LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 91, 14 November 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Two more names have boon added to the list of Stratford enlistments, namely Messrs F. Dam, of Stralbmi cabinet maker, and J. B. Fletcher, of Whangamomoiia.

A meeting of presidents of French Chambers of Commerce passed a resolution, urging the immediate construction of the Channel tunnel, in view of post-war- economic problems.

A farewell and presentation will be tendered in the Midhirst Town Hall on Thursday next to Mr Hog. Wellington, who is off to the war. The proceeds of the function are to be devoted to the Tobacco Fund for the boys at the front.

As the result of Cr. Lawson’s' motion to revert to the old stylo of| street lighting and have the lamps lit all night, the Borough Council last night agreed to do so immediately, the Mayor and Engineer to' have discretionary power regarding' the lighting on moonlight nights. I

A correspondent asks the right way to spell the word “grammatical.” With so many spelling reformers at work, there is not complete unanimity and we find some time-saving hustling citizens of the United States of America throwing the second “m” down the sink. Most English-speaking communities prefer, however, to accept the old style as given above, as the more correct.

Members are reminded that the last general meeting of the A. and P. Association takes place next Saturday at 1.30. In view of the near approach of the Show, there will be a good attendance. So far everything is progressing satisfactorily, but there are several matters which can only be dealt with by the Committee,, and it is therefore important that the attendance at the next ooimmtt?e meeting should bo a record one.

A municipal meat supply for Stratford is looming in the not very distant future, according to Cr. Walsh’s remarks* at the meeting of the Borough Council last night. Speaking on a request by the butchers for improved yarding arrangements, Cr. Walsh said that the way conditions were in the trade at present they would soon have to be dealt with by the local authorities. The butchers would never be able to stand up to them. Even now, stock were almost unobtainable.

“When is a footpath not a footpath?”, was a paradoxical conundrum for the Borough Council meeting last night. Attention had been drawn to the state of the “foopath” in Fenton Street on the north side abutting the Victoria Park, and it was pointed out by the Clerk that this part of the thoroughfare had not been formed. Even if an accident occurred to a pedestrian the Council was not responsible, and as the Council had not sufficient funds to do the track properly he advised that it he left alone, for the reason that as soon as they put a shovel into it the responsibility was theirs! It would be interesting to the burgesses to learn the. number of similar cases in the borough in the year 1916. j

At a meeting of the Executive of the A. and P. Association last evening, there were present: Messrs E. Jackson (chairman), W. J. Lopdell, A. C. Bell, C. Jackson, and J. M. Shottor. The Stratford Ladies’ Patriotic Committee applied for a flower and jumble stall on the Showground, and permission was granted on condition that they sold only from the stall, no canvassing to be allowed. Adjutant Cook attended the meeting, and expressd the willingness of the Salvatiml Army to take charge of the Rest Tent. The following new members were elected: Mrs Gilliver and Messrs H. Manson, H. Cook, and R. Jenkins. Members are requested to be present on the Showground on Thursday, at 10.80. to assist in the Working Bee.

Few people realise to the fullest the work which the Taranaki Mar Relief Association is doing. It concerns the welfare of our wounded soldiers, as the Association was incorporated to guard the interests of our boys in every way. Applications for help by soldiers and dependents are dealt with in a business-like way, but confidentially, so that much that is done is not revealed to the public by reason of the private nature of the business brought before them. The respective representatives on the Association bring forth applications for help from their districts, so that anyone in need of assistance has only to apply to the local committee. The public, however, can be fully satisfied that this body is doing valuable work, and the members are to be commended for it.

A recent issue of the Bluff Press and Stewart Island Gazette (the most southerly paper published in the southern hemisphere) published a rather novel competition, inviting replies as to what the competitors would do if they caught the Kaiser—the sum of 5s to he given for the best answer, and the answers to lie submitted to a committee for decision. By the mention of hat-pins, some of the replies were no doubt written by the “gentler sex.” The competition brought forth a very varied array of answers, numbering J7G. In arriving at a decision, the judges decided to award points for literary merit, brevity. originality, and for the idea of atonement in conformity with true British feelings of humanity. In doing so they had to disallow many cleverly-worded answers containing punishments of extreme torture which, of course, no British judge or jury (military or otherwise) would dream ot putting into operafTon. in the opinion of the judges the following was the best answer;—“lt J caught the Kaiser I would give him a British conscience and let him review all the deeds he has done.”

The rainfall at Riversdale, near Inglewood, between 9 a.m. on Tuesday and tlic same hour on Thursday, was over nine inches.

A Napier young lady, whose brother is on active service, has consented to a .request from local residents to take up her brother’s former business, that of a taxi-car driver, and will commence a taxi service at once.

Stratford’s civic fathers were in a generous mood last night, judging by the all-round advance in salaries and wages. The workmen got a shilling a day increase as a war bonus and for the duration of the war; the assistant clerk had £ls tacked on as an annual increment; Mr A. M. Spilraan (Abattoir Manager) got a rise of £10; Mr T. D. Sullivan (the Council’s Engineer) was voted an increase of £ls. and it fill to the lot of Cr. Thompson us chairman of the Works Committee to say some very nice things in the. engineers favor, in effect, the increase was not a large sum by any means, hut it was thoroughly deserved and was a slight recognition of the capable manner in which Mr Sullivan had carried out his duties, besides being responsible for the saving of a considerable sum in the matter of the equipment and economic working of their plant; as to the addition o F £2(l as a bonus to the Clerk, the Council were unanimous especially under the circumstances attending the acquisition of the Electrical Supply Co.’s undertaking, which had involved a vety large amount of extra work and would do so for the future. Cr. Young, as chairman of the lighting committee, paid tribute to Mr Skoglund’s capabilities in placing the various schedules of prices, etc., in connection with the transfer before the two parties.