PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCES.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 14 August 1917, Page 6

PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCES.

AN INJUSTICE TO LICENSE"WiII Cabinet consider the advisability of permanently fixing the number of constituencies and their boundaries, perhaps not for the coming election, "but for the succeeding Parliament?" asked Mr. K. McCallum (Wairau) of the Prime Minister recently. At- present, added the hon. member, there were 34 seats in the South Island and 42 in the North Island; and the matter was complicated by the fact that there were six prohibition districts in each island. He suggested that there should be a fixed number of seats in the South Island, and that the position, as to .representation between the North Island and the South Island should be adjusted by increasing the number of seats in the North Island the present system caused confusion, and it was most unfair that the Boundaries Commission had the power of cutting out hotels, by putting them Into no-license districts. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Massey said that an Act had "been recently passed to make that im-

possible. Mr. J. S. Dickson (Parnell): "No, it's not impossible.

. -Mr. Massey said that the Act had heen passed since he became Prime Minister. It was passed about three years ago, and was intended to prevent injustice being done to license-holders who found that they were suddenly taken out of license districts and put in "dry" districts. As to making the boundaries permanent, it would be a very desirable thing to do from the point of view the members of Parliament and candidates for Parliament, but Cabinet had to consider the interests of the public. He was thinking of the position in Great Britain, where in some of the electorates the population ■was very little over a thousand, but in others there were 50,000 or more. That was the result of fixing the boundaries permanently, and they must avoid that sort of thing in New Zealand He understood that the hon. member did not intend it to apply to next election. A member: "When will that be?" (Laughter.) Mr. Massey replied that legislation would be put before Parliament dealing with the whole matter before the next election, whether it came about in the next few months or not for 18 months.

Mr. G. V. Pearce (Patea): "There r.re quite enough here to talk without increasing the number." (Laughter.) Mr. Massey: "A lot of people think so." (Laughter.)