The stories of Mernda - The District Road Boards

Road Boards and tolls

In my last notes I wish to state that the late Cr. Smith was not at the time spoke of a councillor, but he was present, being an employe (sic) of those pioneers in the bacon industry, Messrs Watson and Paterson. Later Mr. Smith was one of the councillors of Northcote. But to resume my story. Result as stated our late Mr. Higinbotham as a member as he could not be induced to withdraw his resignation, with all his good qualities, and they were many.

Mr. Higinbotham was a very sensitive person, a man of sterling character, but very easily offended where his keen sense of honor was concerned. Well, we lost him, and got Mr. Cook in his place, a politician on a different plane to Sir George Higinbotham; but we also got the outer circle line, and to this day I am doubtful as the great gain got by having it. The conveniences are many, but when by what I call sleight of hand book-keeping the total cost of the line from Spencer street to North Fitzroy is kindly charged by a paternal Government to the Northcote, Preston and Whittlesea line it makes one who studies the various problems of railway finances ponder and think, and then wonder at the vagaries of the powers that be.

But when I have back to the pre-railway days, I well remember when a young man collecting the rents from the Northcote tool gate, when Mr. Meagher leased the tolls and paid several thousands of pounds per annum for the Northcote toll tax.

We also had a toll tax at Janefield, and another at Yan Yean, on the Plenty road. It struck me as the fairest way to keep the roads in repair. The man that used the roads paid for the maintenance. I also remember the big meeting in the Melbourne town hall about the tolls. Over 200 representatives of municipal councils were present, and after a keen discussion four delegates were appointed to interview the then Mr. Thomas Bent, Minister of Public Works. The delegates selected were Mr. Fitzgibbon, town clerk of Melbourne, Mr. Benson, manager of the Metropolitan Bank, who, I think, represented Malvern, Mr. McKiehan, manager of the Union Trustee Company, who represented Mount Rouse shire, and Cr. Thomas, who represented Whittlesea shire.

On the way up to the Public Works offices Mr. Fitzgibbon was appointed to lay the views of the meeting before Mr. Bent. When we arrived at the offices we met Mr. Bent, who knew each one of the delegates personally. Mr. Le Cren was then Secretary of Public Works. Mr. Bent, in his usual off-handed way said - "Well, gentlemen, you have come about the tolls," but Mr. Fitzgibbon said -"Aye, but before we state our case I wish to ask you a question." Mr. Bent consenting Mr. Fitzgibbon said - "Suppose you had a bastard children, an illegitimate bairn, that you put out to be nursed and agreed to pay 10s per week for nursing, and if after a time you failed to pay the 10s per week what would you expect?" Mr. Bent said - "I would expect to take the kid back." "Well," Mr. Fitzgibbon said, "that is your position with regard to the roads. You gave us the main roads of the colony to keep in order, and you gave us the 10s per week, through the tolls, required to keep those roads in order. Now you have taken away the 10s per week, and you can take the kid back and keep it, for we won't, as we were not constituted to keep the roads in order."

Mr. Bent laughed heartily, and we all joined in the laughter, as Mr. Fitzgibbons had neatly and forcibly put the matter before the Minister. Mr. Bent said - "Well, gentlemen, you have made a very good case. Sir Graham Berry said that he would find a substitute for the tolls in five minutes, but I can only find one, and that is milk the State cow. Gentlemen, I will give you the usual grant of £380,000 this year, but the grant is gradually but surely disappearing , and the keeping of the main roads, being a very heavy tax on the districts though which they pass, they have a right to contribute, but not to the extent that they have today."

When the tolls were on the roads were kept in a proper state of repair, but the least said about them the better. True the parts made by the Country Roads Board are first-class, but the remainder are a disgrace to the Board that constructs them, albeit the inclination to blame the municipal councils for what they no control over. It seems to me that some of our leading newspapers have a bee in their bonnets so far as municipal matters are concerned, and not inclined to recognize the vast amount of genuine, honest work down with pay by municipal representatives.