TOLL-GATE INQUIRY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 32, 1 August 1911, Page 7

TOLL-GATE INQUIRY

WAIMATE WEST COUNTY COUNCIL I V. HAWERA COUNTY COUNCIL. On Wednesday, at Hawera, Mr. W. S. Short i (Under-Secretary for Publjc Works 1 ), the Commissioner specially appointed under "The Commissions. of Inquiry Act, "'1908," began of an inquiry upon the claim by the Waimate West* County Council under "The Public Works Act, 1908," for ifche abolition of tlie .toll-gate.s established by the Ilaiwora County Council in! February, 1908, on the Main South road, and on the Normanby "road, adjacent (to the boundary of the respective countries. Mr. lto\\ -with Mr. Spence, appeared for the*. Wujinate West County Counail, and Ml - .' t):' B. Morison (Wellington), witff Mr. jt" D. Welsh, for the Hawera Coui^y'Cwihcil.'Y Waimate r West County Council ask<kr* thatyan order be madje for the abolit'Jon of the toll-gates pri, the following' grounds': (a) 'ThjEt tjie folk levied therfet ni'e excessive 1 and unduly Iwnfensom'eJ on the ratepayers «f the WaimSte West County, especially as regar<W"'the : t ; dll-gate on the Main South roa(f';":(.l)) 'that .such toll-gates- ar6 not necessary; and (c) that the tolls actually levied' thereat are Unequally imposed imfemuch as milk vehicle traffic is illegally exempted. The claimant Council also asked 'tha.t, upon the abolition of such toli-gatcs, an order be wade to determine and apportion the amount, If am - , which it is equitable should) be contributed by.'the Waimate West County towards thfe maintenance of shell portions of f,h<? Main South road and of the Notmanby road' within the County of Hawera as are largely used by ibhe-rate-payera of the Waimate Weft Countyi 'Formal objection to the Commissioner's Jurisdiction was taken by Mr. Moqsoti. The evidence on both 'Sides was particularly directed to the Main South. road toll-gate, through which a large.' and yearly increasing amount ol traffic passes, especially in respect, of the factory (in Hawera C'-ounty) 'and' Jvaupokonui factory (in Waimate Wfeflt'.toimty), and a number of witnesses were Killed on behalf of the claimant and respondent councils respectively, who' 'gavp' evidence as to the preseit the' Main. South road, tha.esfief 'future' maintenance, the 'amount of anniuil traffic originating in I eflili''county'respectively, and also as to +elativh financial questions involved oft fWß ( %re«ent position, and, prospcctiveTy;"ott the abolition of the gates. 1 Expert civil engineering evidence was given' for the Waimate West County by 'Mcssi'Sf. L. G. P. Soenccr (Te Kuiti), E.' C.' Rrtfiinson and J. R. Mackay (Stratford),' and F JJasliam (Eltham), and for the Hawera CoHnty 1 by Messrs. L. 0. Sladden and J. Skinner (Now Plymouth). The hearing'continued for three audi'at the "conclusion on Friday afterinoon- Mr. Commissioner Short complimented counsel for both parties on having fiiHy adduced all the evidence requisite for a complete inquiry, and stated that he it-onld, in due course, send in his report to His Excellency the Governor. The result of the inquiry will be awaited 'with interest liv those county councils which rely upon the toll-gates for part of their revenue for the maintenance : of their, roads, as this is the first occasion ,in New Zealand when a direct attack has been made upon the system. The inquiry may also lead to the. joarly introduction of legislation amendi-nir or abolishing the present tollgate svstcin, and also establishing a definite basis for assessing the apportionment of, cost of construction or maintenance where a roadi in one district is largely used by the traffic of an adjacent district.