Decline of Turnpikes 323 



disturnpiked roads was made annually by Parliament down 

 to the year 1888, when the relief granted was increased to one- 

 half of the total cost by a further sum of 256,000 allocated 

 by Mr Goschen to the same purpose from his Budget for 

 that year. 



The actual expenditure under these successive grants is 

 shown in a Report on Local Taxation made, in 1893, by Mr 

 H. H. Fowler (afterwards Lord Wolverhampton). The 

 amounts there given are as follows : 



YEAR. AMOUNT EXPENDED. 



i 



1883 .. .. 167,165 



1884 195,649 



1885 .. .. 205,965 



1886 . . . . 229,490 



1887 .. .. 237,123 



1888 .. .. 498,797 



Total 1,534,189 



After the passing of the Local Government Act of 1888 the 

 grants were discontinued, the said Act providing that from 

 the ist of April, 1889, all main and disturnpiked roads should, 

 with certain exceptions (and as distinct from parish highways), 

 be maintained by the county councils. 



Parliament had thus at least broadened out the ratepayers' 

 burden in respect to road maintenance by spreading the 

 charges over a larger area ; and it was, also, affording a very 

 considerable measure of relief to the road-users in freeing them 

 from the obligations to pay tolls for the keeping up, not simply 

 of the roads, but of a machinery as costly as it was inefficient. 

 There was still a third set of interests to be considered, as 

 represented by those who had lent money to the turnpike 

 trusts for road construction or repairs, in the expectation of 

 getting a fair return. The proportions of the turnpike debt, 

 the falling-off in tolls, and the mismanagement of the system 

 generally made the outlook for the bondholders very un- 

 favourable ; but the best that was possible, in the circum- 

 stances, was done for them. 



Under an Act passed in 1872 it was laid down that, for 

 the purpose of facilitating the abolition of tolls on any turnpike 



