WAIHI TOLL-GATE.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 August 1915, Page 6

WAIHI TOLL-GATE.

iPJpTBST AGAI-NST ABOUTI0& BY URUTI RATEPAYERS, At a meeting of the Uruti Settlers' Association on Saturday, the question of the obolHiiion of the Waflii toll-gate was discussed and a resolution was passed strongly urging its retention. There were about twenty ratepayers present at the meeting, wltich was presided over by Mr. Larscn. The matter was introduced by Mr. 0. 11. Barnitt, I who stated that he noticed in the report of the last Clifton County Council meeting that Or. Piggott had given notice to more that the toll-gate be abolished The Council had also decided to increase the rate, by '/id. He did not object to the rate being increased-, but he point ed out that a \/ t A rate would produce a trifle over £9OO. The revenue from the toll-gate was £950, le3s the cost of collection, £lO-1, a clear profit of £B*s. The engineer had stated that it would coot £:*"K) to repair the damage done to the roads, and how, he asked, was this to be done and the overdraft reduced with the increased rate if the toll were abolished ? Once the gate was removed there was no chance of erecting it again. They had one of the longest main roads in Taranaki to maintain. The majority of motors that plied on it belonged to residents outside the county. The settlers had now to pay through the no3e for the upkeep of the road, which wais getting worn out, and required renewing. The expense of .collecting the toll was ' £lO4, but this was light when they considered that more than half the toll came from foreign traffic, but he emphasised this by stating that of seventeen cars at the last Ureiiui sale all but one came from outside the district..

Mr. W. Old, -who represents the riding on the Council, was opposed to th» toll. The majority of the money came out of the ratepayers' pockets. How worild they £et on if there were no foreign traffic ? Outsiders came in as much for ratepayers' benefit as their own. Mr. J. Murray said that lots of tourists used the roads. They could not get on with the loss of the toll revenue. Discussion ensued as to whether the freight would be reduced if the toM-gate were abolished. Mr. Old considered it would, but could not guarantee this. Mr. Alpo estimated that the toll east him equal to a rate of l-10d. That Included all his freight. He considered ■this preferable to a rate of Mr. Jlusker favored the abolition of tho tod. He considered the primaiy basis of taxation was for the land to pay. Oc pointed out that through the toil-gate, Waihi, Urenui and Mokau, twothirds of the county raised £9OO. Under the rating system on '/id rate they would only have to pay £BOO. They wotfkl thus be £3OO to the good, besides the item of collection, on which there was n.a check. It was no use trying to penalise tile motor service. That had come to stay. Outside traffic, moreover, was necessary. On competent authority he gathered tliat purely tourist traffic did not pay the cost of collection. It was a fallacy to say that tollgates made the man who used the road pay. Mr. T. Buchanan favored the abolition of the tcdl-gatc, which, he pointed out, ha-d been erected in the first place to catch the native traffic, wHich did not pay rates. They now paid rates. The country never had struck an adequate rate. Toll-gates were an antiquated method of collection. Besides, they penalised the man on the, higher - valuation land, who used the gates frequently, and did not do as much damage as the lowervaluation backblocks settler did with one trip with his big lorry. He was pleased to see that the county had raised the rate to %d. The borough roads were used by county ratepayers considerably more than the business people used the county roods, yet the borough did not inflict a toll on them.

Mr. Karnitt said that Ujuti already paid three special rates. If the other riding''. p?,id the extra rate they would expect the money expended in their riding. Mr. W. Old said that the two main roads were the first call on the county. Mr. Scott considered the toll-gate the fairest method. Car traffic did considerable damage to the roads. Mr. Buchanan said the only way to cope with it was by iriking' a higher rate. Mr. Thompson considered the small farmer vrfth the big family suffered as .■ result of the toll-gate. lie considered that the toll on Iris 'produce cost him three times what the rate did. The tdll-gate kept the district back. Mr. Barnitt then moved that the meeting send a deputation to the next meeting of the Clifton County Council to protest against the abolition of the tollgate. This was seconded by Mr, Murray. Mr. C. Musker moved as an amendment that two delegates be sent to place before the Council the views of those who favored its abolition. This was seconded by Mr. J. Smith. Mr. Old said that although opposed to the toll-gate he was on the Council to carry out the wishes of the ratepayers. It was therefore considered unnecessary to send delegates. Finally, on the motion of Messrs Barnitt and Murray, it was decided to protest against the abolition of the tollgate at the present time. Mr. Scott said that Okau people also intended to protest against its abolition.