TOLL GATES.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 July 1920, Page 5

TOLL GATES.

EARLY PROTEST MAD& 1 BY NEW PLYMOUTH BOBOUGK ' DEPUTATION TQ THE MINISTER , J ' The publication yesterday inornlig.of details- of the secfetive proposals ol tb ; Taranaki County Council to surrauni New Plymouth by toll gates ' m much interest in the district, and fuller } details are eagerly awaited. The NewPlymouth Borough Council hae taken prompt action to record<itg opposition to ; the proposal, and a deputation from the s Council yesterday waited on the Minister of Public Works (Hon. J. 0. > Coates), to ask that the scheme ahmld be stopped, and other meant found to' 1 ' raise revenue. ' 11 'M (By Wire.—Parliamentary Report*.) Wellington, Lajt Night. -i t Representatives of the New (Plymouth • '■ Borough Council the Sin- ; ister of Public Works ,to-day, Mfi &'*; G. Smith, M.P., introduced the dentation, which wae composed of wT Clarke (Mayor), Cr. J. W. Haygen, lutd 1 / Mr. F. T. Bellringer (B6rough Manager). | The speakers explained th(tt there mi* a proposal to put a string 6f toll gates ' around New Plymouth, and they ob- f „ jeeted on the ground that It was nft a r proper form of taxation. The mainjten- > ance of roads should be financed 1 "5y means of a tyre tax, which they bellied. •• would produce in Taranaki a» xjiiich money as toti gates. -Tv f Mr. Coates: How would you levy tin ; tyre tax? ' The deputation quoted Waimate ijl t"A county which got on without toll griteiu;! Mr. Coates replied thp,t Waimate had * recently put down good roads with |oaa< .i money, and had not yet felt the taiMH <! of maintenance. It aeemad impossible' to maintain roads out of rates, and ithat he waß looking for was someone Who [ could tellhim of a system to place of Toll gates. His experience had- * been that where there were toll gates there were good.roads. He was looking into the matter thoroughly to see what £ #as best to do. . The deputation suggested that~lE« ad* , vopates of toll gates were multiplying toll gates in order to make the Govern* ment realise the ridiculousness olf tW,, system and make a tyre tax. What th» ' deputation desired was that a commit- ' flion should be set up to deal with the suggested vehicle licensing by-law,', arid.-' thus having a chance to get 4ta view , fully before the__Government. Toll, gates were the mosi expensi\e form, of '■ collecting taxation, and if adopted generally, would tax motors off th|.ro*d*. « • Finally the Minister assured the Reputation that he would decide on nothing before thorough consideration. . ■ ■ =L== ' • j