HEAVY TRAFFIC.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 225, 11 February 1913, Page 6

HEAVY TRAFFIC.

COUNTY COUNCIL'S BY-LAW. ' a spv•meeting yeslerday, over , ' 1 ii Uii' ciiainuan (Cr. Brown) presidn! 1 In 1 Tarnnaki County Council approver a special by-law lor the purpose of '■■gulating heavy traffic on the Main South road.

According (o the chairman, tlio Council need not enforce the by-law in a hard-and-fast manner, lint it was necessary to have the power to do so should the necessity arise. Hitherto they had practically no control over tbc traffic. It was tlie Council's duty fo try and keep tlx? road there. It was not its wish to drive any form of traffic off the road, so long' as the road itself was preserved. If one particular sort of vehicle in one particular part of the district were going to destroy about 48 miles of the road, then it was necessary to take preventative steps to protect the ratepayers' interests. It was not for the Council to say how the traffic should be conducted: its duty was. to keep the road.and see that it was not used unduly severely. It was a mistaken idea to sav that the Council would simply not put up with traction entires. Those •running the engines contended that they were not doing as much or more damage than horse teams. That was "a matter of opinion. The engineers em- ; ployed by the Council said that the engines affected the road more than horse teams. Anyhow, it was a hard tiling to draw the line, and he thought the Council was wise in passing a by-law giving them certain powers which it could bring into operation if the need arose. Cr. McAllum spoke in a similar strain, remarking that the by-law was necessary on account of the way the traffic had heen conducted since the beginning of October last. The Council had 110 desire to prohibit the heavy traffic, but it was only right that it should have power to prohibit it at any time when it i thought it was going to do the ratepayi ers an injustice.

; The by-lnw, which was unanimously i approved, provides that no traction engine shall be driven along the South road | in the county of Taranaki, between the | boundary of the borough of New Ply- | mouth and the Punilio road, uriless the I cost, as estimated by the Council, of ! reinstating the road consequent upoil the injury to be occasioned by the traffic of such traction'engine is previously paid ; to the Council. It is stipulated that every person who commits a breach of the by-law is liable to a penalty not exceeding £2O. The by-law applies to any locomotive engine exceeding four tons in weight, propelled by steam or other mechanical power. Regarding the dispute with Johnston Bros, on account of the traffic of their locomotive engines, the Council adopted the following special resolution:—(l) Claim for extraordinary damages: Johnston Bros, to pay £350 and £lO 10s towards costs, £2lO 10s payable in cash and £l5O in six months, from February 3, 1013. Council to withdraw both summonses against them. (2) Future conduct of traffic: Johnston Bros, to be allowed to continue the traffic with small engines for one month from February 17. 1013, on the following conditions:—(a) Engines and trailers to be licensed for one month; (b) Johnston Bros, to pay 5s per ton on all produce and supplies carted over the county road from the coast inward only; (c) Johnston Bros, to pay all tolls as at present; (d) the chairman to go over the road now and on March 17 and state whether they are ' doing excessive damage, and to abide by the chairman's decision.