Stratford News.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 151, 22 December 1911, Page 3

Stratford News.

From Our Resident Reporter. ************* '******************

THE LIGHT HORSE SHOW. MEETING OF A. & P. ASSOCIATION (By Telegraph—Resident Reporter.) •Stratford, Last Night. A meeting of the A. & P. Associatioi executive was held to-night, and the pre 6ident brought up the suggestion thai a light horse show be held at Eltham He said it would bring in a certain amount of revenue, and probably be a very popular fixture—more so thas a winter show, of which there were so many. Mr. W. P. Kirkwood suggested that a sheep fair and sheep show might be held. Eventually it was decided, on the motion of Mr. R. Masters (Mr. Kirkwood seconding) that a sports competition meeting be held in the autumn, consisting of horse events, including military competitions, leaping over hurdles, hunting competitions, etc., and a committee, consisting of the president and Messra. Malone, Kirkwood, Hobbs and Dobson, was set up to arrange a programme. A THANKSGIVING "AT HOME." Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Hine gave an afterj noon "at home" at Toko on Wednesday afternoon to the lady workers during the recent election contest. A dra» left Stratford with over twenty ladies, and there were over thirty present in all. Mrs. Hine received in a lovely Empire gown of strawberry shade, and Miss Hine wore pretty grey. The afternoon tea was dainty and bountiful, the decorations were of red poppies, with black centres, reproducing the colors worn by Mr. Hine's's supporters. Croqwet.and other games were played. Before leaving, hearty thanks were expressed to the host and hostess. FORESTRY Stratford, Thursday. The half-yearly meeting of the Lady' Islington Court of Foresters was held on Tuesday evening. Bro. H. R. Cattlev, District Treasurer, Bro. 'B. V. Kivell, District Beadle, and Bro. Murray, Past Chief Ranger, were present, and assisted in the installation of the following officers:—Chief Ranger, Sister Alice Watkins; Sub-Chief Ranger, Sister Martha Burkett; Treasurer, Sister Gladys Bennett; Secretary, Sister G. Burgess; -Senior Beadle, Sister M. Divehall; Junior Beadle, Sister M. Henry; Senior Woodward, Sister K. Porter; Junior Woodward, Sister G. C. Burgess. Past Chief) Ranger, Sister Olive Brayshaw was elected the delegate to the district meeting to l>o held at New Plymouth in February next. ' THE STRATFORD RACES Our races are only a little over a week away now, but matters are well in hand. The improvements effected at tie racecourse hardly need to be enumerated Anyone who was present at last year*! meeting, and is again present on New \ear,'s Day, will find no difficulty in 10-1 eating them. There have been no half-' measures. The club has effected improvements, not merely for to-day not upon the hamUto-mouth. principle, but with a view of bigger meetings year by year The levelling up of the course is a thing that the owners and jockeys will appreciate, and the completion of the top-rail around the track is another' good improvement; • The' track is now i in good order. Then-the club has erected n fine building for the officials,'and the management of the 'meeting should be rendered. easier for them. Racina-dub officials have to work hard, and "must have proper offices and appointments if their; work is to give thb-bfest results. J. he grandstand has been very much pnlarged, and so have the luncheon and afternoon tea-rooms: The to&lisator bouse has been improved,'and'a silent totolisator will be in use at' the forthcoming meeting. The caterW'is' in ; the capable hands of Mr. •Eldtrf tn fact everything is being ddne-to'-ensure an enjoyable race meeting; a*d : Big crowds are expected on both'days; ' ' ■ • '•■' ■;< .•• ;.;■_'• SWIMMING'CLUB. ''-". . OPENING THE SEASON, ' The weather having-'cleared aßoiit midday the Swimming Club decided to eo on with the sports mietirfg aVrahg*!. in connection with the Opening of the baths t'.r the season. There-was 'only a small attendance, but--there was" some good racing. Mr. E. B. be comlamented on the his starting and handicapping, some of'tile results being very close.-; Dr. -Carbery-and Mr. \r t>" o * l were tlw'-judges, and -Ur. R. H. Kivell assisted materially as a steward. Results:—■ : • '■■ "' 25yds. (boys): N-. Kivell; ser.,l- R Hogg, Isec., 2; B. Wilson,- 3sec., 3- d' Kivell, 2sec., 4.' Won by : a yard. 25}ds. Handicap i (members of the A 'T C il; ) T First heat: K C - SiKelly.3sec, I; Jebb, 3sec. 2. Time-, Second heat: F. Fodcn, Shoe., Fodcn lsec. behind scr., 2. Time,- 17 ■ 3-ssec' Hon by a touch. Final: -Kelly,'l; Jebb ■2. Time, 17 2-ssec. Won by a touch. ' Relay race: Kivell, Masters/F: Foden 1: Whittingtori, Kelly; '■ G.» Foden 2 ' Corfu dive: F. H. -Masters and' E.' H Kivell, dead heat, ]. "' THE STRATFORD SCHOOL! Owing to the very <wet ; .weather this morning, and the improbability of its clearing, the prize-giving' ceremony fixed for the afternoon was.carried but durin« the morning, with a view Of- givlnc the youngsters a holiday for the rest of the day. Mr. !'. S. Skoglund presented the prizes m the infant rooms, and Mr. C. D. ■Sole, chairman of the committee, presented ti„. proficiency certificates and the gold modal won by Master Albert Anderson. ,|, lx of the schooll. The pupil? greeted their .scholar hero 'with cheers. Mr. Sole, in decorating him with the medal, said he had never before -had the pleasure of awarding the dux medal to so young si pupil (under ten years of age), and he hoped to hear of him in the future as one of the brightest sons of New Zealand. Mr. McMillan presented the prizes to the remaining standards. In the infant room every scholar received a ]>rize. The school has now commenced the Xmas vacation. The prize-giving and "breaking-np" at Miss Orbell's private school took place tins afternoon.

