TALK ABOUT TOLL-GATES!

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 96, 20 May 1909, Page 4

TALK ABOUT TOLL-GATES!

THIiKE IN OMATA KiDLXd: ANOTHER PROPOSED. THE BREAKWATER 'BI'SES THREATENED. The County Council spent a long, 'Aiubling day yesterday in discussing ;011-gates ivnil where to put them. Councilors were given "plenty of rope," as he clminitan said, and they availed ;hetnselves fully of the license. _ The Imputation of Omata ratepayers, visions )f whom seemed to have been haunting 'ouneillors during the past few days, 'ailed to materialise, and the "fun" that lad been promised was therefore not orlltcomina:. The only suggestion ol a 'breeze" was when Councillor Carter protested that the Council had authorsed three toII-gatc s instead of two. as promised to the ratepayers at recent neetings. , ... Cr. Andrews reported on tlio result. ;l f the meetings held by the riding members (with the assistance of the county chairman) in the Omata ruling. _ the ratepayers had decided, by a. majority of ivlio'ut twenty to one, in favor ol establishing toll-gates rather than the levying of a (separate rate. \S EX-CHAIR-MAX'S OPINION A letter from Mr. 11. Okey, M.P., who wa* chairman of the Council when the former toll-gates were removed and tho Tapuae and Oakura deviation contracts first decided on, wrote as follows: "As a ratepaver in the Omata riding of the Taranaki county, and not being able to attend the meetings ot ratepavers held to consider the position ot the Omata riding, I would suggest that you should delay the erecting of tollgates for a Year, and in the meantime for the purpose of reducing the liability strike a special rate of oue farthing This will give you a sum equal to .what you mav expect from toll-gates for tin year. This, with strict economy, I an persuaded, will be sufficient for the upkeep of the roads, and leave a sum toi the reduction of a portion of the lia bilitv. lam sure that with proper man ageiiient the roads can lie kept in repaii with considerably let's than 4900 yards ol stone a year. Of course, if you are goin; to illow vour foremen to i-uin the foun elation of"the road that has taken year! to make by ploughing it up-(laughtci at the Council table)—there will be ill limit to the amount of stone you wil I require. With the improvements yoi 'have at Tapuae and Oakura. 3000 yard: of stone per year should be sufficient for the upkeep of the roads in this rid in". This, at 7s' a yard' oil the road amounts to £1050; {wo foremen, £280: contingencies, say, £70 —or £I4OO n all. A great many of the extra items you mentioned in your Speech at Ornats as chargeable to the riding are paid oul of the administration account, "which, understand, is deducted before you ar rive «t the net revenue of £1550 foi the riding. This would work out at the end of the year as follows:Revenue, ordinary rate £1550, specia rate of one farthing £550, total £2IOO expenditure, as above, £I4OO. Till: leaves you £7OO towards reduction o 1 the debt for the year. If von erect gates, your revenue from two gates maj amount to from £OOO to £OSO. Tin cost of erection, notice-boards, and ad vertising will cost you very little less than £l5O for the two gates, so theri will be very little difference between thi farthing special rate and the toll-gates Your statement, as reported at Oinat'i ■was scarcely fair, namely, that then were two issues before the meeting, tha they must either agree to a halfpenny rate (or 4s 2d for every £IOO valuation; or have toll-gates; when the farthin; rati- («r 2s' 2d for every CI OO valua tion) would bring in about the saim revenue as toll-gates, and I think that if this -view had been placed before them the verdict would have been dif ferent., My object in suggesting tha' you should hold over the erection oi the fates is oil account of a statement made by Sir Joseph Ward when deliver ing a policy speech a few weeks ago at Invereargill. namely, that the Govern incut were making enquiries with a view to taking over the control of the mair roads of the colony, leaving the loea bodies to look after the district roads I know, that there is a growing feeling in this' direction, hence my writing." The chairman said that Mr. Okey's

statement regarding the payment of certain moneys out of the administration account was entirely at fault. As foi the theory that the Government was

