MAIN SOUTH ROAD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 229, 15 February 1913, Page 7

MAIN SOUTH ROAD.

DISCUSSED BY TIIE PARIHAKA

ROAD BOAKD.

The extraordinary position that has occurred in connection with the heavy traction trallic on the Main South road, owing to the drastic by-laws recently passed by the Taranaki County Council, formed the subject of considerable discussion on Thursday at the meeting of the Parihaka Road Board, whose ratepayers feel greatly the pinch of the shoe. Mr. Willcox introduced the discussion. He pointed out that settlers in the dis-

trict were now "between the devil and the deep blue sea" in regard to the traffic, and he thought that both the Egrnont County Council and the Parihaka Road Board should approach the Government with a view to obtaining a subsidy on the Main South road. He understood that roads in Auckland were subsidised, and he did not see why this road should not he, particularly as they received no benefit from the railway anil would have to pay their share of any loss on the railways. He moved that the Parihaka Road Board write to the member for the district (Mr. C. A. Wilkinson) and ask liim to endeavor to obtain a subsidy for the road. The chairman said that undoubtedly they were placed in an awkward position owing to the drastic by-laws, which ' compelled the carriers to pay £2O or £25 to alter their vehicles to comply with them, besides having to pay a license and a toll.

Mr. Harvey considered that a deputation to the Government would prove more effective.

The chairman favored a deputation as well. The position was distinctly unsatisfactory. The carriers had taken lip their contracts in good faith, and, now with these drastic by-laws, discovered that they eoukl not make them pay, and so had to go under. Motor traffic had been taxed off the road, too. It was a dangerous thing that any local body should be given the power to introduce such by-laws at a moment's notice without duly advertising their intention.

Tt was elicited that they had been advertised in the Inglewood paper, which did not circulate in the Egmont county, which members considered was the district the by-laws were aimed at. The chairman, continuing, said that the district was rated for the New Plymouth harbor, to which it now had no access, being prohibited by the county with a railway at its back door, a district which was paying a %d rate, as again l%d there. They wanted this district to keep up their roads (continued Mr. Young). Any practical man would say that the roads between Oaoluii and New Plymouth, where there was traction engine traffic, are fifty per cent, better than between Oaonui and Manaia, where there was none. What position would the road be in, lie asked, if the Egmont County Council acted in the sanie way? Why, no one would be able to use it!

Mr. Willeox pointed out that it would all come out of their own pockets. Taranaki, as a matter of fact, were only biting at Egmont. He considered tolls should be done away with. They had, as it were, "cannons to the right of them, cannons to the left of them," in the shape of toll gates wherever they turned, viz., at Puniho, Eltham and Hawera.

Mr. Ducker said that one Taranaki councillor had informed him that if it were not for the tolls lie would be paving £3O in rates instead of £25, and the best way was to keep it at £25. The chairman seconded the motion, which was curried, and a copy of the Taranaki by-laws will also be forwarded. The chairman remarked that his factory (Oaonui) was blocked to the doors, and was able to get its cheese away by a hand-to-mouth method. Cheese, however, was not quite so perishable as butter, and he thought they might get out of the difficulty by carting it to Opunake and chartering a boat to convey the cheese direct to Wellington.^ Members considered this scheme, which has already been spoken of in dairy factory quarters, quite, feasible, as with the election of storage accommodation a weekly or fortnightly boat throughout the season would relieve the position. The question of the deputation was not lost sight of, and, on the visit of Mr. Massey to New Plymouth, the whole P.oard will wait on him as a deputation. One member remarked that he did no', know whether the drastic by-laws were altogether an evil. The district was now up against it. Some sort of tramwav or a railway was necessary to cope with the trafficj and the present position might strengthen their hands.