TOLL-GATES.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 1, Issue 42, 14 October 1867, Page 255

TOLL-GATES.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES

Sir, —Happening to see a copy of the new Tollgate Act for this Province this morning I was induced to look at-it and see how they managed such things here. lam not without some experience in the matter, for I lived for some years in a parish, the roads of which in the outskirts were m part run over by three different turnpikes, at the tollgates on which I had to pay tolls, hut from which the parish I lived in never received one farthing towards the repair of the roads, for the income scarcely paid the interest of the original, debt. The nearest market, town (about 4 miles off), was blessed or - -■ ■ by having one tollgate erected at one end of it, and at the other end—-about three-quarters of a mile distant—two; all in full work. But, I thinlf, that something was afforded towards the repair of these turnpikes by the receivers of the tolls ; but the main part- of the expense of repairing had to be borne by the parish surveyors under the general highway laws; and, be it observed, that- these are quite sufficient either there or here to keep the roads in good repair,'if efficiently administered, in convenient parishes or districts.

The Turnpike Acts, with their tailgates, §'o., above alluded, to were, however like many more in England, sheer petty lawyer's jobs ; here, the Act is the production of the wisdom, of our Provincial Legislature. Well, if you will allow me, we will look about for the improvements ; and firsts the improvement in toll taking. By the ‘ sixth section - the Superintendent is authorized to let all the tolls to arise, and having done so, he is by the nint-h section empowered to let, what we might presume to be, one of the most paying portions of such tolls over again and restricted to the same period. The Act makes no other provision in the matter, but I suppose the Resident Magistrate wants more employment. Rut the eighth clause must have been the production of some ■ gentleman interested■ in providing for the easy living of animals.. The ostensible purpose of the Act- is to provide a good road for all animals to travel upon. In England such laws, under the name of turnpike, have been hi nretty general use for more than a century past, and the necessary provisions should be understood. But the legislators of Hawke's Bag depart strangely from the way in which things are there done. In the eighth clause of the new Act it is exmessed, that ail wagons, s~c., which with- their, loadings shall weigh more than two tons shall pay double toll, hi England the weight of a farmer's wagon is something more than a ton and a quarter. The least load of wheat sent in it to the miller's or the merchant is 24 coombs sacks full), and the imperial bushel of good wheat weighs at least 6 the sacks klbs. each, and the wagon li tons; the total weight becomes more than four tons and a quarter of a cwt.—more than double that which our new Act allows. These English computations are for 3£ inch wheels, and ■ the farmer, in- good weather, delivers more than 24 ’coombs of wheat in a load, or 28, or 30, or more coombs of malting barley , and of bats often 40 coombs. Of coeds, .the usual lorn carried on the farmer's wagon was 2 chaldrons, equal to 52 owt.; it is now 2£ or 3 tons. Four horses are the general number of the team. One good horse, properly fed and' will with ease on a properly ■ constructed carriage draw two tons of a.load at three miles an hour , and for Hours. Wagoners ,and carriers for the public frequently carry loads much more than those named above. Formerly, they often used 14 inch wheels, but those are discontinued now.—l am. Bfc.,

' TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES. Sir, —A short time since I addressed to you a communication on a public matter, which you judged of sufficient interest to insert in your columns. Again a matter is in discussion in which the people are much interested. I should, like to have my say about it, and I come to your friendly help for the purpose. • , ' We'have had a vast deal of talk lately in our Provincial Gowned, about the taxation of,our ,Province, or. rather, of apart of it, by the, erection of tollgates, with the purpose of applying the proceeds to general iises. It is rather curious mat in these,debates not a word is said of the maimer in which- English roads were formerly maintained, tJiatis, while that country was hot entirely reclaimed from estate of nature, Which is much less than a century ago. Then there were in the country no tollgates, but laws (general or. statute) by which the repair of roads was regulated; for it. is to be remembered, that no rrnn, or set of men, cam hope a legitimate rigid to usurp the land of a country, or a district,Without leavivg, a way free and passable for the use of other men. Hbwever, funll leave this part of the subject now and turn to tlie question of Provincialism, or Centralism, on which; as. now discussed,' this tailgate tal& > appears to me to have, much bearing. When formerly Hawke's Baywas but a district in Wellington Province, the Wellingtonipm, warding money for. the improvement, of their, capital, contrived a taxation scheme by [which the Hawke s Bey district was mulcted of the 'full sum) it is said, of £30,000. The Hawke's Bayiaris grumbled about it, kickedupa row,artd iri the- end 1 the district was turned into / a separate Province. Of coufse,this was to put. an end, to adl taxational oppression, and in .futl effect to phange .entirely the selfishi nature of mankind, ..that Jsf of all who should hirne the felicily.of .living ftn. the said f ttpw Province of Hawkds Bay.' But, alas/ ihdhey is wasted there now; and this morepowetful'pdrt

find that a l Highway Bate will extract around sum, from the pockets of .the least powerful, leavingf themselves .pretty well untouched. Try the scheme again of, more Provincialism, and the very absurdity of the suggestion would prevent its being attempted. And to the same absurdity must this Provincialism \be reduced which gives power withbid'appeal', to the .most powerful-party whenever they may see- if desirable and convenient-, to put their hands in the pockets of the weaker. To tax the people has ever been an attribute of the supreme power, whether that power be despotic, - oligarchial, democratic) or mixed. And it. must be so—the supreme power has no interest in the ■ taxing .of .one portion of its subjects for the bene- :■ fit of another part. . But your Provincial Government in these matters act by their movers, much ■ in the same way as the same movers do in making a private bargain, in other words, get all they can , without violating what the law deems to be the right ; or does not make penal. At the same time, the collection of all internal taxes .and the expenditure of all such may be left ' to the management of the local districts. In these . matters all mistakes, or supposed mistakes, are J referable to magistrates, guided by the laws for adjustment. In our, old country the whole in- . lernal polity is founded on the parochial division of the country , and to a certain extent (speaking generally) on the' personal knowledge of each other by the parishioners. Many, indeed "most, of their.parjsh offices were fitted and very. often well discharged without salary. It has been found convenient lately to extend the limits of these divisions, but the principal, and perhaps it may be said, the only real advantage has been such as regards the free action of the laborer, hitherto frequently circumscribed by the law of settlement. If the district duties are to be welt discharged here, they must be circumscribed in extent. . Fearing that I have already occupied more space than you can well spare, I will not at this time enter further into this matter, but, with all good wishes, —I remain, Sir, ff~c. { „ r A. Z. ' Napier, October 9th, 1867.