The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE. Publised Every Tuesday, Thursday, AND Saturday Morning. Thursday, April 3, 1890. THE ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 437, 3 April 1890, Page 2

The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE. Publised Every Tuesday, Thursday, AND Saturday Morning.

Thursday, April 3, 1890. THE ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES.

Be just and fear not; Let all the ends thou aiin’st at be thy country’s, Thy God’s, and truth’s.

The maps showing ths electoral boundaries are real novelties in their way, and it is evident the Commissioners had anything but a pleasant task before them, to work out the quota in such a way as to bring the numbers fairly even. It is equally plain that they could not succeed in such a work without causing a good deal of dissatisfaction, and of that dissatisfaction the East Coast has certainly been given cause to hold the largest share. Centres which by the want of communication are as distinct from each other as from almost any other centre in the North Island have been grouped in one unworkable electorate. While giving the Commissioners credit for the best of intentions there can be no doubt they have signally failed in doing justice to the East Coast, and the advantages which Parliament allowed to be madp use of in such a case have not been given us. However, there is little use fuming over the matter. If we expect the Commissioners to alter their decision we must recognise that they are the sole arbiters, and thatitisonly by approaching them in a respectful spirit that any allowance can be expected. Stern reproach is very useful sometimes when there is a desire to move the tardy forces of officialdom, but however deserving we may deem reproach to be in this case, it is best to keep our opinions to ourselves until we see if we cannot, by milder means, convince the Commissioners that they have made a grave error of judgment in dealing as they have done with the East Coast—that they have virtually disfranchised many electors. The most, it appears, we can now hope for is that the Taupo district will be transferred to that of Hawke’s Bay, and the Arai riding be left in Cook County. It seems that in any case we shall have to stand by and see revived those miserable local political fights which a few years ago were the ruling features in an election contest when Gisborne and Tauranga were theoretically banded together, but were in reality more antagonistic to each other than any two distinct electorates could be. The alteration which it has now been resolved to ask for, is so modest and reasonable that we hardly see how it can be refused.