HEAVY TRAFFIC FEES

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 July 1933, Page 2

HEAVY TRAFFIC FEES

LOCAL BODIES FAIL TO AGREE. At the annual meeting of representatives of local bodies in the No. 12 Highways District, Which share in the fees collected from heavy motor vehicular traffic in the district, theie were present, Messrs F. A, Kitcningham, J. B. Kent, F. H. Denton (Greymouth Borough), J. Higgins, M. Keeping (Grey County), A. H. McKane,. W. O’Reilly (Cobden Town Board)!, UPamment (Kumara Borough Council), W F Archer (Inangahua County Council), J. Smeaton (Brunner Borough Council), Miss Richmond (Runanga Borough Council). Mr Kitching ham was voted to the chair. _ The Secretary, Mr M. Keating, stated that he had received apologies tor absence from the representatives ot the Westland County, Hokitika, and Ross, who were unable to attend the meeting owing to water having covered the roads. Mr D. J. Evans asked him to state, however, that the southern delegates desired that the allocations for the Westland district be left to southern delegates, as was the case last year. Buller delegates were also quite prepared' to have the matter ot their allocations left in their own hands, as previously. It was decided that the requests from both centres be granted. The Secretary reported that for the year ended March 31, 1933, the license fees from heavy motor vehicles for the No. 12 District amounted to £3915/7/3, as compared with £3198 for 1932, made up as under: —Kumara £237/10/3, Westland £467/14/2, Grey £1516/13/11, Inangahua £295/8/11, Buller £1398. As will be seen by the attached statements, the fees from heavy motor vehicles show a gradual increase. The Transport Board proposes issuing new regulations to cover and more effectually control the use of lorries engaged in good's services. One very glaring instance of overlapping occurs in this district, where one lorry engaged in the collection of cream covers close on 150 miles on its ordinary round, viz., from Inangahua to Taramakau Settlement. License fees for the year ended March 31, 1933, were:—-Grey District £1516/13/11, Westland £467/14/2, Kumara £237/10/3; total £2221/18/4. Allocations: —'Cobden Town Board (7J per cent.) £lOO/8/10, Runanga Borough (74 per cent.) £lOO/8/10, Brunner Borough (9 per cent.) £l2O 10/8, Grey Borough (24 per cent.) £321/8/6, Grey County (52 per cent.) £696/8/3; total £1339/5/1. Westland District:—Ross Borough (124 per cent.) £53/6/7, Hokitika Borough ((224 per cent.) £95/19/10, Westland County (65 per cent.) £277/6/5; total £426/12/10; Kumara Borough arrears £47/3/6; Kumara Borough proportion £120; commission £2BB/16/11; total £2221/18/4.

The Secretary stated that it would be noticed that the figures for 1930 were in excess of those shown for succeeding years, but this was accounted for by the fact that they covered a fourteen-monthly period', whereas the succeeding years were ovei - twelve months.

The statement and report were received and adopted. Mr Pamment said that the Kumara Borough Council was of the opinion that it was entitled to a larger allocation than it had been receiving. Five lorries were constantly operating on the borough roads, the upkeep of which had cost more last year than in previous years. It was considered that an additional £3O should be allocated. Hr Smeaton said he understood that the sawmilling industry was slack, and that being the case, the Kumara Borough would not have the same traffic, and therefore not the same trouble with the roads as when the sawmills were working regularly. He considered that in the past Kumara had been generously treated. Mr Pamme’nt mentioned that there was a great amount of tourist traffic through Kumara.

The Secretary stated that he had prepared a statement regarding the allocations, and so far as Kumara securing an increase was concerned, he was afraid that the position was the reverse.

