Electoral Boundaries.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XLV, Issue XLV, 12 October 1917, Page 3

Electoral Boundaries.

The report of the North and South Island Representation Commissions, sitting as a joint commission, has been received by the Governor-General. The population of tbe North Island has considerably increased. This result increased t'-e .number of members for the North Island by three, and reduced, that of the South Island by a corresponding number. In accordance with the provisions of the Legislature Act, notifications will shortly be published in the Gazette describing the proposed boundaries of the electoral districts, giving particulars where maps of the proposed districts may be seen, and also particulars ss to lodging of objections to the proposed boundaries. The creation of three new electorates in the North Island and the elimination of three in the South Island could not be done without a considerable disturbance of the existing electoral boundaries. Preliminary maps supDlied by the commission show, however, that it has been able to adapt these old boundaries to qui(te a reniarjcable extent. ' • ■ Of the three new electorates in the North Island, one (Roakill) has been formed in the suburbs of Auckland, and is almost entirely an urban electorate. It is contiguous to the Eden, Grey Lynn, Parnell, andManukau electorates, and is bounded on the south by Manukau,;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 tbe Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay, Waimarino, Waikato, and TaurangA electorates. It is principally made up from the Bay of Plenty, Taumarunui, and Tauranga electorates, and includes a small portion of Waikato. The third district has been named Manawatu. It takes in portion of the Otaki, Rangitikei, and Palmerstbn electorates. '

Owing to the decrease in population, the existing electorates in the South Island have been reduced from 34 .to 31. Motueka, Sehvyn, and Otago Central have been absorbed by the Grey, Buller, Nelson, and Wsirau electorates, the Ellesmere and Ashburton electorates, aDd the Chalmers, Gamaru, Wakatipu, and Waitaki electorates respectively. A new district proposed to be called "Tuapeka," has been formed out of/ the existing electorate of Bruce and par.t of Otago Central.! As the preponderance of population in the proposed new electorate is now in a "dry" area, this will have the effect of turning "dry" a large proportion of the "wet" area of Taieri and a small por.tion of the Tuapeka County; apparently necessitating the closing of several licensed houses at the next election. The name "Tuapeka" has been adopted as suiting a large part of the proposed electorate and on account of numerous objections to the name being eliminated by the last Representation Commission.