THE TOLL-GATE BILL.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 1, Issue 42, 14 October 1867, Page 251

THE TOLL-GATE BILL.

r|MEEPINQ- Jin 'THE* masonic •■hall. ; A. poblic meetioig of the. inhabitants of the town in connexion with the proposed introduction pf the toll-gate system; was held in the Masonic Hall on the evening of Saturday last, at a very short notice; ; No intimatidn' of the proposed meeting, having reached us, we had no reporter ; present, hut condense the following brief account from the columns of our local contemporary. ■ ’ Mr Jas. Wood, having been voted to the chair, explained the ohject of the meeting, which was simply to elicit, the opinion of the public on the question.; It was, in his opinion, unjust, as ninetenths of the whole stun, to be taxed, estimated at £2,300, would be drawn, from the inhabitants of the town and surrounding districts. It was also intended By the Government, if possible, to carry the sum so levied to the general revenue, instead of spending it •in the district in which it is to be raised. No resolutions were prepared; an opinion was desired from the people on the question. • Mr (also a. member of Council) wished to; obtain that expression of opinion; it was possible yet to overturn the hill,. and,' he would be "guided in his action by their decision. Mr Worgajn thought the'question lay between toils arid rates, and thought that by deciding for the latter, people would have reason to regret their decision.; ... 1 .i ' •, /. iMr iIRVOTE said toll-gates were becoming obsolete |t home. -Bates werefar preferable, as on carriages and.horses; such rates he was quite willing;to : pay. , \ • , ISSr.STUsJES.T said it'was monstrous to propose the adoption of a system England had abandoned! It iifcs a tax which would’press heavily on small producers for'the benefit of the rnnholders. Every cart .ofVproduce realising 15s. a day would be out of .tbe proceeds.: If tolls were general it would not be so unjust, but gentlemen could ride all over the conatry and not be taxed, except on entering the town! • ' . •' ' . Mir Caedyon said he ’was -an’ elector of the towni though residing forty miles off; he wished the question to be thoroughly discussed. -He approved the, principle of tolls, wherever there were metalled roads there should be tolls. It was scandalous,, there were none at the Ngaruroro which, had cost. £6,000 or £7,000. The opponents' of the measure were’interested men; fond of driving and “ nobbier ” shouting. It had been said.’-that Maoris would go through the water and evade'the toll. He thought Maoris should be free of the toll.

Mr Irvine said a drav-load of wool, worth be taxed.bat 2s. 6d., a milk cart with contents, worth, perhaps, 305,, must pay Is. ; the small agriculturid settlers were hardly, dealt with.. The country , members were dead against the making: of tolls general over the Province, bat if the of;that idea they could petishould, not go to general, revenue. The roaids might be kept in a better .state with tolls than without them. A tailgate on the Te ,Aute road would pay well, and that road had cost more thousands than the Meariee road had cost pounds —if it was possible' to have the money spent iu the district in which it had been raised, the Meanee settlers would be the gainers by the proposed tollgate. - . • ‘Mr Stoart admitted the justice of the principle if it were.applied generally over the Province, but this was not intended, it was to affect only the town, and surrounding district. Boads in the country had been made at a rate of 15s. per day, Government stroke; some of the' culverts there had cost a guinea an inch. It would be hard on people in-poor circumstances, who 'could scarce make ends meet, to pay £lO or £ls a year for tolls. He would move:—“ That this meeting is of. opinion that the election of a tollgate in the vicinity of Napier is injudicious, and calculated to press unduly on the inhabitants of the town of Napier and neighbourhood.” Mr WorgAn moved, ; as an amendment “That this meetirig prefers a tollgate as a more fair and equitable tax than a general rate upon all householders.’’ He did uot wish to. reflect on the Meanee-settlers, but, lie. would say, “Think.twice before you act,land do it with your eyes open.” - Mr, Ro'bjokns said the'irioney was to go into the hands of the Government,'ahd not to be spent on the roads. The Government had begun with £IO,OOO to their. credit, and iu lour years were £IO,OOO in debt. llf the tolls got 'into its hands, good bye to the money. .■ , ■ Mr Stuart said it would be a .very unequal tax—on, the town for the benefit .of, the country — it would prevent many people from coming into town. Maoris' would uot understand it, and if they did, would not. pay it ; it would go against their grain. - , ,: . ?t ' ;Mr Kennedy (amid disapprobation) expressed himself in frvour of the measurel : Mr Worgan’s amendment’having ..been-se-conded by Mr; Lee, ..was -put to the meeting and lost, three hands, only.being held up for. it.. ... , .!Mr Stuart’s- motion was put .and carried, with the same number of dissentients.-' , l

" Mr WorGan;lwiaitfd’ the meeting joy of'its choice. /' v ■

Mr RoBJORNS theu proposed, and Mr Stuart seconded':—“Thatthis meetirig is of opinion that the-members for' the. town in the. Provincial Council should be.-reqflested to use their influence to have the Toll-Bill thrown out.” ,He .said they were not sure that tlie tax would not he put upon land.. , (Hear, bear.) ; That, he considered, would be a. just tax. Tlie motion was carried amid loud cheering, only'one hand, being held' up against it. ‘. 'Mr SmAßrthien proposed a vote of thanks 7 to the chairman/wlucli Was carried unanimously. _ : : Mr WooDhaving returned thanks, .the meeting separated.-:,./.;,; ;