The statement showed the position as follows: —

Heavy traffic fees from vehicles owned and used principally in Grey County amount to £968/9/2 or 64 per cent.; from those in Greymouth Borough £384/3/1 or 25 per cent; and those partly in Greymouth Borough and the County £164/1/8 or 11 per cent; making a total of £1516/13/11. Fees from vehicles used partly in Greymouth Borough and Cobden tire £lOl/15/3, or 6 per cent.; and from those in Runanga and the County £lO5/9/- or 7 pel’ cent. Kumara. Borough: The fees collected from lorries engaged in Kumara district do not warrant an annual payment of £l2O. For the past two years Kumara has retained almost the total amount collected in that district, despite the fact, that the lorries from which the fees are' collected, are operating in the adjoining counties. From the above figures it. will be seen that some further adjustment of the allocations is required in the Grey district. Cobden and Runanga Boroughs are receiving more than they are justly entitled to, whilst the County is being unduly penalised, seeing that more than 64 per cent of the total fees are drawn from lorries using County roads. Brunner Borough, which carries a. large through traffic is fairly treated. Mr Kent: According to those figures the Greymouth Borough Council should' get 25 per cent., not 24 per cent.

Mr Pamment: I understood that last year Kumara was granted £ 120, without deductions. We received only £ll7/15/-, instead of £l2O.

The Secretary: £2/5/- for Secretary’s salary came off the amount. Mr Pamment: I understood that we were to receive £l2O straight out. The Secretary: The Secretary is voted an amount which has to come off the allocation. This has been the position since the start. Mr McKane: Are the allocations made on the percentage of the amounts paid in the various districts? The Secretary explained that the original allocations were: Grey County 64 per cent., Greymouth Borough 24, Runanga 6, Brunner 3, and Cobden 3. The amounts had to be allocated then to the best of the delegates’ knowledge. From the statement he had prepared the first allocations had apparently been as near correct as possible. That was in 1926. A fair basis now would be Greymouth Borough 25 per cent., Runanga 24, Cobden 3, and Brunner 9, with the balance to the Grey County. Brunner had to carry more through traffic than Cobden and Runanga.

Mr McKan e stated that it would be difficult to arrive at any basis for Brunner, as in the first case it would require to be worked out where the lorries were located or garaged. The Secretary stated that it was largely through traffic that affected Kumara.

.The Chairman: We are only concerned with heavy traffic. Mr McKane: Then if that is the case, Cobden will compare more than any other district as favourable to additional allocation. We have a six and a-half ton motor bns making 228 trips over our roads weekly. Probably others are running through and not paying the fees. The Secretary stated that the fees from Kumara would probably not be anywhere near the amount received last year, a s several lorries were not now operating there. At the most he did not think the total would be more than £l5O, and that had to be divided by three.

Mr Pamment: We cannot tell how the timber business will be going. Mr Kent: I will move that the allocations be the same as last year. Mr McKane: Before putting the motion to the meeting, I would point out that last year Cobden was not represented at the annual meeting, and so lost a half per cent, on the previous allocation.

Mr Kent: You received 8 per cent, two years ago. You received more then than you should have, but Mr Clarke spoke for so long that we tired of listening to him, and gave him the extra half per cent, to get rid of him. Mr McKane: Possibly then you will get tired of listening to me. If that is the case, I will stay here' till morning. I understand that at that time Runanga required more, and’ we received eight per cent., and Runanga seven. In the next year, last year, Runanga still required more, and a half per cent, was taken off Cobden to give to Runanga. Mr Turley was to have represented Cobden, but he was not present. With all due respect to Runanga, I cannot see that it was right to take the percentage from Cobden just because Runanga asked for more. Runanga has a big coal trade traffic I know, but the cost of maintaining Bright Street in Cobden, is higher than any other place of one and a-quarter miles. It costs Cobden £5OO per mile per annum. We have been told from the Public Works Department that the Ten Mile Road does not cost anywhere near that amount. I would like to see the half per cent, restored to Cobden. Mr Smeaton seconded Mr Kent’s motion. He stated that if he moved an amendment it woqld be in the direction of reducing Cobden’s percentage. Cobden was practically a dead end, so far as its streets were concerned, and he considered that it had been generously treated in the past. Runanga now had a few miles of highway to maintain, but Brunner had four and a-half miles of road to maintain for through traffic, and received the “magnificent allocation of nine per cent.”

Mr Higgins: The Grey County is not getting anything like the percentage that it should. Originally it received 64 per cent., but 12 per cent, has since been taken off. If it received its fair proportion it should be getting 70 per cent.

