THE PROPOSED ALTERATION OF THE BOUNDARIES OF THE ELECTORAL DISTRICTS OF WAIKATO AND WAIPI.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3014, 7 November 1891, Page 2

THE PROPOSED ALTERATION OF THE BOUNDARIES OF THE ELECTORAL DISTRICTS OF WAIKATO AND WAIPI.

TO THE EDITOU. Sin, —The alterations proposod by the Commissioners in these districts are so radical a nature and the tinio so short (viz., the llith inst., at Wellington) for lodging objections Uiatl again set out the Commissioners' proposal and the generally accepted alternative proposed to be lodged by several local bodies. In another column the Mayor of Cambridge convenes a public meeting of all interested to discuss this matter, and to formulate an objoclion. The Commissioners' proposals provide that Waikato comprises tho whole of the Waikato County; the Maungata.vhiri RHing of tho Mannkau County; that portion of the Papakura Riding lying south of Mametai and Pakuranga Parishes, and of a road commencing in Section 65, Papakura Parish, and extßiiding westerly to the Great South Road, near Manurewa railway station; together with all of the Raglan County, excepting the Ridings of Pirongia and Karamu. Cambridge Borough is included with tho boundaries of this district, and also Papakura Town District. Wai pa comprises the following counties :—Waipa, West Taopo, East Taupo and Piako; together with the Hidings of Pirongia and Karamu, of Raglan County; and the Kawhia County, excepting that part lying south of the parallel of 38deg. SOniin. south latitude. This district includes also the Borough of Hamilton, and the Town Districts of Tβ Awamutu, Kihikihi, Ngarnawahia and Te Arohn. For all practical purposes the area of these two electorates (with the exception of a larger portion of the Manukau County) is that which has formed these two electorates for the past fourteen years, the last twenty months excepted. Excepting lor the moment tho Manuku County portion, the most thickly settled portion of this area lies between te Aruha towmhip on the East, to Raglan township on the West, with Oxford on the South, to Raneiriri on the North. The whole of this is comprised in tho Counties of Piako and Waikato on the East side of the Waikato river, and in tho counties of Waipa and Raglan on tho opposite side. For many years the river has formed the boundary between these two electorates, and during this period a strong electoral community of interests has naturally grown up between each of tho groups of counties above named. So long as there has beini the two electoral districts of Waipa and Waikato, tlie electors of the counties of Waipa and Riglan worked together for the candidate of their choice ; whilst, those of the counties of Waikato and Piako put shoulder to shoulder with a like object in view. These friendships and interests are by tho Commissioners' proposil to bo rudely broken. Waikato County is to lie yoked to Rnglan County, with which it hii3 little or no commercial or electoral interests, and to get at which Waikato must travel through Waipa County ; and, of course, this in the reverse applies to Raglan. Again, with Waipa and Piako being joined together, though their interests are not so distinct and distant as those of Waikato and Raglan, still it applies to some extent and the geographical difficulty is equally objectionable —viz., the county of Waikato lies between those of Piako and Waipa, that is so far as roads and railways are concerned. All this appears at variance with the " Representation Act Amendment Act, 1889," which enacts that "informing the several districts, due consideration shall be given to the present boundaries of electoral districts, to community of interests, facilities of communication, and topographical features." By adopting the proposals of the objectors it is concluded that these conditions may be well consnrved. The Waipa County Council have formulated their objections which embodies practically what I understand will also ba asked for by the counties of Piako and Waikato, Cambridge, and other districts. This is as follows, viz., Waikato electorate to comprise the Counties of Waikato, Piako, East Taupo and part of Manukau with the towns and borough therein. Waipa electorates to comprise the Counties of Waipa, Raglan, Kawhia, West Taupo and parts of Manukau, and the towns and boroughs therein. This is practically getting back to the state of things which existed during all the years before stated, with the exceptiou of Waikato electorate now including, part of Manukau county, Waipa included a portion of it before. I am fully aware of the difficulties in the way of the Commissioners in providing for all this with the population basis in the way; but as these proposals provide for an ecjually fair division of tho population without disturbing the boundaries of any of the electorates, I feel assured that it will only be necessary to lay so reasonable a modification of their own scheme before the Commissioners Lo get them to adopt it. —T am, etc. T. Wells. Cambridge.