was referred to at the last meeting of the Borough Council, and instructions were given that the borough inspector should take a hand. He has accordingly | made a tour of inspection, and no less than twenty-one persons are to be served immediately with notices to abate the nuisance thus caused. So people desiring to grow thick hedges along their frontages wilt have to grow them on their own property. Another matter referred to the inspector at the same meeting was that some of the signboards erected across the footpaths under the verandahs were too low. The by-laws provide that there must be eight feet clear between the board and the surface of the footpath. The other day Inspector Barlow might have been seen perambulating Broadway with a long measuring-rod, and as a result the owners of eleven signboards are to be asked to raise them. Some are

only a couple of inches too low, but others are nearly a foot short of the regulation height One Borough Councillor, who is not of Grenadier dimensions, complained that under existing circumstances one could not pass along the footpatli with an umbrella hoisted without the said umbrella knocking against the signboards here and there.

( All this trouble about footpaths, and the footpaths are not the best feature of Stratford by any mean*. A very large proportion of the paths cannot be described even as good, because the material used in their construction is very light and pliable, and is unsuitable for unkerbed paths. Stratford borough is a pretty big area, and the buildings extend in all directions. Tho plea of the residents in the outlying portions for footpaths has been so insistent, and the funds at the disposal of the Council so small, that a sort of makeshift path, gravelled biit unkerbed, has apparently become a standard. vSome time ago a loan was proposed to be raised, and a portion of it was to be expended in im- . proving the footpaths. But the proposal ] was knocked on the head.

The loan proposal will be revived, presumably, one of these days, and this development will follow the waking up of the people to the fact that the borough water supply ie a thing to be vastly improved.- There are no filters. The water is taken out of the Patea river and brought into town direet. It is a muddy water, and it has a mossy, earthy taste, so cold water drinking is not greatly indulged in, I should say. It is the lot of a man, 'tis said, to eat a peck of dirt in his lifetime. The man who takes a couple of tumbl erfuls of water daily from' the Stratford water mains will probably I get many times his allotted peck. It is rather remarkable that in a town which J is looked upon as one of the most pro-1 gressive in the Dominion there should be J this ' t very serious defect in the public] services.

TKe inscribed public debt of the Stratford borough is £22,009 17s sd, and the half-yearly interest payable amounts to £386 14s 6d. This payment will require to be authorised at the next meeting of the Council.

The municipal offices close for the Christmas holidays on Saturday, 23rd, re-opening on January S. The municipal library will be closed .from' December 23 .to .January Q, except on Saturday and Thursday afternoons between t and 3 o'clock, and on Saturday evenings from 7 to 8. There was a torrential downpour this morriing, and'it lasted for several hours. People who had to face it enjoyed themselves backwards. The. side-channels and culverts were full to overflowing. Sev-; oral small creeks were so swollen that the culverts were un'able to get the water away, and the water flowed over the ljoads in several places. The Patea riverforgpt iits jusua} chattering and bubr Ming" in ftnd,,about .and/round the boulders,' and,jn an hpur or two was a foaming rtiountain torrent. The rain effectu-, ally, fettled the various inter-club ath-. letic|flx'tur.es,''llie''terinis lawns being un : , der wat«r'4uriig morning and too soft : .fpr pray' when the sky cleared shortly after midday.