ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9788, 11 October 1917, Page 3

ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES

A WESTPORT PROTEST. Pmi Association. WESTPORT, October 10. * At a public meeting in the Town Hall to-night it was resolrod to enter a strong protest against the name “Grey” being applied to the electorate which included Westport, but not Grcymouth. Westport hitherto has been the chief town of tho Buller electorate, but under tho new boundaries Buller begins north of Westport and extends to Motuoka, and Westport is transferred to Grey. The meeting contended that Buller, the name of the rircr whose outlet - forms the port of Westport, should he retained for the electorate that has Westport as its chief town. . Mr Bowathcr, president of the Chamber of Commerce, objected to altering the boundaries at the present time for the same reason as the life of Parliament was extended. The old boundaries should be retained during the abnormal conditions duo to the war. There were fluctuations of population and there was a slackening of public works in the south and a more continuous public works expenditure in the north, particularly the far north. Then a greater part of the loan money was raised for defence purposes and was being spent in the N6rth Isldnd, temporarily attracting population there. When normal conditions obtained people would return south, and if the proposals of thA Boundaries Commission were adopto# with less of seats for the South Island many people would be disfranchised.