TOLL GATES

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 164, 7 April 1921, Page 6

TOLL GATES

THEIR ERECTION OPPOSED

VIEWS OF MOTORISTS

REPORT ON TARANAKI'

SYSTEM

A meeting of motorists, called by the Wellington Automobile Club, was held in the rooms of the New Zealand Employers’ Federation, Customhouse Quay, last night, for the purpose of receiving a report from Mr. L. A. Edwards wiiffi regard to toll gates in Taranaki and their value as a means if raising revenue for purposes of road improvement. Dr. C. Prendergast Knight presided, and ten others were present. Mr. Edwards said his investigations were mainly directed to obtaining satisfactory information on tho following questions: —(1) Why Taranaki possesses so many miles of excellent roads? -(2) How far the toll-gate system is responsible for providing funds for the construction and maintenance thereof. With regard to the first question, his investigations conclusively proved the reason to be that the Taranaki local bodies realised quicker than any other local bodies in New Zealand, that motor traffic was tho road traffic of the immediate future, and that a new class of roads was necessary to withstand the stires and strain set up by such traffic. The Taranaki local bodies also realised that roads suitably constructed in the first instance cost less in the long run than roads not so constructed. "My observations satisfied me,” continued Mr. Edwards, 'that the good roods of Taranaki are due primarily to the matured conviction that firstclass roads arc a necessity, and not, as has been stated, to tho discovery* of any special method of financing their construction.” With regard oo the second question, Mr. Edwards said that he was satisfied that, speaking generally, the toll-gate system was not a satisfactory or practical one, and was viewed, even by its advocates, as a temporary expedient. At the present time there were seven uoll gates in Taranaki, and he investigated the three most important. Mr. Edwards’s observations on these gates were as follow: — Puniho Toll Gate. —Tax for two-seater car, 3s. This gate is situated approximately eighteen miles from New Plymouth. This road is plain macadam and tar-sealed macadam (mainly tarscaled). The whole road is in excellent condition, and was constructed entirely out of loan money. The net annual revenue from this gate is JCBOO- - cost of maintenance of tar-sealed road is about .£l6O per mile, and of plain macadam about .£3OO per mile. Taking the whole eighteen miles as tar-sealed, the annual maintenance charge would be .£2680. so that the revenue from the Puniho toll gate would not provide the annual maintenance cost by at- least 4)880, leaving out of consideration the provision of interest and sinking fund on the original loan.

Waipuku Toll Gate.— Tax on two-seater car, 2s. 6d. This gate is on the main road between. Stratford and Inglewood. In 1916 it was erected by Government permission, provided the proceeds were spent on constructing a tar-sealed road. It was stipulated that when such road was completed the gate was to be removed. This stretch of road is probably the worst main road in Taranaki, and at the present is only partially tar-seal-ed. It has taken five years under the toll-gate system to bring it to its present partially-constructed state, and it is estimated that it will take another two years to complete. The net annual revenue from this main road gate is <£2338. It is held by authorities that if this road had been constructed out of loan money the work would have been completed long ago. Toll Gate Between Eltham and Opunake. —Tax on two seater car, Is. 6d. This is situated on a macadam far-sealed road, which’ was constructed entirely out of loan money. The proceeds of this gate more than pay for the maintenance of the road. The toll is lower than elsewhere. due to the large number of big motor-wngons which ply continually between the factories and railway.

