TOLL GATES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 199, 20 February 1914, Page 3

TOLL GATES.

' APPROVED BY THE STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL. ERECTION VERY PROBABLE. Toll gutes, which are usually regarded as relies of ancient days, are being rapidly revived and bid fair to become as popular as ever in Taranaki. Eltham has two of them, Ilawera two. Taranaki one and Clifton one, and there is every prospect of StratforU now heing the latest convert and erecting-one, if not several, more. The fast-travelling motor car is blamed for this revival. The matter received much consideration at the meeting of the Stratford County Council on Wednesday, when Cr. Christoll'el's notice of motion for the erection of toll-gates within the county was under discussion.

Cr. Christofl'el, in introducing the notice, said that it was manifestly unfair that they should have to keep roads in good order to carry traffic passing from other districts which paid nothing towards their revenue. The only way th«y could collect from such traffic was by means of toll-gates. In the North riding alone they had u l /, miles of main road and many wooden bridges to repair, and he estimated that a toll-gate would at least produce £IOO per mile, with which it might be possible to have a tarred road. People, lie said, would not object to pay a small amount in tolls towards the upkeep of the road. He did not believe that it was fair that all the money collected at the gate should go to the north riding, and he would suggest that that riding should receive 70 per cent, of the revenue, and each of the other ridings 10 per cent., each paying its proportion towards the cost of erecting the gate and collecting the toll. Cr. Thomson said that nothing could be done at present, as they had no idea what the gate was going to produce. lie thought they should hold meetings of ratepayers in the ridings. If they said tliev did not want tollgates, they wouid have to stand a heavier rate. lie pointed out that they could allow settlers to drive their milk to the creameries free, as did the Ilawera County Council, Cr. Smith was pleased that a motorcar owner had brought the matter forward. After carefully weighing the "pros and cons" of rates v. tolls, he had come to the conclusion that the latter was the only solution. The man who uses the road must pay. Motor trallic, he said, had revolutionised the whole matter of road trallic.

O. Rogers was pro]iare<l to vote for t#II-gak's if they could safeguard dairy suppliers and cream carts. Ci'. Young also supported tlie toll-gate question. Motor trallic was increasing, and the main road was costing more ami more to keep up. He did not see tlie force of the East anil West ridings sharing in (lie revenue. The South riding should get a portion of the revenue, as some of the oars that the gate | would catch would have to come through I the South riding. l.'r. Walter agrped, and said that In? woidd go a long way further. Motor ears had come to slay. They would increase by I<';ips and bounds, and public opinion would make councils keep bet- ' I tcr roads than in the past. They could I not get away from public opinion. Al- | though in England cars paid up to £4O I per annum for license, it was, felt that I they were not paying enough, lie read an extract from a paper which showed I the enormous amount of damage done \ to roads in England through the fast trallic of motor cars with pneumatic

tyres, which it was at enc time thought were going to be a boon and a blessing to roads. Continuing, he said that by placing a gate at Waipuku they would be catching only one end of the c«unty, and, moreover, they would miss all the cattle traffic to Waitara and New Plymouth, which would take the by-roads. Already, lie said, there were numbers of pleasure cars in Stratford. A motor club had recently been formed, too, and these cars and cycles, when they went for their runs would take care to avoid the toll-gate. To be (effective, the place should be encircled with toll-gates. The question should be placed before the ratepayers at once. Light motor traffic at fast epeed was going to worry councils, who were up against sonicthing they had never been called upon ,te meet before. Toll-gates had got to .come unless the Government taxed the cars and handed the money over to the councils for the upkeep of the roads. Cr. Thomson read a schedule which showed that cars in Scotland were taxed according to horse power, ranging from G'/S; to 12-h.p., £3 3s: to GO-h.p. , £42. The chairman said that he had changed his views with regard to the position of the toll-gates, lie thought that it would he out of place at Waipukn. If it wevo placed there, however, all the cattle would escape by using byroads. If ratepayers would only agree, and milk traffic could bo exempted, a .gate could be placed near Midhirst and another on the Beaconsfield road, and then cattle could not journey through the county from the Waimate Plains to Waitara or New Plymouth without paying toll. Meetings of ratepayers should .decide where the gates should be erected. They were not getting any revenue from the cattle traffic, and, moreover, the erection of toll-gates would perhaps prevent the traffic of that poor class of stock which travelled from safe to sale. Tie was afraid that division of the toll revenue pro rata would not meet with the approval of the ratepayers. fn conclusion, lie said that they had no other option but to introduce toll gates or to raise the rates. Tkey must have money. Cr. Christoffel said that his idea of having one gate was to make it a payable concern. Some of the councillors were strongly of opinion that it would be necessary to erect toll-gates on each of the main roads around Stratford, if the toll were ( to be effective. Some discussion ensued as to charges, the schedules forwarded by the Eltham and 'Hawera counties being before the ! Council. This matter was, however, held over until the opinion of the Council's solicitor is obtained on the matter. It was then resotved that the Council affirm the principle of toll-gates, anil th*t a meeting of ratepayers of the NorMi riding be held ii tike Midhirst Town Hall to discuss the matter, when tie North riding members and Crs. Walters (East), Anderson (West) and Christofl'el (South) will he present.