The Daily News. MONDAY, JUNE 7. THE TOLL GATES AGAIN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 109, 7 June 1909, Page 2

The Daily News. MONDAY, JUNE 7. THE TOLL GATES AGAIN.

In Saturday's issue we dealt at s „ m , length witli lliis question, with a view to showing tl„,t tin, suggested luiihiug separate rate over the Oiniita riding would not give a return equal to that expected from the proposed toll-gates, and not quite sufficient to meet the ordinary current expenditure, much less make provision for the reduction of the riding's indebtedness. As we pointed out, if the riding is to wipe oil' its j u debtedness, as it wishes to, in a reason ablo time, say within four years, it musl provide between CiJOO and XIOOU ainu, ally for that time in addition to tin ordinary rate. A farthing separate rat' will only produce on. the present valua tion £.55!), barely sufficient, with tin j ordinary rate, to provide for the ordi'J farthing rate will not liquidate the in debtedness of £2OOO. A halfpenny sepal' ate rate would'produce £.1120, or perhap: rate would produce £ll2O, or pefliap. £2OO per annum more than the net re turn from the proposed toll-gates. Ob jection, however, is rated against levy ing a level separate rate over the whot riding, in view of the great Uinparit. in the valuations. The portion of th riding adjacent to the town, iucliuliii] practically the whole of the Barrett di; trict, is practically valued on the basi of suburban property, compared with th purely rural valuations placed on tli land further so.ulli. The unfairness o a. level rate under the circumstances i emphasised by the fact lh.il the semi suburban ratepayers arc but small user of the main county road. Were a. lev< rate struck, theretore, the ratepayers i the Barrett and surrounding dislric would be taxed far higher, lor a roil they use but little, than those whos whole .traffic is carried on the road. 1' meet this anomaly a proposal has been made, assuming that the toll-gate scneine is withdrawn, that n differential rate jju j levied. It is computed that a rate ol Villi over portion of the (Jmata road district, and over the Barrett district, and y 2 d over the rest of the riding, would produce over .CSOO per annum, Tuiauiount should be sufficient for tve requirements of the council. If the representations against the toll-gates are sufficiently strong to lead the council to rescind its decision m inat iiiieccion, it will, of course, be on the' direct understanding that a separate rate will li'i struck. The council should know exactly what additional revenue is required to meet the riding's obligations, and ralepayers may rest assured''that a rale just sufficient to bring in that amount and no more will be levied. But, as we showed on Saturday, it is useless to assume that a farthing rate is sunt cieut for the purpose. In conclusion it might be pertinent to ask why, when the OlliaU riding is exerting itself U improve its financial standing, other portions of the county are so singularly jj silent. It must not be supposed that the coastal riding is the only portion ol the county working on bank overdraft.