The Daily News. MONDAY, MAY 24. TOLL GATES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 99, 24 May 1909, Page 2

The Daily News. MONDAY, MAY 24. TOLL GATES.

There are no half measures about th Taranaki County Council, which, when it moves, gets into motion to sonic purpose. In the Omata riding at present every other question is dwarfed into insignificance beside the toll-gates, which it has been decided to establish. The ratepayers, preferring to ac- ' cept the lesser of two evils, directed tiic Council to re-establish the toll system rather than resort to the simpler, nut less equitable plan of levying a special rate. The Council needed no further ■ direction, and promptly decided on the . erection of three gates on the south i roads (instead of two, which should be [ • ample) with the possibility of a fourth ion the Breakwater road. If the Coun- ' eil is ill-advised enough to insist ou the carrying out of this programme we are strongly of opinion that the toll-gates venture will not be a complete success, and will not materially assist Umata m righting its finances. The two principal toll-houses, respectively a t the southern boundary of the riding and near the junction of the Barrett road, must yield a handsome surplus over administrative expenses, but, it seems to us, much of the surplus would be required to meet the deficiency on gates ou the town side of Barrett road junction and the Breakwater road. Pic

council has assumed that one toll-keeper will lie able to manage the two gal"s in proximity to the Barrett road, hut if the traffic is such as to warrant tli« erection of these two gates, it will hardly be possible for one man to attend to both without considerable inconvenience to traffic on the roads. Ifas has been suggested, there are lega' difficulties in the way of the Council erecting a double gate at the Barrett road junction, one spanning the South raid, and the other tne Barrett Roa 1 junction, both manageable, from one toll 'house without inconvenience, then the council should content itself with tne principal gate only. Settlement along the Barrett Road is very sparse, and tolls from that locality are not likely to appreciably affect the county revenue, and may easily be dispensed with. The proposal to erect a toll-gate on the Breakwater road, however, has still less to recommend it, and savors of presumption on the part of the promoters, calculated to dually decide t'-.e ratepayers in that locality to speedily sever their connection with the county. The suburban portion of the Oniala ruling embracing the Breakwater road, a little over one mile iu length, at present, owing to its high valuation, contributes X.'i'M in rales per annum to the county funds. There are about 22 miles of main roads in the Omnia riding, and Omata's total rates are approximately JJIUOO. So that, if the whole of the riding were contributing' in tlie same proportion towards the upkeep of the main roads as the itisi.net along the Breakwater road (St. Aubyn), the total rates should be between £7OOO and .181)1)0, instead of .CltillU. lit the face of a fact so incontrovertible—that the St. Aubyn district is already contributing live times more than the rest of the. district towards the main road—it is a preposterous proposal to endeavor to further tax these peopli for the benelit of the ratepayers in the less highly valued portions of the riding. Irrespective of the injustice of the proposal, however, we are convinced the council would lose money on the venture. The traffic between the Bayly road and the Breakwater, with the exception of the 'bus services, is quite inconsiderable. The bulk of the tratlic beyond the Bayly road would be that from the coastal district to the freezing works, but it would not be subject to toll on the DreakWiilvr road, as it would have discharged its obligation to Hie roads at the Main. South road gale. Very little revenue would be tienvabl • front the 'buses, which would only have to pay toll once a day. We are, therefore, quite nt a loss lo see how sufficient revenue could be raised at ibis gate lo pay for cost of upkeep, |el alone assist the county funds. The matter is entirely in the hands of the council, however, and St. Aubyn and .Motnroa residents, whether they wish toll-gales or not, will have to accept the decision of the Council on the proposal. The formation of a town district, as is proposed, will not secure the removal of the impost from their doors. There is one way, though, by which any action of the council may at once be rendered nugatory, and this means ol escape we recommend to the dissatisfied ratepayers for their favorable consideration. The law prohibits the erection of a toll-gate within one mile of a borough boundary, so that were St, Aubyn l" join the borough instead of setting up a Town Hoard of its own, no toll-gate could ever be erected on the Breakwater road. Sooner or later the Crealcv New Plymouth scheme is bound lo eventuate, but its realisation is only | being the longer delayed by the multiplication of suburban local bodies. To I electric tramways many ratepayers are looking for a reduction in the pveseit heavy cost of maintaining the through thoroughfare from the Breakwater to Filzioy, but a scheme of electric tramways will be retarded so long as the rails would have to be laid on the r»ads of four or live local bodies. W'c expressed the opinion some time ago that tile Borough Council should move in the direction of placing before the ratepayers of the suburban districts a clear statement showing relatively their obligations under their present circumscribed local government and under oorough government. We are still of the same opinion, and hope Inat something will' be done in tiiis direction at as early a date as possible.