likely to take over the main roads, that was an old, old story. (Mr. Okev's estimate of the toll revenue was for too small. -At any rate, the Council had left tlie question to be decided by the ratepayers. Their decision was ''tollgates'," so toll-gates there should be. Mr j Okey had overlooked the fact, too, that the Omata riding would lose £3OO revenue annually by the formation of St. Aulivn township. THE FAIRNESS OF TOLLS. (Jr. Carter said that personally he didn't like toll-gaies any more than other people did. But the ratepayers considered tolls more equitable taxation than ii .separate rate. ,To those members who were not conversant with the Ouiata riding he would like to point out that .some of the land near town was valued at about ;CIOO an acre, and the general and separate rates would amount to somewhere about 10s aiwicre. Some said "lei them s'ell the wouldn't improve matters. The land would still have to bear this heavy taxation. At the same time the owners would probably use the roads less than the men on the lower-priced land« in the far end of the riding. One unsatisfactory feature about toll-gates was the heavy of keeping them. Cr. Hill thought toll-gates were the fairer method of taxation. Cr. Andrews said that the bulk of the tolls- would he paid by people who contributed very little to the county funds otherwise, Cr. Hopson: We'll catch Die Maoris and the motor-cars with the toll-gates. The chairman drew the councillors' attention to the fact that the Omata rid[ing's ordinary revenue would not mainMain its roads. Already the foremen | there were asking for additional metal. Cr. Andrews estimated that the main road would lnflb* to be metalled at least j once in every two yuars. The stone iwas 1 being spread only from four to six inches deep. Cr. Stevens agreed witli Cr. Carter that it would he much nicer to avoid the kill-gates, but the ratepayers preferred them, and the Council could oiler no letter way out of the difficulty. Cr. Andrews moved that toll-gates be established in the Omata r' ( l' n £- speaking to the motioTi. lie thought a toll-bar should also be placed on the breakwater road, which was a very expensive road Ito maintain. He had conversed with I many people at Motnroa, and they | thought the proposal a fair one. Cr. Carpenter seconded. I'TXTKO THE SITES. The Council agreed not to take a vote >on the motion pending Ihe arrival of a deputation of ratepayers, Thcv then proceeded to discuss the be>'t sites for the gates. Cr. Andrews moved t'hat the south gate be erected opposite Messrs. Robertson's and W. Coleman's properties, between the Werekino stream «tkl Ihe Minarapa road, about a quarter of a mile from the southern county boundary. —Cr. Carpenter seconded.—Cr. Andrews explained that there wa* no moresuitable place. The gate would catch all the Maori traffic to and from the Okato hotel, and the s'toek traflie from ftgniOTit county. No milk-carts would be affected. At any other part of Hie road it would be easy to dodge the gates.—The motion was carried.

amount of couuty road in going to town, were exempt. The amendment was defeated, and t ie Council decided to ureet the bar to-catell Barrett i-oad trallic. After the luncheon adjournment, the Council decided to establish the tollgates as above. TOLLS FOR BREAKWATKI! ROAD. Cr. Andrews moved that a toll-gate be erected on the Rreakwa'ter road at the Bayly road. . .

Cr Carter protested against springing tliis proposition on the Council and 011 a the ratepayers wil'lfont jiotiec. At last meeting Cr. Andrews wao unwilling t6 act without lirst consulting the rate- a payers, but now lie was prepared to impose another toll-gale 011 the peopiC c without giving them » chance to object. Cr. IlopsOTi coneurred. Cr. Andrews then yave notice that he . would bring the matter forward at next | meeting, with an alternative proposal that a special rating area be ga/.ettcd for the upkeep of the road, j AUjEGEI) URIiACII OF FAITH. f'r. Carter complained tiiat the Council had br.Qke;i faith with the ratepayers in establishing three lull-gates instead of two. And now there was talk of another. . The clerk was instructed to obtain schedules of tolls collected by the Eltliam, lTawera, and Clifton counties, and to supply copies to members, who will he auked" to frame 11 tariff the acxt ordinary meeting of the Couucil. The chairman undertook to have plans of gates and toll-houses before the next meeting.