Stratford News.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 141, 11 December 1911, Page 3

Stratford News.

CRICKET. Stratford and Eltham seniors meet this week in the' first match of the South Taranaki Association's Shield competition. The Stratford Club should be able to put a strong eleven in the field. Several new players have joined the club. Captain Cardale has played in first-elass cricket in Canterbury, and I understand Captain Lampen has wielded the willow at Home to some effect. Dan Twohill is no mean performer on the cricket field, and Boyes has played in the junior representatives team for Wellington. Of last year's players the club can still draw upon Dunlop, Prebble, Barry, A. Richmond, East, P. Wilson, Melville, S.pence and Syme. There has been very little practice so far, owing to the wintry weather, the show, and the elections. Two of these have been settled. What Rev. Bates lias in store for us we don't know. There will be no cricket shield fixtures between December 21' and January 17. GENERAL. The other day one of the stray dogs in Broadway exasperated a driver by jumping up in front of his horse. Be promptly pulled up, grabbed a piece of l road metal, and let fly at the dog. The tike beat a hasty retreat ana skedaddled round the corner. Up jfrmped another of the town's nuisances, and ya.p! yelp! yelp! he came bounding towards the centre of the road. TJp went another piece of road metal, and crash! A plateglass window had got in the way of the stone. The chances are that the incident will mean trouble in future for the dog unless his owner keeps him under some sort of control. A dog that rushes out at every passing horse is a public nuisance. The new premises of Messrs. S. 11. .Tames and Co., in Regan street, are very 'commodious, and well suited to the requirements of the leather business, and the purchase and classing of skins and wool. Messrs. James and Co. have their tannery out towards Midhirst, and it has been found very inconvenient to have no town storage for slJins and wool, and no town depot and showrooms for dressed leather. The two-storeyed building, with over-all dimensions of 90ft. by 3'2ft., which is now Hearing comple- I tion, provides every convenience for the I handling of the firm's increasing busi- j ness. There are roomy and well-lighted | offices, leather room, skin and wool j rooms, manure store, and loading dock and packing room. The leather room nnd offices will be heated by hot water radiators. The news building is right alongside the railway line, and just at the end of the railway platform, so it should be handy enough to leather merchants and manufacturers visiting Stratford. The building was erected by Mr. X. J. King. Mr. H. X. Liardet. a former occupant of the iMayoral chair in Stratford, and now general manager in Xew Zealand i of the Ocean Insurance Company, is on | a business visit to Stratford. * I A few days ago mention was made in these, columns of the unsatisfactory state of the public reading-roim. The criticism has had good effect. The papers are now being systematically filed, and (properly classed, as far as the appointments allow. The fault does not lie with , the librarian so much as with the Lib- | rary Committee, who are liable to meet i at least once a year. The management of the room could lie improved, .better newspaper files procured, cards' Or slips ■printed to correctly indicate where the various papers are to 'be found—they are very much out at present—and notices requesting people not to' remove papers from the desks, and, more than all, a chance visit now and then from the committee or individual mem-, bers of it to see that people don't break this rule.It is generally admitted that the Opunake railway had something to do with the decision of the Egmont electors to retire Mr. Dive in favor of Hon. T. Mackenzie. An Opposition wag asks, "If Mr. Massev gets the reins, how can the lion. Tom get that railway for Eltham?" It is stated that so far the Borough Council has not been able to obtain a promise of a loan of £14,050 at four per cent, for tho purpose of acquiring the electric lighting concern. Money is said to be plentiful, but there's not ••"ich to lend at four per cent., even on <'■ "ilt-edged security that a rising mu:!ity has'to offer.

From Our Resident Reporter.