STRATFORD DAY BY DAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 368, 20 April 1910, Page 8

STRATFORD DAY BY DAY.

THE MAYORAL ELECTION. MR. KING'S ADDRESS. (By Telegraph. Own Correspondent.) Stratford, Last Night. The Town Hall was crowded to-night on the occasion of Mr. N. J. King's address to the electors in connection with the forthcoming Mayoral election. Mr. Sangster (Mayor) presided. Dr. Paget announced with regret Mr. Masters' retirement from the arena. Mr. King expressed sympathy for Mr. Masters in his indisposition. He criticised Dr. Paget's actions as a councillor, and made an answer to Dr. Paget's criticism of himself. He contended that Dr. Paget Inn. had no previous experience iii municipal work. He referred at length to the history of the Electric Light Company, and pointed out that the company hau never approached the Council to take over the plant. He intimated that in a week or two he would cease to be either chairman or director of the company, and hi all probability would have sold his shares. Assuming the Council paid £IIOOO for the plant, the interest on that amount would be £450. Last year tne company made a. net profit of £SS6. The Council would therefore have a profit of £40(1. In 1909 it cost the Council £212 for street, lighting. In addition to this, to swell the profit, there were income-tax, interest, auditors' fees, and other items, paid by the company, which would, bring the total profit to £875. He was prepared to. wager £3O that if '.at, any time the Council took qjev the plant, they would make a profit pf £SOO, the first year. He wanted ,to .see thq town progress. Answering Dr. Pagfet's criticism of his finance'whilst'.Mayor,, he •pointed out that Dr. P"ag,et. .had'"said nothing about the which existed at that time.,. ~.Heu c ontended that in the interests of the tpwn, he" had to go slow, keep down the overdraft, exercise rigid economy,, and make £1 do the work of £,% .The s,um of' £4OOO had been spent oiv roads, and the footpaths and roads were in; a satisfactory state when he vacated the chair; He would advocate, instead of a stone-' crusher, putting men on breaking boulders during the winter- months. Why was it, he asked, that Dr., Paget, as honorary medical oflkfer, had never come to the Council and told tihem that the water was not fit to drink t He opposed using the Town Hall.as a gymnasium. He ridiculed the idea of taking over the Stratford extension. He was not in favor , of- asphalting Broadway. It could not be done out of revenue. Whilst favoring; a. steam' roller, he pointed out that the. Council were not in a position to pay for one, and suggested that they should com : bine with other local bodies to procure one. His motto was, "Progress for the Dominion and Stratford firsl" Answering questions, he said he was in favor of calling tenders,for supplies to the Borough Council. The annual meeting of the Stratford Coif Club was held last night, about a dozen members being in attendance, Mr. A. J. Grant being in the chair. 'The balance-sheet (showing a credit .balance of £23 4s 2d) and the report ; were read and adopted. The following officers were elected: Mr. A. J. Grant; vice-presidents, Messrs. Uniack and Wake; secretary, Mr. Cargill; captain, Dr. Carbery; committee, Messrs. F. Thompson, Betts, Vaughan, and Fussell; auditor, Mr. Skoghmd. It was decided to place on record the club's ap- j preeiation of the services of the retiring j secretary, Mr. J. Bell. It-was decided' to make a grant of £3 3s to the Do-j main Board. The action of the com-' mittce in regard to the Carbery Cup I was endorsed. Mr. W. Crawshaw inti-1 mated his intention of giving a trophy] to be awarded by the committee. Vote's oi thanks to the ladies, Messrs. Brockle-' bank Bros., and the chair terminated ! the meeting. j Mr. C. D. Sole, chairman of the Strat-! ford High School, received word this; morning that in future children from I Waitara and Ingle wood attending the i Stratford School will be permitted to • travel by the mail train. I 1 am very sorry to hear that Mr.! Masters is so seriously indisposed that. - on the advice of his medical attendant^! he has been compelled to give up all, idea of addressing the electors in fur-' therance of his candidature for the Mayoralty. Mr. Masters intends going to the poll, however. He is at present, in New Plymouth for a few days' rest. Constable Mackintosh, who was one! of the constables sent to Palmerston for. special duty in connection with the' Powelka sensation, returned to Strat-! ford last night. ! Mr. Fitzgeraw, of the Empire Hotel, I landed a 121b trout from the Patea! river yesterday, of the Loch Leven' viark't,y. -The fish is one of the largest - ever caught in the Patea river. Mr. G. Medhurst, of the staff of the local branch of the Bank of New Zealand, has been transferred to Wanganui. Mr. W. A. Rennell ; of Feilding, succeeds him. Mr. N. J. King has resigned the chairmanship of the Electric Light Company. The tender of Messrs. Irvine and Henry has been accepted for additions to the Foresters' Hall. The following team will represent the Stratford Rifle Cluo against the Taranaki Guards on Thursday:—A. Kickham, N. Thorpe, W. Speck, M. Madden, C. Jackson, A. Speck, R. Cox, C. Speck; emergencies, E. Newland, A. O'Leary, M. Fowler, H. Gollop, G. Sangster. Detective Boddam, of New Plymouth, paid a visit to Stratford to-day.