Roads Out of Loan Money. "When considering the advisability of constructing and maintaining roads out of toll-gate revenue,” continued Mr. Edwnrds. “it is well to compare the amount of revenue obtained from the above gates with the fact that in Stratford county alone over .£200,000 has been raised and expended on road construction and upkeep. The best roads in Taranaki are undoubtedly those of the Egmont and West IVai.mate Counties, and it is worthy of note that all these roads have been constructed out of loan moneys, and that no toll gates exist within their boundaries. In fact, it' is quite clear that the majority of the Taranaki roads were constructed and are maintained out of loans raised for the purpose.” It did not take long to discover that there existed in Taranaki two opposing factions on the toll-gate question. These in opposition to toll gates stated that tell gates were non-effective, inasmuch as the revenue produced was not sufficient to be of practical value in construction of roads, and, generally speaking, inadequate in amount to pay for maintenance; that the cost of collection was extravagant, relics of barbarism, undue hindrance of traffic, etc. Further, it was stated that if one country had the right to erect toll gates, then the same Tight could not be refused all other counties in the Dominion. This, it was contended, would bring about a state of affairs which would not be tolerated. The advocates for tho toll-gate system were, in all cases, quite ready to admit that the toll gate was objectionable, and they were ready to relinquish their advocacy in favour of Governmental control of arterial roads, a tyre tax, or increased subsidy on rates, etc. Many of them frankly admitted they advocated toll gates so that antagonism to the toll-gate system would Ixi universally aroused, and the Government thereby forced to move in the matter of giving local bodies substantial assistance under some approved Dominion scheme. Counties that had traffic roads constructed and maintained without the aid of toll gates in some cases advocated toll gates because they were ringed round by toll gates in neighbouring boroughs, which secured all the revenue therefrom. “Tn conclusion,” said Mr. Edwards, “I would state that, in my opinion, the evidence collected indicates: (1) That the good roads of Taranaki are primarily due to a better conception by the Taranaki local bodies of the needs of presentday traffic, and not, generally speaking, to revenue derived from toll gates. (2) That the toll-gate system is viewed in Taranaki as obsolete, objectionable, and, at best, a temporary expedient. (3) That some rational form of Government control of arterial roads would meet with universal approval. provided an equitable .allocation of funds for road construction and upkeep were made the various local bodies concerned. (4) That the details of any such proposed Government scheme must be submitted to a conference of local bodies for their investigation and approval, before being put into operation.

Bad Wellington Roads. Mr. S. G. Nathan said that the first thing Wellington motorists should do should be to have the local roads put into good order. Wellington’s roads were a disgrace, not only in tho outlying districts. 'but in the city thoroughfares, and before considering the needs of other pails, pressure should be brought to bear to improve the roads hare. For that reason he did not think they ebould

trouble about the toll gate, question until the roads here were improved. Mr. AV. Stuart Wilson said that when ho was. in Taranaki ho could find no objection to the toll gate system. On the contrary, he had ascertained that former opponents of t'he system now much preferred to have toll gates than bad -roads. While the toll gate system was not the best means of getting good roads, they had to take into consideration tho mentality of the local bodies of this country, and he considered that some good would accrue if there was more co-opt-ration between the local bodies and the rest of the people. The speaker contended that Mr. Edwards had gone to Taranaki merely to find objections to the toll gate system. However, he thought that consideration of the toll "ate question should be deferred, and that support should be accorded to the objects of the Good Roads Association, which, if attained, would moan, that they would’ secure good roads without toll gates. Air. Wilson suggested that motorists generally should form branches of Hie Good Roads Association, and Iqave it to the future to decide what would ibe the best' means of obtaining good lO The chairman referred to the old toll gate that was one time situated on the Hutt Road, and declared that it certainly did not conduce to comfort in travel, and did not provide a means of improving the road. "I must say, remarked the chairman, amidst laughter “that I was not a member of the party that pulled the gate down, burned it, and thus got rid of a very barbarous method of raising revenue. A National System. Air Wilson said he desired to make it clear’ that if the toll gate system were adopted it should be administered on a national basis, and not left in the hands of local bodies to control. Mr J. A. Taylor said that Air. Edwards deserved thanks for the able* report he had presented. The- speaker thought it would be a mistake if Wellington motorists approved of the erection of toll gates and to that end he moved:— That the Wellington Automobile Club is averse to the erection of toll gates. Air. C. Al. Banks seconded the motion. The chairman remarked that several counties proposed to raise loans for roao improvements, and rate themselves accordingly. That was the proper method to go about the business, although It was rather unfortunate that the local bodies had struck a rather bad time for raising W Mr. y Wilson stated that while he was not opposed to the motion he would not vote one way or the other. . Mr. Edwards stated that his report was the result of evidence which he had collected on the toll gate question. People in Taranaki who had urged the erection of toll gates did so because they desired to force the hands of the Government to take some action in regard to road improvements, not because they were m favour of the toll gate system. UnderIvin" the statements for and against toll gates, there was the fact that the people of Taranaki were opposed to that system 'of coltectinf revenue. Engineers in Taranaki had informed him that New Zealand methods of constructing roads were totally inadequate, considering that motor traffic had come to stay. the tar-sealed roads, however, were entirely suited to motor traffic, because they did not become "wary,” and the more motor traffic there was the better became the condition of the roads. The speaker thought they should impress the Government that some better system of road improvement was urgently necessary, for it was useless merely to pass resolutions and do nothing to back them up. If the AVellington motorists combined to take action they could be assured of the support of the people in Taranaki. The motion was declared carried unanimously. >