THE NEW SCHEDULE OF TOLLS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 29, 10 December 1880, Page 2

THE NEW SCHEDULE OF TOLLS.

* Anjeateemed* correspondent lias brought under our notice the new eohedule of tolls, proposed to bo levied at the Foxton and Gorge Ferries, and which our readers will find published on the fourth page of this issue. The matter had escaped our notice, and we are thankful that attention has been called to it. It is hardly necessary to say that it is of the utmost importance to the welfare of every town that country settlers should be able to have access to it with ease and but little expense. Traffic should be courted, rather than hindrances thrown in its way, and every possible inducement held out to persons in adjaoent or suburban districts to enter tho town frequently. Applying these remarks to Foxton, we may point out that at our southern boundary is the Manawafu Ferry, und all the communication between Foxton and the rich southern district must pass over it. The County Council has not a ohain of road in connection with this ferry to maintain. The main County road runs throngh Fox. ton to the ferry, and is maintained by the rates and general income of the Awahou Biding. Oo the south side, the road is en-

tirely unf..rmed, ami always will bo. Ie is ; simply a trade, an agreement being entered < into with tlio ferryman to maintain it ia a passable condition. Ah the outliy in con- ;; necticn with tho tiWy is therefore almost j{/7, osnopt lor nmnttmanOe of plant, &a , it would stlrely bo good policy on the part of tho County Council to endeavor by low : ferry tolls to attract tile tranio towards Foxton. 111, saying, that the outlay in cdnneciiois witli ttio ferry W small, wo afe quite aware Unit during lust year, and part of tho present, the Council was put to great expense in conneotioa with fencing, supply of wire rope, compensation to ferrymen, ifco. Still, even if it is admitted that all these expenses were necessary, it will also, on the other haad, be admitted they were extraordinary. Our contention therefore remains, that an under the present rates the Council is deriving £300 per annum for the loaso of the far ry, it could afford rather to lower the tolls, than raise them, especially as under the new conditions of leaso the lessee is to keep all gear in repair, and provide all necessary plant not included in the lease, thus saving tho Council from any expense whatever. Instead, however, of the scale of tolls being lowered, thero ia n pretty geueral increase, amounting in most cases to neurly fifty $er cent. We will particularise a few of the more glaring I instances of increase, having a copy of both . tho oldand tho now schedule of tolls before us. Under the present schedule Is is paid for every horse and man in charge ; under tho now one, the toll will be Is Gd. The toll on sheep, goats, pigs, and other small cattle is doubled. At present a dray drawn by six bullocks is ferried over for ss, but under the new schedule the cost would be Bs, if the dray had two wheel:', bilt if it had more than two wheels the cost wonld be 9s. Under tho existing rate, if a settler drives into Fox ton in a four-wheeled buggy, drawn by two horses, ho pays 2s Cd forryage (ji but under the new sohodulo Hie cost would be 4s Cd. Coming now to the ferryago of cattle, wo find the difference still greater. At piesent the cost of crossing cattle not sent over in tho punt is 4d per hend, irrespective of number ; but under the new schedule tho tolls will be- -up to 20, Is ; up to 100, f>d ; over 100, Gd. These rates, it will bo seen, arc prohibitive, as a great proportion of tho cattle sent to Wellington go in mobs of under 10). and i he reduced rate of (id would apply only to all over the first hundred. Tiio'reauU, of course, would bo that thd cattle dealers would cross their mobs at the mouth of the river, thus avoiding altogether tho heavy tolls at the Foxton ferry. Looking at tho whole schedule we thiuk the ratepayers will agree with us that the large increases we have pointed out are a mistake, and that it would be far more to the interests of the people of Foxton that a reduction should bo made than an increase in the tolls. I; is hardly necessary to remind ( the business people of this place that while the Maori toll-gate existed, it acted detrimentally to their interests, by deterring southern residents— both European and native — from visiting Koxton. The now sc.ile of tolls would be likely to act. similarly, though perhaps not to the same degree. There is another point. The lease to be given under tho new schedule will be for seven ye.uv, and though settlement is now in its v.fancy in the Ilorowhenua riding, there can be little doubt that long before another ?even yea>s has expired there will ba several prosperous settlements in that riding, all of which must of necessity converge towards the port of Foxton, using the ferry for communication. For this reason, as we wrote before, we think the Council is acting unwisely in leasing the ferry for so long a term. Considering, therefore, the future population of the southern district, ws regard high tolls at Foxton as a grievous mistake. In appealing to tho upcountry members to support our views, we would point out to them the exceptional position in which Foxton is placed, in having a ferry ut its very door, which i* an obstacle none of the other townships have to the d:velopnibiit of their trade. The correspondent who has brought it under our notice suggests a public meeting should be held to consider tho matter, and that a petition should be forwarded to tho Council, asking that the scald of charges may be reconsidered. The idea is a good one, and we hope to see it adopted.