The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 1914. TARANAKI'S BURDEN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 254, 25 March 1914, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 1914. TARANAKI'S BURDEN.

A re-adjustment of the boundaries of the several county councils in Taranaki, as advocated by some of the speakers at Saturday's conference at Eltham, can no doubt be undertaken with advantage, and possibly result in greater economy and efficiency, but complete relief from the present difficulties and disadvantages would, in our opinion, come from the State taking over and maintaining the arterial roads. During the past few years most of the Taranaki county councils havo been busily engaged in playing the game of beggaring their neighbor, by erecting toll-gates and imposing burdensome charges on traffic. Taranaki, Clifton, Eltham and Hawera counties all have their toilgates, which have in every other part of the Dominion been cast aside as unfitting an age of enlightment and progress. Now Stratford County Council threatens to barricade several of its roads. Soon it will be impossible to move anywhere in Taranaki without being confronted with a relic of the dark ages. It will i not end with the county councils. The [ borough councils may, in retaliation, decide to take toll of the country-man or the stranger "unfortunate enough to have to use the precious roads. It has, of course, to be said that the excessive cost of maintenance forced the councils into this method of raising revenue. But they never could have contemplated a position like that at present existing, where each council is aiming at penalising its neighbor to the fullest extent of its power. The thing has only to go a little further and it will be found that with the exception of the producers in the locked counties like Egmont and Waimate, the ratepayers of the province will be no better off than they would be with unrestricted communications, even though the county funds might Le augmented. Some county councillors imagine that the outsiders using the roads are made to pay their share towards the cost of upkeep, but this is only partly true, for the merchant, the doctor, the agent and many other travellers pass the charge on to the people of the district, who in the long run, therefore pay the toll-charges. The freer the communications and the freer the trading facilities, the better it is for any province or any country; and the reverse also holds good. For the Government to take over control of the main arterial roads seems a big contract, but we are satisfied it could only result in a material saving and a great benefit ior all concerned. Had the State taken the step years ago the cry for better roads throughout the country would not h:iv:; been'so loud or insistent as it is, ior enougli money could have been saved by the adoption of scientific methods, up-to-date machinery and: efficient supervision, as to road the whole of the North Island. The waste caused by the unnecessary -multiplicity of plants, inefficient methods and divided control will go on until the State takes a hand and initiates a national /system of road maintenance and construction. So far, however, the different Governments have shied at the idea, possibly because it is one calling for the exercise of statesmanlike qualities. Some day perhaps, statesmen with a care for the future as well as for the present may be directing our destinies, and not party vote-catchers, mindful chiefly for the welfare of their petty, parochial interests.