DEPUTATION TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.

Evening Star, Issue 3201, 24 May 1873, Page 2

DEPUTATION TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.

THE TOLL-BARS,

To-day, at noon, a deputation from the City Council, consisting of His Worship the Mayor, and Councillors Rossbotham and Thoneman, waited upon His Honor the Superintendent, rela tive to the removal of the toll-bars situated on the boundary of the city. The Mayor explained that the matter had been under consideration of the City Council; that it had been arranged an attempt should be made in the Provincial Council to got these bars removedtoa position at least three miles outside the town. The crisis which occurred in the Provincial Council prevented a motion on the subject being brought forward. According to advertisement, tenders for leasing these bare closed on the 20th instant, and the City Council thought it necessary to wait upon the Government with the view of inducing it to withhold four of the toll-gates, in such a way as_ that they might be removed should the Provincial Council agree to the proposition at its forthcoming meeting. He (Mr Pish) found that the total amount of revenue derived from the bars amounted to L 5,157 11s, and the working expenses amounted to LBOO, leaving a net sum of L 4,367 IJ.B. The SuBEHiN'fESDEjfT; 01}! the working expenses are not quite so heavy as that. However, that don’t signify. The Mayor proceeded to say that the opinion of the City Council was that by removing these toll-bars, as proposed, outside the City boundaries, the revenue derivable from them would not be diminished to any appreciable extent.

They would not ask that thesa tolls should be abolished, as by abolishing them the cost of maintaining the roads would have to be provided for in another direction. All that was asked was that they should be removed ft distance of three miles outside the town. The view taken by the City Council was that it was unfair to the citizens, who had to pay heavy taxes otherwise, to compel them to pay for these tolls whenever they wanted to go a short distance outside the town boundaries. He (Mr Fish) knew of no place in the Colony whore the tolls were erected so close to the City as they were in Dunedin. While the loss of revenue would, he believed, he altogether inappreciable, the benefits it would confer upon the citizens would be very considerable. If these bars were removed, many persons would indulge in equestrian exercises, and in that and other ways the citizens would be largely benefited. He hoped the Superintendent would see his way to make such an exception in the case of the four bars alluded to, as would enable them to be removed, provided the Provincial Council endorsed the application about to be made. The Superintendent agreed with the deputation in the opinion that toll-bars were an abomination, but they were absolutely necessary until some other means were found for maintaining the roads. As it was, they did not pay for maintaining the roads by a long way. If they were to be abolished, there would soon be an outcry that the roads were being left untouched. So far as he was concerned, no action would be taken to tie up the tolls referred to for any lengthened period. That was merely his individual view on the subject; he would, however, take an early opportunity for submitting the question for the decision of hia advisers.

The Mayor would take the liberty of pointing out, and in doing so, he did not wish it to be understood as a threat, that the City Council had power to erect toll-bars within the town. If the citizens were compelled to pay tolls immediately outside the town boundaries, it would not be unfair for the City Council to erect tolls inside the boundaries, so as to catch the country people, and make an exemption in the case of persons living in the town. Cr. Rossbotham said that, from the feeling expressed in the matter, he did not think that any serious objection would be made to the bars being removed the distance proposed by the deputation. The Superintendent : Of course not, if you can show that it would not prejudice the revenue to any appreciable extent. The Mayor remarked that the Hill-side bar was one of two tolls from which the principal portion of the revenue was derived. If that bar were to bo removed to say Look-out Point, it would still catch the bulk of the country people, at the same time that it would enable townspeople to take a carriage drive for a moderate distance into the country without being compelled to pay toll. The traffic between Cayersham and Dunedin, for example, would likewise be benefited. The coach fare at piesent charged, fid, would be reduced to say 4d, which would be a considerable boon to parties living in these neighborhoods.! The Superintendent observed that the first thing that would modify the existing idea of tolls would be the opening of the railways. He looked forward to that system as a solution of the whole question. Or Rossbotham : If you will promise not to lease those bars more than three months, so as to give the Council an opportunity for expressing an opinion on the point, that will meet the views of the deputation. The Superintendent : Then so far as I am individually concerned I will give that promise. I cannot say what view the members of the Government may form on the subject, but the matter will be submitted to them.

GAOL STREET.

The Mayor said that the City Council had communicated the substance of the letter received from the Government to persons having land in the neighborhood of that street. Replies had been received from or two of them to the effect that if the Government insisted in the course proposed to be followed it would prevent improvements being made. The Superintendent : What the Government proposes doing is to add forcy-aix feet to the gaol accommodation. The Mayor : Quite so. After a letter to the Corporation from the warden of St. Paul’s Church on the subject had been read and discussed, the Superintendent said that there would be no objection on the pvrt of the Government to hold the ground proposed to be taken, only so long as the Gaol remains there.

The Mayor replied that if parties holding land in the street were satisfied, he need not say that the Corporation would be. The deputation then withdrew.