HEAVY TRAFFIC FEES

Taranaki Daily News, 3 October 1932, Page 8

HEAVY TRAFFIC FEES

EXEMPTION FOR FARMERS. CRITICISM OF MR. HUNTER. Objection to remarks made by Mr. J. S. Hunter, Commissioner of Transport, during an address at New Plymouth on Friday, was taken by Mr. T. T. Murray at a meeting of the Stratford executive of the Farmers’ Union on Saturday. Mr. Hunter was speaking on the efforts being made to exempt farmers from the payment of heavy traffic fee on lorries used, for instance, to cart milk to the factories.

The remarks to which Mr. Murray referred were: “Mr. Hunter said it seemed the movement was actuated by the farmer’s desire to reduce his share of the cost. The farmer urged that he should be exempted because of hio small mileage and because he was a ratepayer, but there were thousands of ratepayers in New Zealand who did no greater motoring mileage than farmers. He considered it would be very dangerous to grant local bodies discretionary power to exempt.” The statement was incorrect, Mr. Murray said, in that townspeople did not pay heavy rates for the upkeep of roads outside the towns. Townspeople certainly had rates but a proportion of the rates met charges for various conveniences apart from roads. Farmers were heavily taxed and there were not thousands of people who were worse off than farmers.

Mr. B. Richmond pointed out that experience showed that lorries did less damage to the roads than inilk carts did.

The attention of the North Taranaki executive will be drawn to the remarks of Mr. Hunter.

drainage of swamps. HUIROA AND HUINGA AREAS. There is a large area of swamp land along the Mohaka and Makuri streams, particularly in the Huiroa and Huinga districts, which proper drainage would bring into production. A committee has been formed at Huiroa to press a drainage scheme that has been drafted. The committee favours the clearing of the Mohaka stream from Kiore to its junction with the Makuri at Huiroa and the Makuri from Huiroa to Huinga. Mr. J. Wood raised the matter at the meeting of the Stratford executive of the Farmers’ Union on Saturday. He stressed the fact that if the swamps were drained and brought into production a great deal more business would be gained by the railway. The executive decided to support the settlers in their efforts. ISOBEL WAITE’S DEATH. ACCIDENT INVESTIGATED. A verdict of accidental death due to the penetration of the head by the prong of a hay fork and consequent inflammation of the brain and brain membranes was returned by the coroner (Mr. W. L. Kennedy) after an inquest into cue death of Isobel. Cecelia Waite, five-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. T. Waite, Skinner Road, Stratford. It was on Sunday, September 18, that Isobel, while playing at a hay stack; accidentally ran the fork into her head. She died in hospital on September 24. The coroner extended his sympathy to Mr. and Mrs. Waite. Dr. D. Steven said the girl was brought to him on September 18 suffering from a punctured wound below and behind the left ear. In view of the possibility of serious complications he advised her admission to hospital. She developed symptoms of inflammation of the brain and brain membranes and despite all treatment she died on September 24. The child was not seriously ill on September 18 but there was no doubt of the serious possibilities of the wound. Olga Nielsen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. B. Nielsen, aged 9, said Isobel came to her home on East Road on September 18. In the afternoon her mother went out and her father retired for a while. Olga, her sister Ruby, aged seven, and Isobel were playing outside the house and in the paddock. Isobel went to the hay stack to wait for Ruby, who had gone to the cowshed for a hay fork. Isobel had nothing in her hand when she went to the stack and Olga did not see her again until she screamed. Isobel came from the stack towards the fence and Olga ran to meet her. Blood was running down Isobel’s neck and dress. She said: “I dug the hay fork into me.” Olga lifted Isobel through the fence and led her to the house. She saw the fork lying on the ground by the stack, tynes up. PERSONAL ITEMS. Mrs. Grace McCullough,. Tanganakau, who was being taken to the, Stratford public hospital on Friday night, died during the journey. She had been ill for about three weeks.

The Hon. R. Masters and Mr. W. J. Polson, M.P., will be at Stratford today to meet a deputation from the Whangamomona County Council. Writing to a friend at Stratford Miss Margaret Browne, who recently returned to Australia by the Baradine, states that she had a most enjoyable trip and won the first prize at the fancy dress ball held on board. She represented “Empire Goods.” Dressed as Britannia, she carried a flower bedecked tray of Empire goods and had a British bull-dog as mascot. Master Willis., who acted as page boy, was also dressed in national colours. Miss Browne is returning to New Zealand by the Monowai. Miss Harper, who has severed her connection with the Eltham school to take up the appointment of infant mistress at the Epsom school, Auckland, was farewelled on Friday by the teachers and children. The Rev. J. A. Ryburn, chairman of the committee, referred in eulogistic terms to Miss Harper’s services, and expressed the regret of the committee at her departure. On behalf of the teaching staff the headmaster, Mr. Thomas, asked Miss Harper to accept a gift in token of the esteem and appreciation of her colleagues. A presentation was also made to Miss Harper by the children of the infant school. The presentation, which took the form of a book relative to Miss Harper’s work, was made by Master Kelvin Ware. Pending the appointment of Miss Harper’s successor, Miss A. Blennerhassett is acting as infant mistress.