HEAVY TRAFFIC FEES

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 36, 14 April 1930, Page 5

HEAVY TRAFFIC FEES

OOROUCH AND COUNTY.

FEES FOR FARMERS’ TRUCKS. The Town Clerk, Stratford, forwarded to Saturday’s meeting of the County Council, a statement of heavy traffic fees collected for the years 1928-9 and 1929-30. In the earlier year fees were collected, it was stated, over fourteen months, thus accounting in some measure for the greater amount collected. A good many County lorries had failed to take out licenjses for the past year. Revenue from heavy traffic would decline if farmers’ lorries

were exempted. If, by any action of the County Council, the revenue was decreased the matter of the percentage of allocation would have to he re-considered. Cr. Pitt said the system prevailing had been satisfactory as far as i had gone. It was better to allow the Borough Council to collect the fees at a cost of 5 per cent. There might be some give and take. It was wrong for the ownerjs of one class of truck asking for a concession not provided by the law. If their agitation was continued there was a danger of the fees being wiped out altogether, and then the County would have to find £450 or so each year from some other source, perhaps from the rates. Some of the settlers were doing carting for hire for their neinghbours and charging for it, and the licensed carriers would not stand that too Tong. Cr. Bejst said he had always opposed the concession, Cr. Bunn thought all should be made to pay, seeing that so many had already paid. \ |dj*j» No action was taken. ' RAtfGEirs REPORT. The ranger (Mr S. J. Cuff) reported, that the roads were found cledr, except for a few weaners. On the' whole the frontages were In good condition as regards weeds. Ten first motor licenses had been issued, the total to date being 1338, with six weeks to go to the end of the year. Re heavy traffic fees: The trucks complained of were farm vehicles pure and simple. Any which plied for .hire were sorted up at once. To date 1133 dogs bad been registered.

HIGHWAYS. Mr P. Keller, representative of the Main Highways Board on the No. 7 and 8 District Highways Council, notified that the Board would shortly make its annual review of the highways, and requesting the Council to forward recommendations with regard to adjustments or substitutions not later than the end of April- Any exceptional circumstances mferitm'g the recommendation of additional highways. could also he considered at thei same meeting, hut the Board held out little hope of any extensive addltiohs to the present list. On the Suggestion of Cr. Bunn it was decided to renew the application for the declaration of 4J miles of Mangaotuku Road as a aecond--ary highway.

GENERAL. The Midhirst Dairy Co. wrote offering a subsidy of £lO towards the cost of improvements on Mountain Road, Midhirst[ —The offer was accepted. The Inglewood County Council requested that the Stratford engineer should meet their engineer to examine the bridge at Purangi and to report on the cost of repair|s. —The request was granted. Cr, Bunn presented a petition from ratepayers* asking that steps be taken to raise a loan, with a subsidy of three for one, for the metalling of the road from Puniw.hakau to the Whangamomona County boundary, and Tiora Road to Bennett’s gate, a distance of about six mileb, —It was decided to make application for the subjsidy mentioned. A. J, Stockley’s tender was accepted for metalling on Mohakau Road. Present at the meeting were: Crs. T. R, Anderson (chairman), H, C. Taylor,. J. C. Best, L. Bunn, J. T. •“" Belcher, R. Momjsey, W. H, Were, T. T. Murray, W. Vickers and, S. *** - < . >mm i