PRINCIPLE AFFIRMED.

Northern Advocate, 27 April 1921, Page 1

PRINCIPLE AFFIRMED.

TOLL-GATES

Matters in connection with tho proposed erection of a toll gate on the Day's Bay road were advanced af, further stage at a special meeting of the Hutt County Council last week, over which Mr J. Barclay presided. The •mee'ting affirmed 'ih/: 1 genera* principle involved by the adoption of the toll-gate system of raising revenue, and decided to go ahead with thQ Day's Bay road proposal. Should the experiment at Day's Bay prove a success the council will consider the question of erecting toll gates inother ridings in the county—-notably on the Paekakariki Hill and the road over the Rimutakas. ■When the council met, the chairman remarked that on account of the present financial stringency itj was obviously time that the council devised some fresh means of maintaining the county roads. Toll-gates, he proceeded, were gradually goingout of use, but in many instances they afforded a most -satisfactory means of keeping the roads in good order. Good roads were an advantage to the travelling public. According to Councillor Atkinson it was imperative that the council, should be afforded some means of coping with the ever-increasing cost of keeping the county roads in repair. The money obtained from toli- j gates should be expended on those I sections of the roads on which they j were situated. ; Councillor McKay spoke in favour of the general system of toll-gates, which meant, he said, that the people using the roads paid for the upkeep of them. The alternative of taxing motor tyres was unsatisfactory. The chairman pointed out that the ; council had not paid sufficient atten- ; tion to the by-roads: further. 'discussion the council carried a motion affirming the principle of the institution of tollgates in the county. It was agreed that for the .present the innovation should be confined to the Day's Bay road. i The meeting then went on to consider a comprehensive scale of ' charges which had been compiled by j Councillor Atkinson. This provided for a varying schedule of tolls covering a wide range of vehicles. Tha suggested charges for rubber-tyred motor vehicles were as follows:— Two-seater car, Is; three-seatex*, Is Gd; 5 to 10 passengers, 3s; 10 to 20 passengers, ss; 20 to 30 passengers, ! 7s 6d; more than 30 passengers 10s: for every trailer attached to a moto? vehicle carrying passengers, £10. The proposed toll on traction engines is £2 • with the addition of £2 for the first trailer and £10 in the case of more than ofte trailer. For motor cycles the charges range from 9d to Is Gd. No charge it is proposed, will be made for push bicycles. j It was decided to refer the schedule to the county solicitor for revision after which it will be again considered by the council. The clerk was instructed to take all steps necessary to comply with the requirements of the Public Work Department for the institution of a toll gate on the Day's Bay road.