H.—45.

SOUTH ISLAND REPRESENTATION COMMISSION REPORT. To His Excellency the Right Honourable Viscount Galway, G.C.M.G., D.5.0., 0.8. E., GovernorGeneral and Commander in Chief in and over His Majesty's Dominion of New Zealand and Dependencies. May it please Your Excellency,— We, the undersigned members of the South Island Representation Commission, have the honour to report that as directed by Your Excellency on the 25th day of May, 1937, we commenced our sittings on the 6th day of July, 1937, for the purpose of dividing the South Island into electoral districts. The boundaries having been provisionally determined, maps were prepared showing the same, and descriptions were published in the New Zealand Gazette, notice being given therein at the same time that objections would be received up to noon on the 31st day of August, 1937. In all, twentynine objections and petitions were received and duly considered by the Commission, and dealt with in the manner set forth in the schedule herewith. One of the principal requests was that the name of the old-established electorate of " Wairau " be changed to the name of the " Marlborough " Electorate. In view of the fact that this electorate, as amended, now includes the whole of the Marlborough Land District, the Commission decided to accede to the request. As the quota fixed by the Joint Commission necessitated the elimination of one of the existing electorates, a careful examination of the population of each existing electorate was made to determine which district should be eliminated. A commencement was made at the southern boundary of the Westland Electorate, which was taken as a suitable starting-point in view of the sparse settlement, and, examining electorate by electorate to the north and down the eastern side of the Island to the southern boundary of the Waitaki Electorate, a total of seventeen districts, it was found that only individual adjustments to the existing boundaries were necessary. The examination of the twelve Otago and Southland electorates showed such a large deficiency, particularly in the vicinity of Dunedin City, that it was found necessary to eliminate the Chalmers Electoral District. Had any attempt been made to eliminate a district elsewhere it would have seriously disturbed a majority of the existing South Island electoral boundaries. In accordance with the provisions of the Licensing Amendment Act, 1910, section 41 (2), the Commission has declared that the Christchurch Licensing District shall comprise the Christchurch North, Christchurch East, and Christchurch South Electoral Districts, and that the Dunedin Licensing District shall comprise the Dunedin North, Dunedin West, and Dunedin Central Electoral Districts. The Commission now submit for Your Excellency's consideration a map showing the boundaries of the electorates as finally fixed, with a schedule showing the actual and nominal populations of each electorate, which agree with the figures set forth in the report by the Joint Commission and also descriptions of the said boundaries. Given under our hands and seals, this third day of September, one thousand nine hundred and thirty-seven. N. C. Kensington. Basil King. Harman Reeves. F. H. Waters. John Rigg.

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