THE COUNTY RIDINGS.

Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume XXII, Issue 2790, 15 May 1911, Page 2

THE COUNTY RIDINGS.

REPRESENTATION QUES-

TION

DISCUSSION BY CHAMBER

OF COMMERCE.

The question of the recent rearrangement of the Ohinemuri County ridings, and the representation of each riding on the County Council, was again discussed at the annual meeting of the Paeroa Chamber ot Commerce on Friday evening. In the course of his annual report the President (Mr McWatters) made passing reference to the fact that the Chamber had endeavoured to obtain more adequate representation for Paeroa on the County Council.

When the report had been read Mr

Nathan said he would like to have seen, more reference made in the report to the question of County Council representation. There was no doubt that in the recent distribution of representation a portion oi the Paeroa riding had been cut off and tacked on to other ridings so as to bolter up half dead ridings, and thus Paeroa had been done out of its just representation. He felt that the Chamber of Commerce had been rather hoodwinked by the County Council. Something should be done to obtain for Paeroa people their just rights, and it was only by combined agitation that they would obtain what was light. Although they had been told that the

question ot riding representation had to be considered by the County Council in the month of March, nothing was really done by the Council in March, but when this was pointed out the members replied that the alteration could be made at any time. The Chamber should take steps to endeavour to obtain the representation they were entitled to. Paeroa was entitled to four representatives; previously they had three, and now they would only have two. Whilst he congratulated the President on the report, he thought more should have been

stated about the County representation question, and that they should endeavour to obtain their just rights.

The President (Mr W. McWatters) said that the Chamber ot Commerce had already passed a resolution expressing dissatisfaction at the action of the County Council 1 egarding representation. It might be just as well to leave the matter in abeyance until the new committee ot the Chamber was elected that night. Mr W. J. Towers said it would be as • well to express themselves pretty strongly regarding the representation question. A number of people who had been taken into the Karangahake riding were very much disgusted at the action of the County Council. Mr Nathan moved that the following addition be made to the Chamber's annual report :—" The Chamber regrets that the Ohinemun County Council did

not carry out the Chamber's recommendation regarding the representation of the ridings on the CounciJ, seeing that a large number of ratepayers in an agricultural district now being tacked on to a mining township, where there is actually no community of interest, they are practically disfranchised." | This was seconded by Mr Towers. Mr Nathan said that the people in Waitoa were engaged in agriculture, and the Karangahake representatives were really elected by the miners, so that the Waitoa people who would be in the Karangahake riding would really have no representation on the Council. The mining people said they were entitled to a majority on the Council because most of the revenue came from mining, while, according to the Act, only the number of electors and the rateable value should be considered in fixing the representation. Mr de Castro said that there was a community of interest in nearly all districts. Honourable men who were members of a local body would consider the interests of the whole district, and

not merely the interests of their own

ridings. The portion of a district that was going ahead should assist that portion that was falling behind. Mr Towers said they could not be too strong in their condemnation ot the injustice done to Paeroa. There was no community of interest between Karangahake and Mangaiti; and tlie alterations of the boundaries of the ridings had simply been done to deleat the interests of Paeroa. Mr Dixon said that none of the members were opposed to Mr Nathan's motion ; it was simply a question ot whether it should be included in die report or put as a separate motion. After a little more discussion lit was unanimously decided that the addition to the report moved by Mr Nathan should be made.