TOLL-GATES.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 December 1921, Page 5

TOLL-GATES.

ABOLITION ADVISED. THE COMMITTEE’S REPORT, SUBSIDY ON RATES RECOMMENDED The report of the committee appointed to investigate the general question of toll-gates was - presented to the House of Representatives on Wednesday. The committee’s recommendations are as follow: (1) That in future no toll-gates be authorised. (2) That on the coming into operation of the Main Roads Bill or other compensating legislation, as indicated in clause 3 below, all existing toll-gates be abolished. (3) That subsidies at. the rate of 5s in the £1 on all general rates collectable on capital value or on equivalent unimproved value be payable out of Consolidated Fund as from the same date, but only in proportion, as the actual rates levied are to the maximum rate permissible under the Counties Act. As the maximum rate is 3d in the £1 on the capital value, a county rating Id in the £1 would only receive one-third of the subsidy, and other ratings similarly. (4) That a 20 per cent, ad valorem tax on all rubber tyres, pneumatic or solid, be levied through the Customs Department, paid to Consolidated Fund, and subsidies on rates be paid to county councils as in terms of -recommendation (3) as above, and the balance be devoted to the maintenance of such arterial roads as may from time to time be so declared by Government.

“In regard to the suggested method of subsidising rates-, it is found that counties whose rates are low will receive less, while those whose rates are high will receive more than under the present system. Nevertheless, for the whole Dominion it is anticipated that the increase over the present total of £150,000 or thereabouts will not amount to more than £20,000 annually. By this suggested system it is anticipated that the tendency will be to form larger counties with higher standards of organisation, and to stimulate progressive counties to still further efforts in the development of their districts and in the improvement of their roads. “Under the proposed Main Roads Bill it would appear that certain counties will be relieved of the maintenance of varying lengths of main roads, and consequently will be in a better position to deal with their remaining roads, while ol*T*r counties (who will not be similarly relieved) are in positions that equally require financial relief. It is suggested that in order to obviate this apparent inequity all counties who are relieved of maintenance of portions taken over in terms of the Main Roads Bill shall contribute 50 per cent, of the average annual maintenance costs of the portions so taken over, such average cost being computed from the annual costs of the three years immediately preceding the taking over, and the Government shall have power to collect this contribution by deduction from the proposed subsidy on rates.” FINANCIAL RESULTS. The committee’s report analyses the financial position of counties now owning toll gates to show how the subsidy alternative would affect them. They show that ten counties in Taranaki and Wanganui now receive Government subsidies totalling £13,627 annually, while, in addition, five secure revenue from toll gates. Taking this into account, the committee is of opinion that the distribution of £23,658 in subsidies among them would increase ea-eh county’s subsidy as follows: Clifton £lO3O, Egmont £2465, Eltham £449, Hawera £379, Inglewood £1778, Stratford £392, Taranaki £2769, Waimate West £494, Wanganui £B6O. Waitotara would show a reduction of .£585. The taking over of the Wellington-Vv aitara-Auck-land main road will relieve the following counties of the mileages of roads as shown, in all cases excluding lengths within boroughs or town districts:— Wanganui,, Wangaehu river to Wanganui, 9 miles; Waitotara, Wanganui to Waitotara, 201 miles; Patea, Waitotara to Manawapou.. 26| miles; Hawera, Manawapou to Onewai, 12 miles; Eltham, Boylan road to northern boundary, 7 miles; Stratford, Southern, boundary to Waipuku, 9 miles; Inglewood, Waipuku to Waiongona. 104 miles; Taranaki, Waiongona to Waitara, 8 miles; Clifton, Waitara to Mokau, 45 miles.

The committee adds that if the toll gat? principle is carried to its logical conclusion every county would be entitled to erect one or more toll gates, thus creating a position which would be absolutely intolerable to the travelling public, and would result in increased charges on all merchandise and commercial transactions. A large proportion of these increased charges would fall on the county ratepayer, and would, also tend to stifle trade. LOCAL BODIES’ ATTITUDE. The present position and attitude of the various local bodies concerned in regard to toll-gates is as follows: Taranaki County Council: One gate already in use, three more applied for. Stratford County- Council: One gate already in use, no others applied for. Clifton County Council: One gate already in use, no others applied for. Hawera County Council: Two gates already in use, no others applied for. Eltham County Council: Two gates already in use, no others applied for. Egmont County Council: None in use. three applied for. Inglewood County Council: None in use, four applied for (if other applications all granted). Waimate West County Council: None in use, none applied for (opposed to toll gates). Wanganui County Council: None in use, one applied for. Waitotara County Council: None in use, one applied for. New Plymouth, Strai ford, Eltham. Hawera, and Wanganui Borough Councils, opposed to toll gates. New Plymouth Chamber of Commerce opposed to toll gates. Applications for toll gates have also been received from other local bodies in various parts of the Dominion. The committee’s inquiries were centred in Taranaki, where most of the tcjl gates exist, but they point out that eight public bodies in other parts of New Zealand have applied for permission to erect toll gates. Those in existence, all iu Taranaki, groduoed a

revenue of £11,285 in 1920, of which 11.47 per cent, was absorbed in the cost of collection. The distance of roads thus maintained is 76 miles. The committee notes that the general condition of the roads in toll districts has distinctly improved since the advent of toll gates, despite the increased severity of modern traffic, while the cost of construction and maintenance is much higher than formerly. A general survey of the financial position of counties owning toll gates shows that they have rated themselves as highly as could reasonably be expected, if valuations were up to date, but many of the valuations are so old that amounts collected are not as great as they should be. Local bodies are unanimous, says the report, that toll gates are a retrograde step, but in the absence of any other legal method of apportioning the heavy cost of road maintenance, and in the present state of local body finance, they have no other alternative.