TOLL GATE QUESTION.

Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 400, 15 February 1879, Page 2

TOLL GATE QUESTION.

The following letter was road at the last meeting of the Wanganui County Council, held on Wednesday:— County Council Chambers, Patea, February 4th, 1879. Sin, —By the unanimous request of the Council, I have the honor to address yon upon the question of the establishment or abolition of tolls within this and your County which lies between this County and Wanganui. I may explain at the outset, that the object of this letter is to endeavor to come to a mutual understanding. The toll gate at St. John's Bush has always been looked upon by the settlers of this County as a grievance, because all the revenue derived from it has been locally expended. Having this fact in mind, the Chairman wrote to your Council in July, 1877, asking that a portion of the toll revenue should be expended in keeping the Waitotara Bridge in repair, as a largo portion of the said revenue was contributed by the Patea settlers, the Chairman at the same time asking to have an interview with .you upon the matter. Your reply was that the Council declined to entertain the request, and so far the matter ended. Previous to that time and ever since, nearly the whole of the heavy traffic over the Main Hoad within this County has come from Wanganui, and the road has been serious!}" damaged by persons who only pay rates and tolls to the Wanganui County. Now the present position is this : It is cmrently reported, that it is the intention of your Oounty Cunnoil to remove the present toll to Kai Iwi or Waitotara, and wo say-that if tolls are to be erected, it is now our turn. And therefore the Council has decided to erect a toll gate on this side of Waitotaia Bridge. The Council consider that it has been forced into this position by the action of your Council, but the whole of the members are strongly opposed to tolls, and will only establish them in defence of the interest of the ratepayers of the County. We have given you a free road hitherto : we ask you now to do the same for us. To put the matter plainly, if you will make your road free from our boundary to Wanganui, we will erect no toll between Waingongoro and Waitotara. I hope you and your Council will receive it in the spirit in which it is written, and that you will see that it is now in your power to say whether it shall be free or not. —I am, &c., F. McGuire, _ Chairman Patea County Council. After little discussion, the Chairman was requested to inform the Patea Council that it was not intended to remove or abolish any of the tolls this year.