Stratford News.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 150, 21 December 1911, Page 3

Stratford News.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. EXECUTIVE MEETING. At a meeting of the executive of the Stratford Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday evening there were present:— Mcssts. W. P. Kirk wood. W. A. Hewitt, .T. McMillan, ;tnd W. H. H. Young. Mr. Kirkwood was voted l to the chair. Ajwlogies for absence were received from the president (Mr. J. Masters) and Mr. Munro. THE HALF-HOLIDAY QUBSTfOX. The secretary detailed the steps taken to .bring about the conference to discuss the institution of an uniform holiday for Taran&ki, and reported that the conference was not sufficiently representative to decide on any particular day for the holiday, but contented itself with a resolution favoring uniformity in the matter. As yet, no reply had been received from the Hawera Borough Council, and Eltham had deferred coming to any discussion jpji the matter. A letter was read from the Stratford Retailers' Association notifying that the association was opposed to the Saturday half-holiday. Mr Kirkwood moved that this Chamber favors Thursday as the half-holiday. In support of his motion. Mr. Kirkwood stated that there were two parties to be consulted —the business people and the public. As yet the public had not been consulted an the matter. He thought it would .be easier to arr-Ange unanimity in .regard to Thursday, for Hawera was the only town on the railway line which did not already observe the Thursday half-holiday. As far as Saturday was concerned, he pointed out that it was optional for the local body to fix whatever day it wished, hut as, yet there had j been wo demand for Saturday. A halfholiday in the city and ft half-holiday in i the country were two totally different things. Saturday was probably convenient for banks and offices, 'but the Saturday half-holiday whs not likely to come into operation for considerable time. Thursday seemed to him to be a very suitable day. It made a break in the middle of the week, whilst Saturday did not. lie thought, too, that farmers would very likely leave their business until Saturday, and the business people would have a lot of orders which they could not fulfil in a half-day." I

Mr. Young seconded pro forma.

Mr. Richards moved an amendment that the "Thursday" be deleted, and "Saturday" inserted. He based his argument on the result of the canvass of the business people of Stratford by the president and himself this Canvass having resulted in favor of Saturday by a good majority. He saw no great necessity for a break in the middle of a week of five and a' half days of eight hours each. Employers would benefit by the change if any kid, employees playing foofclxill, for if a manj played football on Thursday he was naturally unfit for his best work on Friday morning. Mr. McMillan seconded.

Mr. Hewitt, in supporting the amendment, said that stock sidles were held at the various centres on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and these could not be altered. Ilawcra would not move its sale from Thursday because Wanganui's sale was on Wednesday, and the buyers followed' oil. He was of opinion that if the Saturday .half-holiday ■were inaugurated the fanners would make sale days their market days in their respective towns. Mr. Young, in seconding, said that they had to bear in mind tlyit before there was a compulsory half-holiday at all Saturday was the market. <lay here, so the half-holiday was fixed to'avoid the market day.

The amendment was carried. Mr. Kirkwood said fife Chamber must take cognizance of "the Association's resolntion,' for that association was representative 'of the business people, and their' opinion could not be ignored. He thought '"the opposition of that body was an effective bar to the general adoption of Thursday. Mr. Young moved that the secretary be instructed to write' W tfe Havvera, and Eltham Borough Councils, pointing out that with their fexeiption the principal towns support•. art Uniform half-holiday ; for Tarauaki, and that they be informed of the towns which favor Saturday. Mr. Young pointed out that owing to the rota of stock auction gales Saturday was the only day on which the whole *f Taranaki -could be brought into line in the matter. ' .

