CIRCLE OF TOLL-GATES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 76, 20 March 1914, Page 3

CIRCLE OF TOLL-GATES.

WAIMATE ( COUNTY COMPLAINT.

Advantage was taken of the presence of the Hon. W. H. Hemes in Manaia 'on Tiiesday to discuss the matter of toll-gates with him. Mr McPhillips referred to the presence on the road's in neighbouring counties of the out-of-date toll-gates. Waimate County was hemmed in and fortified with 'toll-gates." The cost of cartage was pretty heavy and on top of that they had ; to" pay toll-gate fees. Then the counties wore speaking' of putting'up something like 3or 4 more of them. "It was r ablot oh the fair fame 'of : Nfew^^EMnd !i to retain• tins old barbarous stylo of collecting, revenue. If. the railway came into the district they would be able to. get to it without having' to'go through those coil-gates. The counties wanted remodelling and tolls should be abolished. A ■ little' f ext'ra subsidy' c'ould be given 'to the country through which ran the roads taking the heaviest traffic. The position with-regard to the tolls was becoming unbearable. In England tliey l liad'been Jibolished'and''the"present Government, if it was a true reform' ■■■Government; should- take: the most essential stop of aboiis.ung them' here" and ' then set Up" a' coinmission to go into "the whole inatter and remake the "counties. In reply to 'Mr' McPhillips, who reminded him that he had said nothing about the toll-gates, the ■Minister said" th.it that was a question-for ; local bbdies themselves. They would be wrath with the Government, he said,"if it' were to'stop them from es- ' tablishing toll-gates. : Mr McPhillips urged that the Government should take the whole matter into cbnsiderat-ioii, Let it abolish 1 the toll-gates and set uplt small board or commission to recast the county uouhdaries, and, where necessary give a little extra subsidy in lieu of the revenue obtained from the toll-gates.

In conclusion,- Mr Wilkinson remarked that a conference concerning this matter was to be held at Eltham on Saturday. The suggested alteration of boundaries could be fixed by the counties themselves;