Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price 1d. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22 1885. The Tollgate Question.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XVIII, Issue 1672, 22 April 1885, Page 2

Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price Id. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22 1885. The Tollgate Question.

-\t tho lalo medium of tho County Council the question of t!ic tollgale at the bridge on the Waiohinc river, on the road between Greytown and Carterton, formed one of tho subjects discussed. Mr Henry Bunny moved a resolution that tenders be invited for leasing the toll for another year, his main argument being that the Council was not in a position to abolish tho toll and thereby sacrifice some £3OO to £4OO a year. A good deal of discussion followed, in the course of which it was contended that the Carterton-Taratahi and Peatherston Hoad Boards should be con-* suited before anything final was done about leasing the tollgate ; while it was at tho same time argued that the toll pressed more upon certain sections of the settlers Ilian upon others. Ultimately, Councillor Buchanan got an amendment carried to tho effect “ that the Carlorton-Taratahi and Featberstou Bead Boards be written to asking if they are willing to forego their claim if the Council should comsider it advisable to abolish tho tollgate ; and that in tho meantime tenders be invited for leasing the tollgate.” The Council adopted this amendment, and thus tho matter rests at present.

This action of tbo Council requires some little additional explanation in order that our readers may understand the real facts of the whole business. The bridge across the Waiohino Eiver was erected by the County Council, at a cost of £9OO, that body being hopeful that the costa of its construction would have been forthcoming from the General Government, under “ The Roads and Bridged Construction Act.” This expectation was not realised, nud the County Council got no money from the Government for the work in question. This put the County Council in a difficulty. That body had obtained an overdraft from the Bank in order to pay for building the bridge, The Bank applied pressure to the Council to have the overdraft paid ol!', so tho latter borrowed £U> ’0 from tho Cnrterton-Taratahi and Keal I torsion Road (giv'ug as security the tollgato and its rovenu,'.) and paid off tho overdtafi Cp to she present time only ,I‘ldii has been paid back to each of the two Read Beards, and id t ha- 'av R .--eeuis liady that rc-verai ■,■■!!! <•!n inane ihe d,-;n i. wipjo a > do . .nlinu' die in,, lowusi;., . oi Car. let ion and v, rev,. w?\ •■uilbr more from I ho existence of the tailgate than any ether pa ids the distiict owing to tho traffic between the two places being considerable, Naturally, the people o? tho Carterton and Greytown districts would like to sue the existing debt of £7oo—that being tho balance still owing—cleared off by some other means, and the tollgate abolished. If a rate amounting to one fifth of a penny in tho £ were levied throughout the whole county the debt of L7OO could bo wiped out at once. The adoption of this plan would enable the tollgate to be abolished at or.ee. On the other hand u t-R© abolition of tho tollgato is to be effected by waiting till its own revenue

lias amount,ac to a sufficient sum to wipe off the debt, then it will be a long time before that much desired res nil is achieved. Meantime, the exiVting toll is in the nature of a tax which presses unequally and unjustly. A. limited portion of the settlers pay the main portion of the tolls, while the real in a great measure arc free of tiu! impost,. We trust that some a'langement will bo carried intj client under which it will be found possible to wipe off this debt of £703 and at the same time to abolish the existing “ pike ” at the Waiobino bridge. After all “pikes” afford a very clumsy and vexatious method of collecting taxes. The tendency of the age in highly advanced countries is to abolish “pikes” altogether, and we therefore earnestly hope that the days of the Waiobino “ pike ” will not he 10/ig in the land.