Stratford News.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 149, 20 December 1911, Page 3

Stratford News.

t From Our Resident Reporter. *************'******************

THE TERRITORIALS. SECOND REGIMENT, MOUNTED RIFLES. At the conference held a day or two ago at Waverley, There were present: Lieut-Colonel Davies (officer commanding the district), his staff officer Captain Cardale, Captains Morrison and Sutherland, Lieutenants Feavcr, Joll, Crawskaw, James, McDonald, and Captain Johnson (Waverley cadets). It was decided to hold a camp of the 2nd Mounted Rifles at Waverley from !)th May to 23rd May, the first seven' days voluntary, the last seven days under the new system—compulsory. Approximately without pay or other allowances the'cost of transit to and from camp will be £700; rations while in camp for seven days £2BO 14s; forage for horses, £223 2e 6d; pay while in camp, £625 5s Od. There will be about four hundred officers, non-commissioned officers and men in camp. The camp site, in the Waverley Domain, is an ideal one, as paddocking, water, etc., are all that can be desired. Five thousand acres of land adjoining can be utilised for the training operations. This property includes all conditions of country except rocks and steep hills. The camp ground itself is well sheltered, and the ground is of a sandy loan, a sufficient recommendation. The biggest difficulty will be in regard to cooks. The regulations do not provide for more than one cook, but as this regiment intends to 1 mobilise in peace what it intends to carry out in war, all ranks have exerted themselves to meet this contingency. "Therefore," Baid Captain Cardale, in an interview, "we can say that at the termination of the first camp under the new Defence Act we shall leave that camp absolutely convinced that provided the rations are of good quality we can work and fight on them. The idea of the whole system is that an officer is not an ornament, afi heretofore, but from the junior subaltern to the officer-commanding the regiment, each in his own sub-unit is responsible not only for the fighting efficiency of his men, but also for the feeding of them. That means to say, that an officer commanding a troop of thirty men is responsible, before he takes his own meal, to see that his own men have their meals served, sufficient and well cooked. If he does not do so other men will soon take his place. The whole id«a of the system is that each man, non-commissioned officer and officer, will carry out his obligation in the chain of work, the most important of which is feeding men. To use an old term, "an army crawls on its belly," which is to the present day as correct as it ever was—a well-filled stomach means a well-fought fight. Therefore this regiment has decided to encamp on war conditions in peace, thereby saving the taxpayer money and giving themselves an insight into "what they would have to do on active service."

These aims are no doubt high, and can only be obtained by a great deal of individual grousing, cussing, etc., but no doubt will benefit the officers and men by showing them that a camp is a business concern, run on business-like lines, having regard to efficiency and economy.

'The seven days' voluntary camp are to wipe off the six whole-day and twelve ' J half-day parades, and as many of the ■ thirty drills as possible that are required under the new system. In the seven days' compulsory camp every man gets nine days' pay, allowing for a day travelling to the camp and one day returning. The 2nd Regiment of Mounted Rifles 1 draws men from the district between the Mokau river on the north, and the Turakina river on the south, running inland as far as Raurimu. A REMARKABLE PICTURE. At His Majesty's Theatre this hveek . Mme. Bernard is showing a iremarkably fine series of pictures, the "star" ottroc- | tiou of being "Captain Kate." Really a dramatic film, it introduces some wonderfully good living pictures of the South African forest, showing the "King of the forest" at large, the beatera at work, and! the lion trapped for transportation to America for the, menagerie. The tremendous leap for his prey, and the enor-n-ous strength of the animal's jaws are pVi'vn by the ease with which it drags a gren' beast about in company with the lionet, its mate. The pictures show what gnat risks have to be taken by the cinematographer in order to secure fflms for the amusement of the public. The picture is an education for young and old. So, too, is the series showing the wonderful sagacity and cleverness of the French and German police dogs. The programme is strong in dramas, comics and other films. "Robinson Crusoe" is the I next big draw. Our local picture theatre is fully up to date, with a wellfinished interior, comfortable seating, and a machine which projects .brilliantly: a really steady picture. GENERAL. Mr. .1. T). Ilealy, architect, of Stratford, will shortly he calling for tenders for a palatini residence in the seaside capital of Taranaki. This is to be a two-stoi'iyrd, building at Kitzroy. commanding a line view of the sea from verandahs and balcony. The building will be cuH'-tviii-■ :-l of fcrro-concrctc. and is designed on a »~.\W that will make ninny of Taraneki'* magnates green with ■ nvy. The owner lias placed the ! architectural work in liui-t capable hands. 1 Mr. Tho-. Mercer lias deposed of his ! billiard-room 1m iness to Mr. t.'orrigau. lof Hawcra. and the latter is now in | piw-e-doii. Mr. Mercer will now devote I the wind" o!' his energies to his tohac-jconi-f and liairilre.-ing lmsiness. His I saloon is urn' of the finest outride the four cent res.

Tile wi't sea-on si ml tin- very liij; yarding of >tock in 111- Stratford saleyards have had their cll'ci-l on (.he roadway in front id' Mr. Wood-' residence in Miranda sheet. Tin. {ioroiedi Council lias been

a-kod ti> provide a fontpatli ill this locality, and the residents an naturally rather ae.nrievcd at having to ln/irntu'i.le sncll a strip of mini at lln> front pitcs. hi rcporliir-v ic»rl !.i!sim-=s last week it was slated tint W. Brown wa* convict <ai and lined on a charge of hi un,' on licensed premises, lie was convicted without line. A meet in:: of V.»v Scouts is to In hold

10-niorrow (W'ediu sdav) evening in the I'avi-li Hall. Serranl' Dunham'has pro-

mised lo tell the hovs somelliiii<r of the rcaliiic- of the life of a soldier on active -ervicc. The l!ev. \V. A. Hurler also proposes to jjivc the l>oys some furlhe-r lessons, in jiu-jitsu, the Japanese, science of self-defence. The Scouts have not

been particularly enthusiastic of late, but it is hoped that this meeting will be the beginning of more active ■work. Some of our shopkeepers are putting in Christmas window displays. The weather, however, refuses to be "merry,' although we have had several hours of continuous sunshine to-day.

There is a house famine in Stratford. Decent dwelling-houses are bespoken for weeks prior to occupiers moving out. Quite a large number of residences have been erected in the past year or two, but the demand continues unabated.

At the S.M. Court on Wednesday morning the justices will require an explanation of the conduct of a couple of men whose manoeuvres ended in the breaking of a couple of windows on the Te Wera train the other day, and another man will be charged with using obscene language at Whangamomona. A man named Joseph tßtyan had his centre of gravity badly upset this morning when his Christmas hamper bumped against the side of the railway carriage aa he was boarding the T;e Wera train. The centre of gravity, it has been remarked, was already trembling in the balance, due to the arrival or approach of the festive season. Anyhow, the hamper struck the carriage, and the man struck the platform, cutting the back of his head. Constable Bleasel took charge of him, and Dr. Carbery pat three stitches in the wound! at Mr. Stohr'a pharmacy. Then the constable took the man off to the police station Having recovered stability, he was released 1 on bail late in the afternoon.

Mr. E. Young, who has been for some year a member of Mr. T. C. Fookes' staff, has received intimation that hehas passed the first section of his legal examination. He will receive the congratulations of a host of friends and' wellwishers.