.Mr. .McMillan seconded, and this was carried. , 1

It was decided..thpt Mr. Young and the president wait upon the Retailer*' Association at its. meeting and explain the view adopted .by the Chamber in favor of Saturday.'. •' BOWLING. fTTZROY v, STRATFORD. The Fitzroy Bowling Club will send us four rinks for the 'banner competition to-morrow (Thursday), and will be met by the following representatives of the local club:—Melkmald, King, G. Smart, Sangster (s); Currie, Ryan. Curtis, Morison (sJ; Black, Penn, Jackson, F. Jackson (s); Porritt, Masters, llealv, F. W. Wake (.«). LAWN TENNIS. STRATFORD v. NEW PLYMOUTH. The postponed jnaWi .between the Stratford and Xow-Plymouth clubs will lie played here to-morrow. At pre-ent the weather proniij.es w.ll. The Stratford team is as follows:—Misses Black. M.ickay. 0. .Mathay, and Mrs Rcnnell, .Messrs. ii. Cameron, R. ]!. Anderson, V. Crawsh.-uv. E. J|. Young. \V. D. Anderson, and L Curtis. COUNTY FINANCE "A PIG IX A POKE." In the meinorv of the oldest inhabitant of llie Connie Council chamber the principal (rouble in the Stratford County Council's busin-s* is to provide sufficient money f-.r U»> ever-increasing demands of faisl-developing district." Money is • ■lastit* <"n'v to ;l . certain degree. l.'r. VVlc;s inentioued to-day that it '.vas unfair to the chairman of the council tha! he should be continual!v worried about finance. To his mind the whole ttyslem was wrong. For fifteen or twenty years past some of the roads were continually in debt. The council's svstem of finai" ip.r was the most unbusinesslike tiling If. had seen in all his experience. The council simply struck so much rates each year, without ascertaining what amount was rti|uired. And then, 'before the end <4 the year, they were inundated with requests for work of all kinds, and

•}» * From Our Resident Reporter. * * ❖

for which no provision had .been made. It was like buying a pig at a po'ke. He thought a 'better system would 1 be for the engineer to go over the roads with the riding members, and prepare a schedule of necessary works. The rates would then be struck accordingly. Cr. Walters also protested strongly against new metalling being charged, to general revenue—it should be done by loan or by some other means. Cr. Christoffel agreed, and urged his colleagues to take up a firm stand and refuse to allow road accounts to become so largely overdrawn. There was 110 motion on the matter. '• LET THERE BE LIGHT." THE RECENT COUNTY ELECTIONS. Some of the spirit underlying the action of the county electors in making a; complete change in the west riding representation on the Stratford County Council was shown in a discussion at Wednesday's meeting. A settler who removed gravel from a county pit without permission was pressed for payment. He stood for a seat on the County Council, and was returned, unseating the county chairman, Mr. 6. A. Marchant. ' At this meeting Cr. Smith moved to rescind the previous resolution of the council that the claim for £ be pressed against Mr. T. A. Anderson (now a member of the eouncil) for gravel removed by him without permission from a pit on the Upper Manaia road. Cr. Smith said the most peculiar commentary I on the whole situation was that those men who were loudest in their condemnation of Mr. Anderson were not here today. They might think it was a freak of nature, or the irony of fate, but he thought it was a natural re-adjustment of affairs, for "as a man sows, so shall he also reap." It appeared to him that there had 'been an attempt to make a scapegoat of Mr. Anderson. Mr. Anderson stated warmly that he 1 was prepared to pay if the council would 1 sue everyone that had been taking gravel ] from the pit during the last three years.' He had been picked out because he was I independent enough to say he wouldn't l crawl to anyone. ( Cr. Smith wondered whether a cor-j porate 'body could proceed against one] of its own members.

Cr. Marfell complained that both Or. Smith and Cr. Anderson had reflected' on persons, probably previous members of the council. He. could assure thera that the council iiv arriving at its previous decision had not been actua.ted by personal motives. There ha<J 'been; liberties taken u'ith public property and the council decided'it must stop, and Mr. Anderson was unforunate enough to be dropped upon. ( He didn't consider the original estimate of £2O ences&ive. "If I were .in Cr. Anderson's place I wouldn't stir in the matter at all. I would' let it slide. After what we have' heard of as having taken place in liis riding, perhaps it would l)e wise and graceful on his part to take' that course."

Or. Anderson: Why didn't the old council proceed with the case when I didn't pay? , Or. Walters: I don't'think the council know yon hadn't }>aid. Cr. Anderson said that in his riding there were slurs thrown out against him tliat he' had taken gravel without leave. He had been called 1 a thief. Certainly he had taken the grovel, but within the next two months fifty yards had .been removed by other people. He had informed Cr, of that, but no action had been. taken. Meanwhile, he was threatened witlr 'a prosecution because he had taken some. • "Would you take that sort of thing lying down?" he asked the councillors.

