TRACTION TRAFFIC AT KAIAPOI.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13596, 3 December 1909, Page 5

TRACTION TRAFFIC AT KAIAPOI.

OPERATION OP A BY-LAW SUSPENDED.

The Kaiapoi Borough Council about eighteen months ago passed a by-law limiting tbe weight oi traction trains to twenty tons, restricting tho speod over bridges and culverts to two miles a. hour, and imposing license fees of from £3 to £o. This by-law wa s fixed to come into force when gazetted. Then it was discovered that the gazetting was not required, and a 1 month ago the Council passed an ! amended motion to bring it into force jon January Ist. when the Council | met on Tuesday evening to confirm the motion there were -present the Mayor (Mr J. H. Blackivell). Crs. Gecring, Hayman, Wyiie, Etherington, Robb and Brunsden. For the first time since the by-law was proposed it was found that there was opposition to 't, Messrs R. Evans, R. Moore, ar.d F. L. Parnham attending to object. Mr Evans said he represented the Eyreton Road Board, and was, in addition, a ratepayer of the borough. That Beard had passed a motion pointing out that the traction by-law would j operate adversely; but he understood from the Mayor that the letter conveying tbe motion to the Council had not been received. He pointed out that the engines of the Eyreton district conveying grain to the Kaiapoi railway station or timber from the rail or the river would have to be licensed. Xone of them were carriers' engines, but all were owned by farmers for agricultural purposes-. He admitted that the traffic was heavy upon tho bridge, but he asked tho Council to pause and think of some other plan for dealing with tlie bridge. One traction owner had offered to convey timber from the river free to build a Methodist parsonage at Ohoka; but if he had to obtain a license, it was not probable he would do the work. Was it likely engine-owners would pay a £'3 license to come into Kaiapoi for repairs while they could go into Christchurch without charge? He said that if an engine broke down beyond Amberley, and had to go to town for repairs, and each local Board could demand a license fee. the cost of getting the engine through would be £35. The Eyreton district for forty years had been on good terms with the borough, and it had paid largely towards the upkeep of the Empire bridge and the North road, which were of -advantage to the town. ' That Board had also not insisted on a contribution from the town for the Empire bridge. He thought on these grounds, and because the licensing of engine's would affect the trad?, they should not persevere with the by-law-. A letter from Mr W. Doubleday, an engine owner, stated that the taxing of these machines was against the interests of the shipping trade that the Harbour Board had been striving to encourage. Mr Moore urged that the taxing of these engines was a retrograde step, suggestive of the toll-bar system, which in 1874 was abolished by the Council for the reason that it was detrimental to the interests of the town. Inducements should be held out to traffic by assisting local firms to carry on business with those outside. The fees collected could be only a small amount. Mr Parnham referred to the by-law as affecting the trade of the Shipping Company. The Mayor said that though the bylaw had been proposed eighteen months since, it had not occurred to councillors that it would affect the interests of other local bodies, and on the bri&'ge part of the question it had been unanimously agreed to. He must frankly confess there was now food for reflection. The point which weighed most was ; that the Council and others were 'lifting the town out of the rut, ar.»i were making a forward movement, and whether they got railway communication with the river or not, the Tiver trade was going to increase the wcrk' for traction engines. It was, therefore, necessary to consider how far the by-law would operate. If other local bodies adopted a similar means of taxing, the traction traffic would suffer, and loss of trade with the river would follow. He took his full share in not having seen this point before. It was j unfortunate the by-law had gone so far; but it was not too late to allow it to kvpse, and if any other Council liked they might take it up again. After further discussion Cr. Wylie moved:—"That the motion to "bring the by-law into operation on January Ist be agreed to. Cr. Hayman seconded pro forma. On a vote being taken the result was:—For: Crs. Geering, Hayman, Brunsden. Against: The Mayor, Crs. Wylie, Robb and Etherington. The by-law now remains inoperative till the Council decides if and when it shall be enforced.