THE MAIN SOUTH ROAD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 196, 16 February 1912, Page 4

THE MAIN SOUTH ROAD.

AND THE EGMONT COUNTY.

TOLL-GATE OR LOAN.

[ At the meeting of the Egmont County Council on Friday last, the question of damage caused to the Main South road by the steam haulers used by the Coastal Transport Company was brought up. At a previous meeting a committee consisting of Crs. J. Burgess, T. Harvey, P. Willcox and E. Maxwell was appointed to interview the manager of the company on the subject. Cr. Maxwell reported the result of the interview. The committee had urged the company to enter into an agreement with the council to the effect that the weight of the steam waggons should not exceed 3 tons 15cwt., that the load do not exceed 2tons 10 cwt, or with fuel, etc., that the gross weight do not exceed 7 tons. Also that the Transport Company pay £1 per round trip for each steam waggon by way of liquidated damages. In submitting the report, Cr. Maxwell said that.the committee had received legal advice from Mr. J. B. Roy to the effect that alternative courses were available under the Public Works Act. The council could, of course, proceed to make a bye-law under section 151 without previously negotiating for an agreement under section 150, but the solicitor strongly advised negotiations for such an agrement if possible, as thereby obviating, as far as possible, annoyance, expense, and litigation. Lastly, the council, instead of endeavoring to give effect to any of the foregoing suggested courses could, under section 156 of "The Public Works Act, 1908," establish toll-gates, and thereupon levy a heavy toll. . ;

The Coastal Transport Company replied that they would agree to pay £1 per trip for the Yorkshire steam waggons used by them, and at the same time undertook that the maximum load should not exceed the weights as reported above. Whilst the deliberate intention to tax the company's waggons off the road was denied by the committee, it was yet admitted that the company could not possibly agree to such a proposition and that compliance with the requirements of the committee could not be carried out except at a continual loss to the company. With reference to the state of the road, and the incident of the damage caused by the various classes of traffic, it was pointed out the preponderating brokenness of surface in proximity to dairy factories md creameries, and the fact that in dry weather the centre of the road was being continually pulled loose by horse haulage of heavy loads on narrow tyres, which latter also cut into the surface, and whilst in the case of a road which had been down many years, and had been vacariously patched from time to time and had and was still having continuous heavy traffic by trotting horse waggons, the actual damage was not immediately apparent, but it was easily noticeable in cases where the passage of one or two of the horse waggons pulled out the metal (on the wheel tracks particularly) and scattering it, in some cases never to be retrieved. With regard to bridges, the leaving of a drop from the metalling on to the bridge at the junction of metal and decking as had been frequently .done, and Was still done m the county must be held to be responsible for a continual shaking and jarring of the bridges by any vehicle which traversed them Taking all these matters into account, and giving due weight to them, the company regretted that the council should have made such a demand, and it left no course open but to state that they did not admit that tfle Yorkshire waggons caused damage to the road, and that they were unab?e to comply with the demand made. Cr. Maxwell said the committee were unanimous that in asking £1 per trip from the Transport Company they were making the tariff prohibitive, but it was the/yery least they could ask-for in lieu of the damage caused by the steam hauler to the roads and the extra cost of maintenance Even at £1 per round trip t would not pay the council, and personally he was convinced that to keep the roads m order it meant either a hufeVaf' atoll ' gateatMo '- a The chairman aaw nothing for it but £«jm an ~" a big thumpin " loan ° f minLl aXWeII PUt that do ™ ** the

had got ,nto such a condition that reo? tr f? was heay y on aceo^t itrel% a an d d. famerßWerenowfarm -

The chairman said that even if you he ~ h ' ,,n ? rate * on wouW not get staiKend!° goonWiththeWOrk

Cr. Hurst moved that the necessary ICVIl CV I I* ta , ken t0 have a toll-gate erect

Cr. Willcox did not like toll-gates, but xt a was the safest.way to ge g t at the Cr. Maxwell said even if they went w f< V loan {t would 1» some time before they could do the work, and some! thing must be done before the wbt er or else they would not be able to £ the road open for traffic. If the toN Sid X s er f ed the mone y *S« »■ ff aS T/ as P art P a »t on a loan and the money ear-marked to the nding wherein the toll-ate was situated ii it was near an election time the f r U,ate P r °P^S"dgo to the poll by them. Be suggested holding meetings m various centres of the electorate and place the question of inv provement of roads before the ratepay™ cm the alternative proposals. They we" representatives of the ratepayer!, and 8 ' loan > second, a higher rate and third, toll-gates. The council could get a lead from the raterXnA h ° ldl ' n » meet ™& « Sing « CJV h^ue^ ion - T » "PIT to Cr S 7-7 M Said collectin S tolls amounting busing *' a C ° St ° f £l5O ™ s *«*

hj« 1 • r u P h . ed that no time should be wasted in having the toll-gate erected, as the heavy traffic woulß put them in a serious position before any revenue was swr d ' t m } insknced delay S3 shocking bad state of the road in the propoTl J Wh6n delayed by similar

Cr. Hurst's proposal was carried taken as soon as possible to put the question of improvement of roads before the ratepayers.-Carried. Meetings were fixed as follows:Pungarehu and Oaonui, March 1, Ra^ nS,^ 11 2 ' opunake < March 4Opunake Times.