ACCESS TO WHARVES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15566, 25 March 1914, Page 10

ACCESS TO WHARVES.

REGULATING THE TRAFFIC. TOLL FOR ADMITTANCE. TWOPENCE MAY BE CHARGED. In future a toll of twopence may be charged, at the discretion of the traffic manager, to persons visiting the wharves on Sundays or holidays, or on any other occasions should the traffic manager deem that such action was necessary to control the traffic.

The matter of mating the charge had been referred to a sub-committee of the Harbour Board, which brought forward the following recommendations at yesterday's meeting of the board :—" (a) That the traffic manager be instructed, in accordance with the provisions of by-law I No. 77, to close any or all the wharves against public access when, in his opinion the necessity demands it, on Sundays, holidays, or on any other occasion; (b) that the traffic manager's recommendation in regard to the levying of a small toll be adopted ; that such toll te the sum of twopence per person, and tha' to meet the public convenience, a ticket office be erected in a convenient place. The chairman (Mr. J. H. Gunson) ex-, plained that it should not be inferred that the board intended to take away the freedom of the wharves from the public. The recommendations were in the direction of restricting the traffic on the wharves upon the occasions of the berthing of important mail vessels and also during the rush of holidays. It was felt that officers should be given the due control over the traffic to which they were entitled. .Mr. (J. R. Hutchinson wanted to know if the charge proposed would ensure the board against loss in the issue and collecting of tickets. Mr. C. Bagley thought that the charge wight not have the desired effect of curtailing the traffic on busy days. He considered also that the first clause of the recommendations might conflict with the second.

Mr. J. H. Bradney said it would be an easy matter to regulate the number of tickets issued. Mr. E. W. Alison considered that the recommendations were in the right direction. They would not inflict any hardship and if passed they would tend to the regulation of the traffic in an efficient manner. The chairman calculated that the toll j would mora than pay for the man's time) in collecting the tickets. In reply to Mr. Bagley he said the experience of the Railway Department and the Wellington Harbour Board showed that people would rot pay even th-3 small sum of twopence unless they had business on the wharves or railway stations. The traffic manager had already the power to limit the number going on to the wharves and all the committee had done was to ask the board to enforce this power. The recommendations of the committee were adopted.