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Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 42, 25 June 1913, Page 3

THINKING AND DOING

About two years ago the Stratford Domain Board sat up with a sudden start and said: "Ho, ho! The river is beautiful just above the bridge: let us run a path down to it.";. And the matter rested at that for a long time—we will charitably suppose for lack of funds. Then, just recently, the Board sat up with an-' other sudden start and decided that the path be made. But that was as far as- the Board could go or could be expected to go. After deciding (1) that the work was desirable and (2) that it should be carried out the Board was powerless to do further good, and the whole of their hairdestroying thought would have availed nothing if some strong man had not been on hand to culminate their

thinking with action. And the Board breathless and exhausted after its, hard thinking, had the pleasure of seeing its strong door (and his mate) wade into the path problem and very soon make it look very queer. Dodd acted much in the manner of a toreador in a bull fight—after the matadors and picadors of the Board had worried the path problem down to its last kick, Dodd, the toreador backed in his barrow, so to speak and finally and irretrievably gathered the old problem to its fathers, if it ever had any. Of course Dodd did not do his work without a quid pre quo (perhaps two or more quids), but then Columbus was fairly well subsidised for setting out for the beyond end of nowhere. BY THE RIVER. What actually has been done is that about fifteen yards of path has been cut and a stile over the fence has been erected, enabling the good citizens of Stratford, the so-so citizens and (if there be any) the bad citizens, to easily and conveniently reach the river bank at a point in King Edward Park some distance above the bridge. The scene at the point ii perhaps not the most marvellous in New Zealand, but it is worth a guinea a box all the same. One is shut out from the wicked world and all is cool and restful. To all the quietness and the beauty of the scene will appeal—the' brilliant youth of six summers, whoso chief delight is to sit down in the water in his Sunday best trousers the middle-aged, with whom love's young dream is going a bit bald-head-ed, and the oldish, whose chief desiro is to sit down and do nothing and keep on doing it, will be charmed with the spot. To itemise the spot's many beauties would- fiill about seven columns, so perhaps the best way is for citizens to take a trip along arid judge; for themselves. .-:'