COUNTY COUNCIL MATTERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 252, 23 March 1914, Page 6

COUNTY COUNCIL MATTERS.

COXFj.RKXcv AT JCI.TILV.I. At the confeernce of delegate* of Iho various county councils in Tin-imiki convened by the Eltham Count'. Conn' cil, and held at Eltham on Sa'.nnhv Here were present: Messrs J. T. yuirn! (Eltham county) in the chair, Phillip* (Eltham), ,f. Brown (Taranaki). Sander (Clifton), W. Hathaway and .1 Christoll'el (Stratford), D. J. Hughes and 1), •Scott (Waimate), and Goodlaud and Murdoch (llawera.) The objects of the conference weir 11, consider the question of uniforwit\ ~;' toll-gate charges and of the regulations governing motor traflie, both in reg-i-d to weight and speed, among tie- various county councils in Taranaki. /, TOLL-GATE CHARGEo. In this matter the chairman nil d that only the delegates from councils in whose districts toll-gates already existed could have any right to a' say. Personally, he would line to see tollgates abolished altogether, bill the time for that was not yet. Owing to the difference in the classes of traffic passing over the roads in various counties, he thought it would be hardly possible to fix a uniform rate.

.Scales of charges in various counties were" quoted, and a little more or less informal discussion took place. Commenting on the various toll schedules submitted, .the. chairman said the greatest discrepancy was in regard to motor ears. Would a motor lorry, lie. asked, do the same amount of damage as a six-horse team with an equ il load ? ' Mir. Goodland emphatically stated that it would do more. Other delegates agreed. Mr. Brown said his county would never have had toll-gates but for the Egmont County traffic. There were only three ratepayers outside their tollgate. Their net revenue for one year was £IOOO. They paid £2 IDs per week to the collector. The revenue from the toll-gate was increasing. Mr. Goodland said that the llawera county toll-gate revenue had increased for four years and then dropped considerably in the fifth year. In Ih-it . period motor cars had increased from ■ 145 to 334. I Mr.- Scott: Unless you can get a better form of roadmaking the motor lorries will be fatal to tile roads. Finally -Mr. J. llrown said that it was apparent to him that eacli co'iuty must of necessity fix its own toll, having regard to the special class of trallic I existing in each district, and he moved i the matter be left at that. This was carried and the disru.-don dropped. MOTOR TRAFFIC. The chairman then brought up the , question of motor traffic i regulations, | wli.ch he said concerned all present. It. ! was well known that many motor vehicle drivers exceeded a reasonable speed i and overloaded their vehicles. i Mr. Goodland said that motor cyclists were the worst offenders. Every motor cyclist should be made to carry a silencer on his machine. The noise they made was abominable. Mr. Rrown said the solution would be reached if the local bodies were J given control of motor traffic, as of other classes of traffic. At present I hey had no power to deal with the matter. Mr. Hughes advocated a recommendation from the conference to the Minister for Public Works that control •.■! motor traffic he ceded to local bodies in as full a measure as was the case with other traffic. This suggestion met with general approval, and was adopted. EXECUTIVE SET UP. At the conclusion of the conferjucj Mr. Hughes suggested that it would Icy to the interest of county councils generally if an executive were set up from the conference, to deal with all matters of interest to county councils, and for the advancement of the schemes outlined that day, and to call conferences : whenever necessary. i The chairman agreed. A Taranaki conference just before the Dominion conference, would aid materially in putting everything in order for the Dominion conference.

It was;decided that the executive bo composed of the chairman of the 'J'aranaki county council, the chairman tor the time being of the Eltham county council to be the convener of all meetings of the executive or conference of the councils' delegates. Copies of yesterday's resolutions wdl be sent to the various councils for discussion.