DEPUTATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 1296, 30 September 1876, Page 7

DEPUTATION.

A deputation consisting of Messrs Eagerty (Mayor of Green Island), Stoddart, T. Howorbh, Wallace, and others, on the 21st waited upon His Honour the Deputy Superintendent in reference to the proposed removal of the Hillside toll-bar to Green Island. The deputation was introduced by

Mr Eagerty, who said that a public meeting, attended by over 100 residents in the district, was held on the previous evening, and resolutions were unanimously adopted to the effect that it was not desirable that the bar should be placed where the Government proposed to put it. They had taxed themselves pretty heavily in the past, and had made good roads, but the result of erecting the bar where the Government intended would be the means of imposing further taxation upon tbem, and at the same time it would allow the people from Catlin'a River to come up to Dunedin without payipg any tolls. They wished the bar to be abolished altogether, or otherwise left where it was. He pointed out that by subjecting themselves to a little inconvenience they could avoid the tolls, but they did not think that it was desirable to do things in that way. He thought that the Hillside bar should be done away with altogether, the same as in the cases of North East Valley and Anderson's ±say. Hia Honour said that the deputation had overlooked one fact. That was that the Provincial Council had passed a resolution asking the Executive to romove toll-bars to a convenient distance from the City boundaries. That was the cause of the alteration. Did the deputation wish the bars to be cleared away altogether? Mr Eagerty replied in the affirmative, but they did not wish it to be removed to Green Island on any account. His Honour said that the resolutions passed at the meeting referred to by Mr Eagerty simply asked that the bar should remain in its present situation. There was no hope of that being done, as the Council had distinctly resolved that it should be removed.

A member of the deputation remarked that, considering the sniall amount of traffic, it was questionable whether the bar would pay for its removal, re-erection, and the cost of collecting the tolls.

Mr Stoddart pointed out that, if the bar were to be placed where it was proposed, it would impose a great hardship on the consumers of coal in the Kpikorai Valley. His Honour said that he would bring the matter under the notice of the Executive at its next meeting, for the purpose of seeing whether any plan could be devised which would meet the wishes of the deputation. He felt sure that he was expressing the views of the other members of the JSxecutive, as well as or his own, ir> saying that they were in favour of doing away with toll-bars altogether. He admitted that it seemed as if. i hardship would be inflicted on the Kaikorai people. .The next meeting of the Executive would probably take place on Monday next. The deputation then withdrew.