electoral os have been reduced from 31 to 31, the constituencies eliminated being Molueka, Selwyu and Otago Central. Portions of these have boon absorbed by Grey, Bailer, Nelson and Wairau, Ellesmere, Ashburton, Chalmers, Wakalipu, and Waitaki electorates. A new district, proposed to be called “Tuapcka,” has been formed out of 1 lie existing electorate of Bruee and part of Otago Central. As the preponderance of population in the proposed new electorate is now iu a dry area, this will have the effect of turning “dry” a large proportion of the “wet” area of Taieri and a small portion of the Tuapoka county, apparently necessitating (lie closing of licensed bouses at Hie next election.

The name Tuapcka Avas adopted as suiting a large part of Hie proposed electorate, and on account of Hie numerous objections to the name being eliminated by Hie last Representation Commission. The new Oamaru electorate Avill apparently eliminate one licensed house at Windsor, and the ucav Ashburton electorate a,ill do the same thing at Cliert-WA, NEW MANAWATU SEAT. The new Manawatu electorate, .. ilh Fusion a . i|s iwimopal centre, ’■ompri.-e- portions of the Otaki, I- .dineiv.lou NVrih, and Rangitikci scats, Otaki Joses to it at the nor(iKan. end fhe boroughs of Foxton, Shannon, and Tokomaru, Oroua Downs, Rangiolu, Taikorea, and Glen Oroua. In addition, Hie now constituency embraces all Hie Auxin ills and farm settlements on Hie Main Trunk line between Palmerston and Foxton, Avhieh are partly taken from Palmerston, and partly out of Otaki; Avliile from Rangitikci it receives the township of Bnnnylltorpe, Rongotca, Carnarvon, Awahuri, Sanson, Bulls, Turakina, and Waugaolii!, Avith the surrounding country. Rangitikci, which is practically a new constituency, is compensated by The outlying northern part of the Oroua electorate and Hie southern portion of Waiinarino, OTAKI ELECTORATE. Otaki, in turn, is compensated from Hie Wellington Suburbs and the Hutt electorates. So far as can be judged from the map displayed in the Prime Minister's office, Otaki gains Heretaunga, Trentham, Upper Hutt, and Mangaroa from the Hutt constituency, the ucav boundary folloAving the raihvay line from the bridge at SiKerstream to the Riinutakas. From Wellington Suburbs Otaki gains practically the Avhole of the country district portion. Otaki now takes in Pukerewa, Plimmerton, Paha ut anni, Pareniatn, Porirua, Taiva Flat, and Ohariu Valley, OTAKI ELECTORATE TO COME FURTHER NORTH. Mr AV. 11. Field, M.P., informs us

to-day that a mistake appears to have been made about the new northern boundary of the Otaki electorate. The boundary follows from the. sea up the river beyond Shannon for several miles,* and then leaves it, and strikes east and west to the Tararua ranges. Therefore apparently Otaki will still include Shannon and Miranui, but perhaps it will not take in Tokomaru,