Stratford Summary

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 124, 16 November 1911, Page 3

Stratford Summary

(From our /resident agent.) Wednesday, November 15. Weather, told and gii.-ty, with occasional sharp showers. It blew great guns during the night, but none of our buildings were a shingle short in consequence. ELECTRICAL StTPLY PROBLEM. The main topic of conversation in Stratford is politics. Next to that conies the question of the municipalisation of the electric light and power system, which is now the property of the Stratford Electrical Supply Company, Limited. T'lie whole position has been discussed for some time past, and before the ratepayers are ask-ed to vote upon the proposal to raise a loan of 1:14,000 it is probable that the Mayor will address a meeting in the Town Hall. The trade of the company is growing. The writer remembers when the directors were faced year after year with a bahincc-heet whose unsatisfactory nature was reflected in their faces. There was something radically wrong somewhere in those days, for when the river was highest the light was lowest. On one Saturday night Tom Pollard put on a "show" in the Town Hull. The light, poor at the outset, dwindled to nothingness In the shops the men who had kept in mind the injunction to "trim the lamps and be ready" were burning kerosene. Others were burning up the | atmosphere with heated language. Today the river behaves itself better. A splendid light is given, although there are some who growl hard at the quality of the illuminant. The charges are reasonable, though a penny a unit higher than is charged by the municipality of Xew Plymouth. The company's business is growing. Since March 31st., the end of the company's year, there have been 43 new connections, whilst for the whole of the preceding twelve months the increase was 74. Lately the mains have been extended a mile and a quarter along the Opunake road, and this necessitated the use of four and a half miles of high tension wire. There are at present 480 consumers, and the revenue for the seven months ending October 31at shows an advance of £220 on the figures for the corresponding period of last year. There is no day load here as yet, but a new plant is on the water now to make provision for this and also to act as a stand-by in ease of accident. This new plant is to drive a separate generating set, and will greatly increase the possible output.

The valuers, Messrs. F. 1!. Shepherd and F. Black, appointed by the Borough Council and the company' respectively, have reported now on the value of assets, of the company proposed to be purchased by the municipality. In making their valuations they took into consideration thait the company's leases of 'land, etc., expire on 30th June, 1910, and that no renewal was guaranteed; that the business was increasing, and that as it increased the value and importance of the water power would diminish. Taking these and other matters into consideration they valued the plant, material, and appurtenances of the company at £5338 l!is (id. They pointed out that the two generating machines, though ten and eleven years old respectively, could not be considered unsuitable for further service; that they were in good condition and well cared for; and that with a continuance of such care they had yet a useful life of several years. The Borough Council discussed this report at a special meeting, and decided, on the recommendation of a special committee, to apply provisionally for a loan of £14,000 for the purpose'of purchasing the undertaking. The money is allocated as follows:

Goodwill of company's business 4000 Power station, building, plant, spares, stores, tools and hydraulic works 1030 Stock and materials in town store 487 Poles and rails in stock 115 Meters in use and in stock 805 Stores and instruments • at office 34 Transformers - 351 Transmission and reticulating

mains 2448 New plant installed in full working order (now ordered) 3000 Freehold, three-quarter acre 185 Water rights on south side of river 300 Stock ordered since 11th July (less €SOO included : ,in the..'£3ooo above) 24fj Lamps ami meters on order 224 Sundries and contingencies 112 Total 14,000 There is some feeling locally over the withholding of a certain report from publication. This report it was thought advisable to hold back until the valuers had completed their work. Since then it has been found to be misleading, in that its basis was an undertaking requiring a loan of £15,000. Probably some councillor will re-east the report on the £14.000 basis, and make the contents known.

EDITATIOX BOARD VACANCY. I had a chat to-day with Mr. R. Masters, who is a candidate for tin vacancy in the east ward representation of the Taranaki Education Board caused by the resignation of Mr. \Y. Clement Cargill, who has shaken the dust of StiViford oil' his feet and returned to the ranks of journalism, this time in Devonport, a suburb of Auckland. Mr.-' Cargill's lerni on the board was short, but lie \va- progressive in his ideas and soon became a power amongst the members. His experience on the Wanganui Board when the system of transfer of teachers came into vogue stood him in good stead, and very -oon he had a majority of the members of the board on his side, and the scheme was adopted for vhe jaranaki education district. The

