Maintenance of the New North Road.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 246, 19 October 1886, Page 3

Maintenance of the New North Road.

A Meeting of persons interested in the maintenance of the New North Road was held last night in the Mount Albert Hall. The attendance was very stood. Mr A. K. Taylor presided, aad briefly optned the proceedings. Mr Wesley Sprangfollowed with the motion, -That this inc-e ing would rcipectfully request tho Mouat Albert Road Board to reconsider the impoii tion of tbe toll on the 'bus and similar traffic. except such as they wish to prohibit altogether." He thought it unfair to tax tho excellent otnnibussorvicetheyatpresentJposßessid. Mr Bollard seconded the proposition, and in doing so, referred to tbo low omnibus fares as at present charged, compared with the charges formerly in existence, and explained fully to the meetinu tho advisability of adopting tho Counties Act, whioh would onablo tho Roud Board to raise funds for the maintenance ot the roads in a more equitable manner than by reverting to a feature of a bygono ago. The motion was adop cd. Mr Bollard next proposed, " That thlsmoetlnß request tbo Road Boards of Mount Albert and Avondale to call a meeting of the ratepayers for the purpose ot considering the advisability of bringing tho Counties Act into force " Mr Ballard rcg-ettcd that the Road Board did not accept the invitation to be present, as then they would have been able to " reason togolher ' on this matter. He drew attention to the sp'endid line of omnibuses pi ic.d on the road by Messrs Pdterson and Co. Considering tbe low fareß. it was a great mlstako to impo^o a toll upon Iho 'buses. Ho Btatod that the action of the Board reminded him of thestory of " Rip Van Winkle." Strangers visiting their district would think they had been asleep for twenty years, and that they were not aware that better provision wt b mado by the Legislature for the maintenance ol main roads —The motion was soconded by Mr Tucker.—Tbo Chairman, explained that when thj Counties Act became law. he had been elected member of tbe riding, nnd alßo Chairman of the Council, and regretted it had not been adopted then, as the district had lost Beveral valuable endowments in consequence. This motion was also carried, after which the meeting separated.