For Better Roads.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 85, 31 March 1914, Page 5

For Better Roads.

QUESTION OF TOLL-GATES,

EAST RIDING VIEWS. The question of toll-gates was gone into at the meetings of County ratepayers held yesterday in the East Hiding. At Douglas in the afternoon Mr Walter said the meeting should express an opinion on the question as it would bo an important one for the new Council to deal with. Mr Needham supported the tollgate. The man who used the road most should pay most. He specially instanced the cattle traffic. Watertables were made, and three months afterwards they were stamped out of existence. Mr Marfell said he had heard the position summed up as "More gates or more rates."

Mr Needham moved that to stop any increase in rates, toll-gates be erected at suitable places.

Mr Rae seconded

Mr E. Hine said that to revert to toll-gates would be to go back fifty years. Anybody who would advocate toll-gates had lived fifty years too long. He did not thing the gates would really catch the cattle trader —the tolls would eventually be paid by the settler. The County finances should be put in order before toll- • gates were suggested. Every other means should be tried, and it should be proved that the County was getting full value for its money. At present the County i-eceived a subsidy from the Government, and this subsidy was in consideration of the foreign traffic on the roads. They should raise the rates if there was no other way to get revenue. Mr Walter said the County had tried other means of raising revenue. They had asked the Government totax motor cars. The Government' subsidy was the same now as before the motor traffic set in. The motor traffic was getting heavier every day. Many people who previously used the railway now used a motor car. Mr Hine said that a car owner had told him that since he had been using his car he had dispensed with three horses which had previously been used on the roads. The car was only twenty horse-power and did less damage to the roads than three horses. If toll-gates were put up, a gate would be needed on every road in every County.

Mr Walter: Only on the main roads.

Mr Needham said a gate at Kahouri Bridge would raise a revenue of between two and three thousand pounds. Mr Marfell said motors were using the roads a great deal and did not pay..a fair proportion for upkeep. He did not like the erection of tollgates. Either the cars or the spirti should ho taxed. A tax on spirit would realise a good siim annually, which the Government could distribute to the counties. Toll-gates were a great annoyance to the travelling public, and no matter where they were placed they caused hardship to settlers. There were many reasons why toll-gates should not be reverted to if the revenue could be otherwise raised.

Mr Walter: The gates would stop the cattle traffic.

Mr Marfell: They would stop some of it and it would be a very good thing in that respect.

Mr Hine moved as an amendment that in place of erecting toll-gates the Government be asked for a larger subsidy.

Mr Marfell said that in Great Britain there was a tax on the spirit, a rebate being allowed on spirit required for stationary engines. The tax was distributed to counties for improvement of roads and not for ordinary maintenance. If there was a tax on cars the man using his every day would pay no more than the man who used his only once a fortnight. The amendment was seconded by Mr Chapman and on a show of hands was carried by six votes to three. At Toko in the evening, Mr Walter said the question before the County was whether they would dip their hands deeper in their pockets to provide good roads for the motor traffic. If the erecting of toll-gates became general he thought tue Government would be compelled to put a tax on motors in some way to provide for upkeep of roads. Personally he did not feel like putting his hand in his pocket, and if the Government did not help them he would vote for tollgates.

Mr Sangster: Mr Eryday should give us his opinion, as he is a candidate.

Mr Fryday said his opinion was that the Government should pnt a tax on motor cars and motor cycles. The money raised should be distributed to counties in proportion to their mileage of roads. They would have to take action by themselves if the Government did not do this. i A Voice: By toll-gates? Mr Fryday: Yes.