TOLL-GATES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 21 February 1925, Page 6

TOLL-GATES.

AGITATION FOR REMOVAL. DEPUTATION TO MINISTER. AYhile the Minister of Lands was at Manaia yesterday Air E. Long introduced the subject of the toll gates in various Taranaki counties. Air Long said it was a burning question, and until the Highway Board took over certain roads there was no law to make counties remove the gates. They could hold the gates and so collect more revenue. In Waimate West County £45,000 had been spent, mostly on highways, and the council bad received no compensation. There would be no complaint if e.ll were treated alike, but unprogressive counties were supplied with funds by the progressive local bodies, and Waimate West was penalised like no other county. He asked the Government to alter the position. He said Hawera was to benefit from Waimate AYest to the extent of £268 per (annum. AVhilc there were (hj miles of main road to be maintained by the toll gate, producing revenue equal to £I2OO per annum for seventeen years, the Highways Board would have 17j miles and no*gate. They had also to give £l5O to Eltliam. tie urged the Minister to keep watch and see that there was no injustice done to Waimate AYest. .Mr A. G. Bennett said the South Taranaki Automobile Association and the County Council agreed that it wias inequitable to have to pay tax and tolls, and it was most ridiculous that they could not remove the gates except by legislation. , Air 0. Hawkeii, ALP., said the matter of toll gates and Highways Board should be cleared up at once, and it was really a matter between district and department. In these jfays the roads in the county were niotlernj and it was fair that the Highways Board should pay something to those counties which have gone, in for modern roads. People had objected to the motor tax. hut- they paid. Now it seemed Unit Hawera and Eltliam were to get payments, and there war, i:o •assurance that it would not go oil for twenty years. IT it continued they Mould bleed Waimate West ditsriet white. The Highways Board appeared to fail to give the mutter sufficient consideration. In asking his county to give a subsidy they Mere not acting up to the spirit of the Act. It' would ho fail to ask other counties to wait itiitil they all got modern roads, but they should m*t something for a time, though not indefinitely. Counties which had made modern roads should get their money hark some day. It was a, burning question, and the Government should see to it that gates were abolished a t March 31. The Aliiiist&r said that it had been taken for granted that* the gates would go at March 31. However, in drawing up the Bill they had to take things as they found them jn order to get the Bill through. He advised them to get all counties to pass resolutions to do away with toll, gates.