The Daily News. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1900. COUNTY ADMINISTRATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 218, 8 November 1900, Page 2

The Daily News. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1900. COUNTY ADMINISTRATION.

The notice of motion tabled by Councillor Horrocks atjhe last meeting of the Taranaki County Oouneil is deserving the earnest considtiiution of the ratepayers. Mr. Horrocks is also to be heartily congratulated 011. bringing down sucn a carefully thought-out and comprehensive scheme. We do not mean by this that we eudorse the whole of the proposal, but wo do say that the example set by Mr, Horrocks is one that: we would gladly see followed by all members of local bodies, inasmuch as the resolutions show evidence of a careful study of county afi'airs wmeh muse tend to good result, Whatever views may be held regarding Mr. Horrocks' notice of matiou as a whole, about the proposal to abolish toll-gates ttwre is hardly room for two opinions. Of all the syssems of taxation tollg»tos I are the most objectionable, unfair, ana extravagant. Nothing is more repugnant to the average Britisher than to j find his right to use the public high way barred by a toll-gate, and nothiug can be more unfair than the system of compelling those who are already heavily taxed for the keep of the road to pay toil. Mr. RorrocKS puts tlio cost ei collecting the toll down at £SOO and the amount collected at £2OOO, thus showing that it is costiug 5s to culled a pound, or 25 per cent. We think everyone will agree that this is altogether too expensive a luxury, although in this case the cost is much lower than we had supposed. Probably even here, if the cost of building gates, etc., isconsiderad, the percentage would run much higher. We remember some years ago, in the course of an agitation regarding toll-gates in another part of the coleny, it was shown that the average cost, over a large area and taking a long term of years, to the ratepayers was shown to be fully 12 per cent. In fact, instances were quoted where it cost 12s to collect £l. Want of space will not allow of our discussing the merits of the whole of Mr. Horrocks' proposal in this issue, but we hope to return to the subject in a future issue. If the result of public iruwest being roused leads to the abolition of the tollgates and the adoption of a souna system of county finance, it would prove a great boon to the county. Id the meantime, we trust every ratepayer will give Mr. Horrocks the benefit of his moral support in trying to find a remedy for the present unsatisfactory condition of affairs.