THE WAIPUKU TOLL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 44, 21 October 1915, Page 7

THE WAIPUKU TOLL.

CREAM CART CHARGES. A deputation horn the Midlurst Dairy Co., consisting of Messrs Skedgweli (chairman), Hogg and Kleeman,! waited on the Stratford County Council yesterday and asked it ' settlers carrying cream to the factory could J be allowed a percentage oil' the toil charges. Ouly three suppliers' carts had to pass through the gatee daily,! and the deputation thought it hard that they should be mad© to pay, while the others did not. If the suppliers had to pay the Company might lose them, as they might supply the cheese factory instead. j Cr. Walter said it wa a funny that in a case like the present the sup-d pliers did not wait on the Council themselves. j ■Mr Kleeman said he told the men they need' not attend, as be would do all lie could for them. . Cr. Walter said it looked as if the

men did not care, but the Company did. | The Chairman: No, it is not that, the suppliers do care. 1 was speaking to some of them the other day. , In answer to a question the Chairman said it would cost the suppliers Is 9d a week ; that was about £1 a year. A Councillor :; it is legal For the ' suppliers to pay. The Chairman said that two of the suppliers were in the Stratford County and one in the Taranaki County. Cr. Christoifel said he would like to let the suppliers off altogether, but they could not do that. Cr. Walter said in the Commissioner's report it particularly stated that the Council should make local; residents pay. Cr. Anderson said that in regard to the Eltham toll-gate, he understood the Dairy Co. previously met the . ouncil, but at present the suppliers ,\ oro paying their own tolls,. The Compauy only lost one supplier, and he ,veat to the Lowgarth Factory. Cr. Anderson said all the suppliers were

ratepayers and they would derive a bigger benefit than expected. The Chairman said there was nothing in the Bill to say the Council could reduce tolls. He did not think the suppliers paid to go through the Riverdale toll-gate. Cr. Anderson: They are not seen then. Mr Hogg said the Midhirst Company had 275 suppliers. The chairman said if he was a supplier he would give his shilling willingly. The road was going to cost £6OOO, and he did not hesitate in saying that the settlers would derive a benefit. in reply to a question the Chairman said the "scale of charges was drawn lip hurriedly, and no provision was made for carts carrying cream from the creamery. He saw no reason why a cart carrying cream should pay more toll charges than a eary carrying whey oi' milk. Ho'would like to see a charge of 3d per horse made. The speaker said the road when finished would be like the Eltham roads. Mr Kleeman said be would like arrangements made so that the- Council could be paid monthly and not by the suppliers every time they passed through the gate. it was decided to class cream as whey and milk. Mr Hogg said the Company had three horses and would have to pay ,9d daily! ' When they left the factory they expected cream'would be classed as cream or whey, therefore they had not progressed at all. Mr Kleeman asked if the Council had any objection to the men carrying horse feed home in their milk waggons. A Councillor: No, certainly.

Cr Smith said he thought it was suggested at the committee meeting to give the suppliers slates. A Councillor: Little points like that might be taken advantage of.