MAIN ROAD MAINTENANCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 July 1920, Page 4

MAIN ROAD MAINTENANCE.

That the New Plymouth Borough Council should have been alarmed at the proposal of the Taranaki County Council to surround the borough by toll gates is not surprising, for a greater injury u the town's interests and a greater bar to its development could hardly be conceived. The Minister of Public Works, who was waited upon by the Borough Council's representatives in connection with ilie matter last week, was strictly non-committal in his reply. In the course of his remarks he said it seemed impossible to maintain roads out of rates, and what he was looking for was some one who could tell him of a system to take the place of the toll gates. Surely it should not be beyond the ability of Cabinet to propound a scheme that would give better results than toll gates. The latter system has the merit of being simple, but that it should ever have been resurrected in a land that rather prides itseif upon its enlightenment says very little for the legislative wisdom) of the past. It has only to be adopted generally to bring road transportation and the economic life of the country almost to a standstill. Take Taranaki province as an example. Should the Taranaki Council get permission to erect gates on the roads leading from the town it would be competent for the Moa, Sltham, Hawera, and Patea Counties to also obtain authority for the erection of gates. Thus in about sixty miles of road there would be six toll gates. Stratford has a gate at Waipuku that now takes toll of thi> through traffic. How unfair it is is shown by the fact that every other Taranaki County has a greater length of the main road to maintain than Stratford. Stratford secured authority on the understanding that its portion of the road was to be renewed and tar-sealed, and wh»n paid for the toll gate be dispense! with. Only a portion of the road has so far been done—some of it being far from satisfactory, and the remainder has still to be done. Toll gates cannot be justified on any ground whatever. The grounds need not be discussed just noiv. The Taranaki Council years ago badly "missed the 'bus" when it refused to adapt its system of road making to the altered conditions. Now it finds that the co3t of making durable roads is twke what it used to be, and the burden will no doubt be very considerable unless it receives some outside help. The Minister asks for a solution. Well, the Government has often been assured that motorists will gladly submit to a motor tax, or better still, a tyre tax, the revenue to be utilised in providing better roads. The County Councils' conference has suggested that those councils rating themselves heavily for the maintenance of through roads should receive a biggusubsidy than those who do not do so, also that a proportion of the totalisator tax should be devoted to road upkeep Surely from these suggestions a scheme can be evolved whereby counties like Taranaki may be given the relief from their disabilities. The Government Bhould put its foot down firmly on any suggestion to increase the number ot toll gates; and would consult the, best interests of the country by forthwith propounding a workable and equitable system to do away with the present toll gates. ' -'