Cr. Walters considered that Mr. Anderson should have paid up gracefully. The motion ,-was lost.

Cr. Anderson rose and said: "I have to thank you, Cr. Smith, for your valuation. If you will let me know of any expense you may have been put to —" Cr. Smith: Oh, bother that .

Cr. Anderson: I'm sorry, but I can't see my wny clear to pay what I don't consider is" jusfe Cr. Walters: That is a direct challenge. There is only one thing to do, and I move that' the clerk be instructed to take proceedings. Cr. Thomson seconded.

Cr. Anderson:- Bring, your action against Anderson Brothers, arid not against! T. R. Anderson, for it was the firm that did the damage. . Members exprcssod'vregret, at the position taken up. biit said they .had to abide by the pHYiciple,. Cr. Amkrs'on: It's not the money with m<!. It'lj '.tost 1 m\i £.30 before it's all done. Tf .Mr. ,Smith had put any priee on the graver I'd have paid it. The chhirmari: Cr. Smith evidently values it at nothing. He is putting the council ill a vtay uncomfortable posit tion. ' Cr. Smith then' moved, and Cr. Christoffel seconded, .that the council accept £1 in settlenjent. This was carried. MAGISTRATE'S COURT. BAD LANGUAGE. Mr. 0. D. Sole,' J.P., presided over the Magistrate's Court this morning. l-awrence Heimessy was charged with having used obscene-language on election night at Whanganiomona in the main street.

Sergeant McXcely. wlvo prosecuted, produced the accused's written plea of iruilty, ami Constable* Listou gave evidence that the profanity was iitteml in the jmH'nco of ladies in loud tones that would,lie heard some distance away. Tin- Ceneh said the women at Whnngamomona were entitled to the same protection as women everywhere else. The language complained of foe characterised! as simply vile. The accused would be lined cio and costs, in default three months in Xew Plymouth prison. IU'CTIOXS IX A RAILWAY CAKRIARE. Samson Sanders and Bernard McMahon pleaded guilty to a charge of .having i.iu>cd wilful .|;iin,)wp jo ft railway carriage on the Te Wera section, and also to a further charge of having caused annoyance to the passengers. Samson Sanders appeared, and in extenuation of his conduct stated that the windows which had been broken were for immediately the train arrived at Te A Vera, and that there were not j many passengers in the carriage at the time.

Sergeant McXecly: That is beside the point, your Worship. The presiding justice said that frequent complaints had been made to the police concerning misconduct on this line' of railway, and it was almost impossible for decent people to travel on the train. fn answer to a question by the Bench, the accused said he was working ob tfte

co-operative works at the Whangamomona tunnpl.

* The llciuli: You me,n seem to think } the train belongs'to you, that it is run j lor your benefit, -'lid that the town 'I self is yours. As you have paid for tin- window, you will be convicted and I discharged on the llr.-st charge. • Witii reI gnrd to the second, it is a very serious matter. You lay yourself open to be imprisoned for two months. However, I give you warning that the police and the Court are going to put this sort of thing down. You will be fined £L for riotous behaviour 011 the train, and pay 7a costs. The accused: Thank you, your honor. McMahon, who did not appear, was similarly dealt with. Joseph Ryan, who lost his balance and his Xmas hamper on the railway platform on Tuesday, and who was locked up for the afternoon to sober off, was fined 5s and ordered to pay 10s 6d medical expenses and 4s cab hire. SENIOR CADET PARADES Senior Cadet) parades will he held weekly at the different centre 4 from early in the Xew Year. The liltham company will parade on January 3 at the Athenaeum, at 7.30, and weekly thereafter, Lieutenant Whiting being in temporary command. Afr Inglewood, Captain Leech will take charge temporarily, and the parades will be held on Wednesdays at 7.30 p.m. in the Drill Hall, commencing on the 3rd prox. At Stratford the parades will be held in Tuesday evenings at 7.30, in the old Masonic Hall, commencing on the Oth inst. Lieutenant Bird has been appointed to the command of 94 Company, and Mr;' Sehofield is in charge of 05 Company. GENERAL NEWS,. Messrs. Sam. Spence and Alfred Cole- ■ man have to-day received news of their success in the legal examinations. Mr. Spence has passed his "final," and is being congratulated accordingly.' He was with his brother, Mr. R. Spence, as junior clerk, and has remained with the firm under the new style of Spence arid Stanford. Presumably he will, like the majority of the newly-fledged lawyers, seek ,a fortune in some town less bountifully served with law than we are,, unless,, of course, he is taken into the fold of the firm as a partner. From junior clerk to partner in a handful of years is not too bad. Mr. Ooleman, who 19 the D.O.A. here, has passed the first section of the examination, andi as he is not in the midst of law the whole day his performance must be reckoned a good one.

