The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1884. THE PROPOSED TOLL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1800, 29 September 1884, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1884. THE PROPOSED TOLL.

The question of a toll at the Waipoua to recoup the Comity for its expenditure in extending its bridge over this stream has been mooted, and it has been suggeeted as the only other alternative that the Borough Council should make a direct contribution towards the work. We cannot say that we care much for either one project or the other. A toll gate is a barborous method of creating revenue, The money it brings in costs some twenty or twenty five per cent to collect, and the waste of time caused to the travelling public by pulling up at a toll gate intensifies the burden. Toll gates are costly barriers and are generally regarded as errors of the past. The other idea of the Borough Council contributing a share towards the cost of bridge construction at the Waipoua hasjnore to recommend it, but there is one difficulty which is almost insuperable. If the borough helps to find the money it has a right to express an opinion as to how the money should be spent, Now this is a point the County would be unlikely to cencede. It would demand that the money should be spent in accordance with the recommendation of its own engineer, and it is quite possible that the Borough Council might require it to be expended in a totally opposite manner. There is a difference of opinion existing on the Waipoua bridge and embankment question, which would at once crop up as soon as negotiations were opened with the Borough Council. We trust the proposed conference will be characterised by good feeling and a desire to render mutual assistance, but we scarcely hope that it will affirm hastily either of the alternatives to which we have referred. It must be remembered that both town and county are already saddled with full rates and this being the case the question naturally suggests itself whether the Government are doing their duty in;

supplying jvays and means for the main trunk line. The settlers are doing their duty by paying full rates and as these are inadequate they have a right to look to the state for assistance, Apparently the present Ministry admit that local bodies have a claim upon them for their prop se to give the counties one half of the Property Tax. The details of this proposal ato not yet before us, but we assume that it means that this money shall be given to the counties for general purposes. If so the Wairarapa East County may soon be in receipt of an income of probably £2,000 per annum which will enable it to take a more indepoudanc financial position than it has hitherto enjoyed, Till the result of Mr Richardson's motion for allocating a moiety of the Property Tax to counties is known it will be unnecessary to discuss at any length the petty Waipoua difficulty. There is a prospect of changes in the financial position of local bodies and with these in view any arrangements made to meet existing difficulties should be altogether temporary in their character.