STRATFORD DAY BY DAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 104, 10 August 1910, Page 8

STRATFORD DAY BY DAY.

(Fron Our Own Carres pond cut.) Stratford, Last Night. At the meeting' of the Borough Council last nigiht an application to lease the Hall for the purpose of a skating rink was received. The matter was referred to the Town Hall Committee. Mr. W. Barlow aas been appointed custodian of the Town Hull, I,'oiougii ■ranger, etc. The Borough Council have referred the question of the erection of a weighbridge to the Works Committee 'or further information. Consider ition. of Mr. W. H. Climie's report for the improvement of the water supply has bpen deferred to the next meeting of th a Co'TOcil. The Electric Light Company have written to the Borough Council in regard to the increase of plant, asking that either the Council should take over the plant at the expiration of the deed of concession or come to some arrangement so that the company could safely extend their plant, it being considered that under the present circumstances the company would not be justifie'd in going to the heavy expenditure necessary. Messrs. R. H. Cameron and S. M. Porritt waited on the Council last night in regard to the matter and after placing their news before Hie Council it was decided that the' Light Committee meet the deputation on Friday night. Recently Councillor Paget gave notice of motion in reference to the borough foreman, and being absent from ihe meeting of the Council last nisrht, sent a letter asking that he be granted permission to hold the matter over till the next meeting. Tihere was some discussion over the matter and' finally permission was refused.

It is reported that Mr. H. L. Betta has disposed of his stationery business to Mr. H. J. Hopkins, possession to be given on the list of October. The induction of tlie Rev. W. Butler, the new viiar of Stratford, will take place, obi Sunday. The many friends of Mrs. A. Dingle will be pleased to hear that she is making satisfactory progress after the recent serious operations she underwent. Mr. and Mrs. J. PlitSch received the sad news yesterday evening' thau their three year old daughter Daisy had died at Melbourne. She had accompanied her aunts on a visit there some' few weeks ago and shortly after arriving contracted pneumonia from which she s. jcumbed. The local Foresters' Lodge ir»Td a \ery pleasant d«.nce in their hail last jr'glit. It is stated that Tar'- : f -vmers have been offered €3 os per ' • '' ■ nias time for calves with a strain oi' Jersey in then. The Hospital Board meets to-morrow. A committee meeting of the TaranaH Bugby Union will be held on Thursday night. The half-yearly meeting of the- Eginont Club was adjourned last evening as a mark of respect to Mr. Masters, president of the institution. The following resolution was carried:—"That the menTbers express their deep and sincere sympathy with Mr. J. Masters and his family in their sad bereavement.""

The climate of Stratford is decidedly wet, and as asphalt footpaths are unknown away from the main street, mud is plentiful, and after a downpour the surface water seeks an outlet by wearing channels along the line of least re-, sistance. To point out the shortcomings is not a matter of difficulty, but to improve the state of affairs is another matter. Patchwork would be ineffective, and the onlv permanent road and footpath construction is kerbing, channeling, etc. To bring this about, heavy expenditure would' be needed, and as the revenue could not bear the strain a loan would have to be resorted to. To many the mere word loan is anathema. At the Mayoral election the public were told that the present was not an opportune moment to brine forward a proposal of such a nature. The introduction of the opportune moment is apt to side track the more momentous issue of whether, through the expenditure of loan money, an improvement on existing conditions cannot be made, and economy effected in the maintenance of streets and footpaths. Tf such is the ease then it must he conceded, as a matter of" business, that delay is expensive. What the cost of material and labor reaches annually for the upkeep of footpaths throughout the borough cannot be said. ILet any resident examine the footpaths after rain, and he will find that the rivulets have washed little tracks to the nearest gutter, carrying with them the metal constructing the footpath. lit many instances the 'bare clay is showing. The absence of kerbing and channels has caused the storm water to wash out •holes of various depths, and' to carry with it the soil from the side of the roads Such a state of affairs-must cause a heavy expense for maintenance, and though the absence of figures precludes essential statements, yet the opinion might he ventured that the present cost of upkeep would pay the interest of the cost of kerbing, channelling and asphalting the footpaths in the principal streets of the town. The extension of the drainage is another question' -which must be faced shortly. 'All these and other matters needing attention- warrant the assertion that in the very near future a loan must be faced.