ABOLITION OF TOLLS IN THE TAIERI COUNTY.

Clutha Leader, Volume III, Issue 152, 8 June 1877, Page 6

ABOLITION OF TOLLS IN THE TAIERI COUNTY.

0 A resolution was passed at last meeting of the Taieri County Council to abolish all tolls within the County. The following is the discussion which took place upon the subject : — Mi Burns moved that the report of tho Committee recommending the abolition of toils within the county be adopted. Mr Shand opposed the adoption of the report of the Committee. He did not think that the county was in a position to maintain the roads without tolls. Furthermore, they had to keep up bridges, which was a very serious matter. By keeping up tolls they were enabled to come upon waggoners, who used the roads to a very iarge extent, but who did not contribute anything directly to the revenue in the same way as the owners of land. He had intended to move that they should have one additional tollbar in the county. Mr Charteris thought that if they, did away with tollbars, they would be doing a great injustice to many ratel payers in the county. Instead of doing away with them, he would propose that tbey should establish, three additional tollbars. Mr Burns said he differed very materially with the two last speakers. He considered that the establishment of foils took them back to the dark ages. If they charged tolls to catch a lewwaggoners, Ihey would be simply "cutting off their nose to spite their face," because the waggoners were bound to charge the tolls to those who owned the goods they carried. He maintained that they should raise revenue by some other method which would cost less for collection, because the present mode of collecting revenue by tolls was expensive in the extreme. Me believed that, as a rule, nine- tenths of those who paid tolls also paid rates, and he thought ii would be far better that all the revenue should be paid directly. The Chairman thought that, as the tollbars were situated at present, the county did not get the full advantage of them. He did not think it would be wise in the meantime t;> do away with the tolls, as the roads were used by waggons, cattle, and sheep from outlying districts which -contributed nothing to the revenue of the county. He agreed with the principle of abolishing the tolls, but he did not see how it was possible to dispense wieh the revenue derived from them until such time as a rate wus struck. He would be compelled to oppose the motion. Mr Driver would support the motion, because he believed that if they had not the revenue derived from tolls, the people of the count}' would see the necessity of taxing themselves. The further discussion of the matter was adjourned until after the Council decided upon the motion as to the imposition of a rate. It was then resolved, by five against four, to adopt the report recommendiug the abolition of tolls. Mr Shand said this was making a farce of the whole business. They now had no funds, and they had better dismiss all their men. He intended to move at next meeting that all their officials be dismissed. It was resolved, on the motion of Mr fturns. that no tolls be collected after Saturday, the 9th inst.