TOLL GATES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 24 June 1924, Page 3

TOLL GATES.

a . DISCUSSION AT STRATFORD. At the meeting of the Stratford County Council on Saturday the chairman reported on the recent meeting in reference to toll-gates Cr. Pitt said the councillors were indebted to the chairman for the fight lie had put up for the retention of the Stratford County toll-gate. He was surprised to see that some of the delegates to the meeting referred to tollgates as a relic of barbarism. He had never heard complaints against them by motorists. The finance of the Highway Board was a bit shadowy, while the revenue from the toll-gate was substantial. They should retain the gate as long as possible. If the gates were abolished and the county applied to the Highway Board for money they might lie informed that the money 'would he forwarded “when available.” He did not know how the Highway Board was going to finance itself. The chairman said the Highway Board seemed anxious to have Mountain Road made 18ft. wide. He had told the toll-gate meeting that if the council was allowed to retain the gate for a little while longer they would be able to widen the road to that width and also straighten the Waipuku hill. Without the gate he could not see that work ever being done. As it stood the road met, the needs of ratepayers who would never agree to a loan to improve the road fo* through traffic. Very little work could lie done out of revenue. A rough estimate bv the engineer was that the work would cost '.-£4009. It | would not take long; to get that amount jout of the revenue of the gate. I Cr O’Neil] thought they should stick j to the toll-gate until some bet ter provision for finance was made—at least liiidd the road was up to the Highway Board standard. In the loan proposals there was no provision for Mountain Road. The olininnnn ; . said it would he quite impossible to raise a loan lor tho purpose.. Some of those at the toll-gate meeting expressed surprise at the amount of money spent on Mountain Road. . Thov forgot all the widening done and fillings made, presuming that all tlie money had been spent on tarsealing. Cr. Anderson said the work had t< he done in small pieces, as the money came to hand. They never had enough money in hand at one time to let a big contract. The chairman said that Inglewood County Council were strong for abolition of the gate. J-T& hoped they would as strongly object to taking half the revenue. A curious position had arisen, as counties had no power to borrow money to spend on mam highwavs. So far as be could see the main hiyhwnv ’eoislatiou was a dead letter—the board did not know where they wore. Post.