GREEN ISLAND TOLL BAR

Evening Star, Issue 16032, 8 February 1916, Page 7

GREEN ISLAND TOLL BAR

■■ «►—!T THE RUNCIMAN STREET LOOPHOLE CLOSED TO MOTORS. The stand taken by the 'Evening Stay' in denouncing the" lapse into medievalism by the GTeen Island Borough Council in deciding to erect a toll bar on the 'Main road still disturb? the niinds of the coun r cillors of that suburb, and the advice tendered by lis in our issue of February 1 that motorists and others desiring to pass through the borough might use a side road, and thus legally evade the toll, led to the tabling of a motion by Or E. J.' Reeve to the effect that, Runciman street should be closed to motor traffic. In moving the resolution Cr Reeve, at last nieht's meeting of the council, made a heated attack on this journal. He beean bv stating that he had noticed that the 'Star' had "been giving great advice to certain individuals to break the law." He then Tead the paragraph referred to, and went on to say that the 'Star' had always be«i on the side of the small nations, but when it came to the Tights of small boroughs to protect themselves they (the 'Star') took the opposite view. In the matter of this road the 'Star' was alwavs " out for the ' fat man' " ; but they would find that tjiis time they were on the wrong line. The motor people themselves had some time ago declared in favor of a wheel tax for the benefit of the roads, but now were right out against the toll, and the 'Star' was on the side of the Motor Club. Right away through the 'Star' had been biased against the council. When the borough wanted anything they (the 'Star') had never said a word for thonir—even when the three chains of road had been taken away to benefit the "fat man." He considered that the 'Star' had no more rbht to show people the way to break the law than had the Red Feds. They were against the Red Fed., but when it came to the "well-fed" it was a different matter, ll.aughter.) Cr Reeve went on to say that Runciman street was unsafe, though the chairman of the Taieri County Council had deliberately driven his car up that road; and concluded by repeating thit he thought it quite wrong for any newspaper to allow the "fat man" who drove a car to "nm the show." "Talk about the Kaiser," said Cr Reeve, as he sat down. "Why, the motorists, are the little, supermen of New Zealand." Cr Turner seconded the motion, on the ground that the road was unsafe, and Crs Geddes and Duncan supported it for the fame reason.

Cr Eden also supported the motion, and expressed surprise at the attitude of the 'Star,' which had "encouraged such things as had happened in the borough during the past few days, by stating in a leading article that it was a pity the toll bar had not been erected at the foot of the hill, so that it might he in the way of a runaway traction engine." He supported the motion in no spirit of revenge, but out of consideration for the safety of pedestrians. The motion on being put was carried without dissent, some councillors, however, refraining from voting.