STRATFORD DAY BY DAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 380, 4 May 1910, Page 8

STRATFORD DAY BY DAY.

A NEW RAILWAY STATION. (From Our Resident Correspondent.) There is a Latin quotation to the ef- < feet "when danger is despised, it ar-! rives the sooner." But no proverb can alter human nature, and the world goes on its way. It' one were of a sufficiently analytical mind, it would be possible to point out that dangers lurk everywhere. If, however, a danger has with it the fascination uf a temptation, it is at once placed ibeyond the category of the ordinary risk. The principle, if such it can be called, of stolen fruit being invariably the sweetest, has a powerful inlluence on the mind of a child. To do anything against which he has been warned or cautioned appeals to the imagination of boys. How many cautions have parents given their olfspring not to play about railway crossings on their way to school and to be careful of the train; how many warnings .-.ml orders have the staff of the school given to scholars, nobody will ever be able to compute. \et risks are taken and a child more venturesome than its fellows or urged on to a spirit of bravado will deliberately dawdle in approaching the crossing so that it may get across the line a few yards ahead of the engine. The .public of Stratford are used to the crossings, and very little notice is ever taken of the shunting trains. Thoiwh so far no accidents have been recorded, it cannot be said that there has been an immunity from narrow escapes. To have a railway line and crossing near the principal route to the school and in close proximity to the building would be regarded anywhere as dangerous, but when, as in Stratford, the crossing practically constitutes a portion of the station yard in which shunting operations are conducted the risks are considerably intensified. To remedy this effectually would be an expensive procedure. and until the Railway Department definitely decide what they are going to do about la new station no scheme can he .put forward. If the 1 station is <o remain on the present site then in the interests of the public safety and convenience (for traffic and pedestrians are frequently "held up" by shunting trains) a bridge or a tunnel will have to be provided. On the other hand, should another position be chosen for the station the present danger* will be considerably minimised. What the Department's intentions are nobody knows, but it is high time that it was definitely determined where the new station is to go. The "glorious uncertainty" created by the silence of the railway authorities is detrimentally affecting the welfare of the town, The bulk of the land on the eastern side of Broadway being railway reserve it cannot be expected that the lessees will Teplace the array of "shacks" with more pretentious and up-to-date buildings .unless they can secure a lengthy lease. Their tenure at present is a most uncertain one. If the Department intend taking over the leases when the time has arrived to extend the station premises and yards, then the tenants of the present buildings thereon will have to shift; if on the other hand the station is to be moved, as some people think, to the vicinity of the junctioning of the lines, then there is no reason, assuming that the through line will remain in its present position, of offering the sections for lease on a lengthy term. Which ever course is adopted, the business people would know what to do a.nd the expansion and development of tne business portion of the town could proceed. It is rumored that the Prime Minister may visit Stratford shortly, and it would be in the interests of the town if the matter were put before him and he be asked if the Department has decided to which course to follow, to have an official announcement made; and if the Department has not reached this stage that it be asked to "hurry up."

Stratford, Yesterday. At the meeting of the Stratford Building Society last night the retiring directors, Messrs J. McAlister, J. W. Brayshaw and G. Smart were re-elected, and Mr. G. Wilson was elected to fill the place of Mr. S. Burgess, who has resigned. ' Mr. T. H. Penn was re-elected auditor. An honorarium of £lO was voted the chairman of directors. At a suose-quen-t meeting of the directors Mr. N. J. King was re-elected chairman. At the annual meeting of parishioners of the 'English Church the following officers were elected:—Vicar's warden, Mr. C E. Lloyd; people's warden, Mr. E. W. Lewis; vestrymen, Messrs A. W. Budge, Feildes, Young, Partridge, Sole, W. Wil-son,-Hemingway, J. T. Belcher (Cardiff), J. B. J-line (Toko). The borough -by-laws are not to be regarded as a. dead letter, and the offender who rides his hike on the footbath or considers a light superfluous when driving, had better mend Ins ways 01 beware. * Eight informations have been laid for various offences. j The local Foresters' Lodge held a very successful social evening last night. It is probable that a match will be I arranged between the Stratford and' Hawera Golf Clubs for June 3. The Stratford Football Club are try-J tag to arrange a return match with! Eltliam for Tnursdav. I

Cases of Wood poisoning appear to be very prevalent at present. Mr. FranJc Lacey, of Midhurst, who crushed , his hand at the (Government Stone Crushing plant at Waipukn. has contracted blood -poisoning. Another case is that of Mr. K. Ireland, of Puniwhakau, who is suffering from a poisoned arm brought on by running a rimu splinter into his arm.