"It .is always interesting to read your Council matters, also rangers'i reports, but I think it should be stated what, remuneration is received when stock is seen and not interfered with."—An interesting extract from a letter received by a local body a few days ago. Tim headquarters of the 2nd Mounted Rifles may be moved to Waverlej;, in which case Captain Cardale with take up his quarters there, accompanied by Sergeant Dunham. ...

' JMidhirst is jubilant. The factory "pay-out" exceeds Stratford's payment by nearly £2500. This, I am told, is the first time that Midhirst has taken the lead. Sic transit omnia! The dux of the Strfi tfoWl School must be reckpncd somewhat of a prodigy. He is not jjuite ten years old yet, and has topped ; the tree despite the fact that he is not .allowed to study out of school hours, j He is Master Albert Anderson, son of Mr. Joseph Anderson, of the East road. May he go on and prosper! The system adopted in recent years by t he; Government in requiring local bodies to pay the whole <fost of administration! of Government grants made to them, has never found favor with the local bbdies themselves. In the Manga eh u riding of the Stratford County, where the revenue 'raised: on a general rate of threepence in the pound was only £I2OO, no less than £4OO or £SOO would be required to pay the cost of administering the grants. That would mean levying an extra penny rate, which would cripple the riding.' At the conclusion of the last Counties Conference, the Acting-Premier, Sir James Carroll, informed a deputation from the conference tjjat he favored paying tlipse administration expenses. The Stratford Cowutyj Council yesterday decided .to •write •«> the Premier on the matter.

Th 6 prize-giving ceremony at the Stratfijrd District High School takes place to-morrow (Thursday) afternoon. After ijhis there will be swimming sports at the! school baths, the meeting being managed by the local swimming club. ThejletteTs "S.D." and the numerals I to 230, have been allotted to the Strata ford County Council for the purpose of the Motor Registration Act.

Mr. G. Rogers has been appointed to represent the Stratford County Council on the Egmont National Park Board'in succession to Mr. G. A. Marchant.

Mr. Frank Bird, returning officer for Stra-tford, has finished the recount of both the electoral and licensing polls. There were over three hundred informal votes on the licensing question. "Many- of the electors seemed unable to make up their minds on l the question of license v. no-liceinse. Some left the paper severely alone, whilst others scored out both proposals. ■- I

The|iiew Waipuku bridge on the Mountain pad, designed by the Stratford County Council's 1 engineer, Mr, E. C. Robinson, is a reinforced' concrete arch, with metalled roadway fifteen feet wide. The new- bridge is to bo built up around the existing .structure, so that traffic will not be interfered with. Mr. F. M. Grayling has secured- the contract.

The! builders and joiners, glaziers and painters have. quickly ' worked a transformation scene in Bi<oad\^ay' Central, and their efforts are no* being crowned by the progressive Goldsmiths and Silversmiths Company, who are stocking with a spjendid assortment of jewellery, watches, clocks and plated ware, one of the most complete little establishments of the kind in the province. There are fine plate-glass windows, glass showcases,, and a good strong-room for safe storage, and the shop is nicely papered. Mr. N. J. King was the contractor for the jJlterati ons, and Messrs. Bellringcr Bros, did the painting, glazing anil signwriting, which is a noteworthy feature.