TOLL GATES AGAIN

Taranaki Daily News, 15 July 1920, Page 4

TOLL GATES AGAIN

AROUND NEW PLYMOUTH THREAT TO TOWN'S DEVELOPMENT COUNTY COUNCIL'S ACTION; Proposals of a secretive nature, which involve a scheme which is a direct threat to the development* and prosperity of New Plymouth, have been developing fosome weeks past, and though the authors of the scheme have been careful that thepublic should not know what ii being done, the Daily News has rgaeiVed information which enables it to describe this morning a proposal which is of vital eoncm to every one in the distriot. Briefly put, the powers that be plan tq surround New Plymouth by toll gates. Coming ,at a time when Twanaki is enjoying remarkable expansion *ni when New Plymouth if rapidly taking its place as one of the leading provincial towns of the Dominion, this suggestion to put a barrier to expansion by-reviving a semi-ancient practice of unprogresiiye days, will cause something approaching consternation. But there is one bright feature—the negotiations have not pro-» ceeded very far, and' there is-still time for concerted action to be taken to defeat the scheme. This is a matter the public should certainly know of The proposal that has been made is fot the erection of three additional toll gate* in the Taranaki County, and the authorities'are asking the Government for permission to erect these toll gates. The proposal of the Taranaki County is r« place one toll-gate near Omata; one on the Avenue Road; and one on the Nort'.i Road beyond the Waiwakaiho .Bi idge, thus cutting off the three main arterial roads leading into New Plymouth. . The influence which the erection of these three toll-gates would have on New Plymouth would be highly detrimentxl and would inevitably result in a great deal of business being diverted elsewhere. And the public has no opportunity of discussing the matter, or even of hearing what is proposed. The subject has never been discussed in open oouuc.l by the Taranaki County Council, but thi subject has been discussed in camera, with the result that the ara completely ignorant of what councillors • have said and done abput the senwne.

The secrecy has been preserved in Wellington, where it is known the chairman of the Taranaki County Council conferred with the Minister of Ptyiic Works on the matter', but no publicity whatever has been given to what transpired in the Minister's room. A 9 a matter o! fact, when Mr, Connett went to see the Minister he did not ask the mefnber for the district (Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P.) to" introduce him or accompany him, thus failing to carry out a recognised custom of procedure. How far* then, matters have gone the ratepayers Can only conjecture, for they have been kept' completely in the dark. Mr. Connett is at present hi Auckland, a"nd his return will .be awaited with interest, so that he may "clear the air," for no information is available at the County Council office, and the public are entitled to know what is being done, BOROUGH COUNCIL PROTESTS, THE GOVERNMENT'APPROACHED. In his monthly repbrt for June, liMmed yesterday, the Q«neral Manager of tlu New Plymouth Borough Council refers to the Borough Council's arrangements in coniiection with their opposition to th# Taranaki vehicle licensing bylaw. He states that the Commissioner has not fixed the date of the commission, but in the meantime evidence is being brief el and matters arranged so that the case of the various local authorities opposing this by-law may be satisfactorily placed before the commission.

"Since the commission was appointed,'' ■the report continues, "the question'of toll gates has been revived, and I understand that proposals involving the erection of several toll gates in the near vicinity of New Plymouth, and also one or two ih South Taranaki, have been placed befor« the Government. Immediately informa« tion was received In regard to this matter a strong protest on behalf of tlio Borougli was lodged with the Government, and the right of the Borough to be heard before consent was given to therection of an}' toll-gate was emphasised. The Minister replied that the proteat had been noted, and it is understood that an opportunity will be given to this, Borough to be heard before any decision is arrived at."