:■!■''. ;n, Jus hem accepted by the ti;v!icvs generally as a detinite move in the dim-lion of giving promotion to teachers already in the board's service, instead of offering all the "plums'' to teachers from the other districts. Mr. 'Masters lias for some years past taken an.interest in educational matters, and is at pre-cnf a member ol the -Stratford Advising Technical Committee. From his experience there, and his reading on the bioad subject of technical education. Mr. .Masters believes that we can afford : o materially c:\lei.d our work in this Mttion of the education system of the Dominion. He believes in a progressive ;;. !; cy on lines that will extend the bciieIhs to country districts. It is, in his opinion, possible to extend to country

. li children wlio have Ifffc school, as .veil a* tu adults scaler facilities than .'■. prc-ciu- cxi>i. tn attend special classes In ilairyini.'. who! classing, ajil'icillture , jI oilier >iilpji (•!.•< (if ]iractical use in i'lrir cvcry-day life. Primary school . will iip interested to notice that lie favors liu- Taviiiiiiki Hoard ini:' a joint nnypmenl aninnyst the p.iiioii boai'il- !:f ;hp Domi.iion to se- . iii'c (.hi' riirlil- of primary schools to a nbsidy on iloimtions to those sclmols. This is at. present a perquisite of tlie ■■■•'comliiry schools only, lint, should lip of "ii at value to country schools where pr'Piits, we know, are called upon to wi./k hard in order to keep the school riirht, The present, system of payment of teachers on the basis of the

average attendance has a strong opponent in Mr. Masters, who believes it to be unfair to make the salaries dependent on the virulence or absence of measles, whooping cough, and other infantile epidemics, over which the trailers is powerless to exercise any .control. Mr. W. D. Anderson, for some years past the resident partner in the wellknown firm, now dissolved, of Mai one, Anderson, and Johnstone, but now practising "on his own," has also intimated his intention of offering his services to the people. Mr Anderson has, fam told, for years taken a deep interest in educational affairs generally, and there can be no question of his ability to represent the ward well. In this last respect, Stratford and the remainder of the ward are indeed fortunate. The intending candidates are both young men of recognised ability, and the Taranaki Education Board can certainly not be twitted with the fact that it has ever been overloaded with members who have been on this juvenile side. The administration of the education system in this district should be in the hands of the most most progressive men who are. willing and able to devote their time and talents to it. GENERAL NOTES.

[batting to a man "in the. know" this morning. I learned that stock is very, very backward this season. In an ordinary year the freezing works .are full as they can hold of fat lambs at this time, but this season the freezing works will not open till very late in November or early in December. The lambing has been disappointing—almost disastrous on some farms. The usual lambing average on our hillside country is from 70 to 90 per cent., but this year there are many records of from 40 to 50 per cent., and on one farm the mortality has been so heavy as to make the average less than that. Farmers in the open country look generally for 100 to 120 per cent. This year they will have to put up with.very, much less. Different theories are advanced to account for the mortality, but the most general idea is that it is due in some way or other to the dry season. 1 The present unseasonable snap is not doing any good. Grass is coming on fairly well, imt the dairy cattle seem to be feeling; the cold a great deal, and it in- j Huences the milk supply in a maimer that is not cheering to the dairy farmer. Messrs. S. H. James and Co. are moving into fine new premises in Regan street shortly. On Tuesday evening a party of members of the Masonic Order journeyed to Opunake. to take part in the annual installation in Lodge Ikaroa, No. 110, N.Z.C. They were the Provincial Grand Master, ISro. T. C'. Fookes, Bro. F. W. Wake, the Grand Superintendent of Works, Bro. J. F. Watson,' P.M., and Bro. Frank Copestake, Junior Warden in I the Stratford Lodge. The Provincial I Grand master installed P.M. Bro. W. L.I F. Chambers as Worshipful Master, and I the ceremony was most impressive. The investiture of officers by the W.M. followed. It should be mentioned that the Huwera and N'gamotu Lodges were represented in the goodly gathering of Masons present. The Stratford contingent speaks highly of the installation banquet which "followed, and are particularly appreciative of the new departure which the lodge made in admit: ting the hulies to share the good things provided. The ladies had evidently made the function a matter of some importance, and the evening dresses—well, my friend isn't good at describing them. The wives and sisters of Masons in that district are going the right way to And out the secrets! It is not out of place to mention here that iLodge Ikaroa has had plans prepared by Mr. F. Messenger, of New Plymouth, for the erection of a new lodge room in ferro-concrete, and it is hoped that next installation will be held within its walls.

The Fire Brigade has engaged the Town Hall from January Ist to January lith inclusive for a children's carnival under the management of Professor Cardston. The professor will put on a •'dancing' tour of the world," in which 200 Stratford children will take part. Probably a'llo'ral fete will be held in conjunction with it. '