Mr McKane: But the County receives Highway subsidy, so do the others, but Cobden does not get any Highway subsidy or petrol tax. Mr Higgins stated' that the maintenance of the road between Grey mouth and Brunner for the year ended Alarch 31, 1933, amounted to £1595, and of that the County paid £532; of its own money. Greymouth to Taramakau cost £798, and the County paid £266; Greymouth to Runanga cost £1321, and the County paid £320. He was quite satisfied that anything less than 70 per cent, would be unfair to the County. The Secfetary mentioned that because Cobden had one motor bus travelling regularly over its streets, that bus paid only £5O license, and

Cobden could not lopk for £lOO because the bus did that amount of damage. Mr McKane: The same story has been told all around the table. I maintain that the allocation is made to help build up the damage to the roads. The Secretary: The basis of the allocation is made on wheie thg loiries and other heavy traffic are used. That i s what should be considered, but one hundred and one other things have crept in. Cobden and Runanga should not get more than three per cent, each.

Miss Richmond: Runanga is carrying more traffic how than in the past. There is heavy coal traffic going through. In reply to a question, the Secretary stated that service cars had not yet been taken into consideration in arriving at the allocations, but the basis of an agreement had already been arranged with them. The Chairman: It looks as though, if we attempt to alter the percentages, wo will be here till the morning. Things have worked fairly well in the past, and I would suggest carrying the motion in its original form. The matter has alway been settled by agreement in the past.

The Secretary: If any one of the local bodies disagrees, it takes the matter out of our hands, and it has then to be referred to the Commissioner of Transport. Mi- Smeaton: Then we had better settle it here, and not put it in his hands.

Mr Kent: I think Mr Higgins would favour going to the Commissioner. Mr Higgins: Yes, I would. The Chairman: There is no qUestion, but that what Mr Keating has said is correct. The smaller bodies have been receiving a percentage at the expense of the Grey County and the Greymouth Borough Council. The County has come off worst. The Secretary: The County had plenty of money a few years back, and did not mind foregoing a certain percentage, but things have changed. Mr Clarke came along for Cobden, and put a case to us, and we agreed to jump them up to eight per cent. Now Mr McKane comes along and wants the same. Following Mr Clarke, Mr Smeaton came along and ’convinced us-that he had a better case for Brunner.

Mr Smeaton: Well, you voted for the Hospital levy, and we had to get it back somehow. The Chairman: Cobden has the advantage in that it has intensity of traffic, rather than the number of lorries passing through. Would the smaller bodies be prepared to make a sacrifice? Miss Richmond: Runanga would not. We are after some more if we can get it.

Mr Higgins: It is a matter for the Commissioner of Transport, I think. The Secretary stated that as the fees were showing a decided increase it might be best to leave the question of allocation till a later date. Mr‘Smeaton: I understand that the County imposes a special tax on some of the lorries that 1 use its roads, and I have noticed in the Press that some of the companies owe the County quite a lot of money.

The Chairman: It looks as though we are reaching a deadlock at the present time. The Secretary has prepared figures, but I think it only proper that other local bodies should be allowed to check the information he has given us, and be given time to consider it.

The Secretary: I quite agree, and that is a reason why I suggested that the allocations be held over for consideration. If the matter went'before the Commissioner of Transport, he would have to take evidence from the various local bodies.

It was decided, on the motion of Mr Smeaton, seconded by Mr Kent, that the meeting adjourn until the middle of September, by which time the Secretary would be in receipt of information as to the probable amount of fees to be collected.

ALLOCATION OF FEES. Local Authority. 1933 1932 1931 1930 e £ £ £ Westland County .. 277 6 5 251 17 4 371 16 10 405 12 3 Hokitika Borough .. 95 19 10 87 3 8 128 14 3 140 8 1 Ross Borough 53 6 48 8 8 71 10 3 .78 0 0 Kuniara Borough .. 167 3 6 60 0 0 120 0 0 120 0 0 Grey Borough 321 8 6 247 3 0 285 16 8 302 10 9 Grey County 696 8 3 535 9 10 619 6 0 655 10 0 Brunner Borough .. 120 10 8 92 13 8 107 3 8 113 9 0 Runanga Borough .. 100 8 10 77 4 8 87 3 4 88 4 10 Cobden Town Board 100 8 10 77 4 8 95 5 7 100 17 0 1933 1 5 1477 5 6 1886 16 7 2004 11 11