Stratford Hews.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 100, 5 January 1912, Page 3

Stratford Hews.

From Our Resident Reporter.

DANCING CAENIVAL

GENERAL NEWS.

n . •BOWLING/'"' ' , "

.:.■■ THE WEATHER; ;

Tliow who have not yet been to see the "Dancing Tour of the World*" should make a point of attending, for some of the item* are fully up to professional standard. Wednesday night's programme introduced several new numbers, and the repeated items were a great improvement upon the first night's performance. The nervousness- has worn off, and the dancers are now entering into their work with confidence and zest. The performers are particularly good in those dances composed of lively steps. The slower movements are more difficult, requiring a great deal of practice, but here the work could be greatly im-; proved by smartening up the time. The Japanese item is a splendid cur-tain-raiser, the kiniono-ctad children going through their evolutions with daintiness and grace, and making just those little mistakes now and again that remind us that these little mite are not fairies but flesh and blood. There is a total absence of self-consciousness, and the item is very pretty, and very popular. Among the new numbers on Wednesday night was the sailors' hornpipe by six girls. The steps were correct, and every movement full of graee. An encore was demanded, and will be asked for every time these clever dancers ap-' pear. The "Electrical Swing Song" is undoubtedly a star attraction. Swings are gaily decorated with colored "electric lights, and are "manned" by young ladies in charming toliettes reuoient of the stage. The swings are propelled by men in pierrot attire, and the effect is very pretty indeed, as the swings are set moving to the music of a fine chorus, four of the swings coming right out over the orchestral stalls. "Every ship will find a harbor," sings little Miss Eileen -Barnard. Her remarkable cleverness is explained when one learns that she is not at all unfamiliar with the boards. Her singing is good, her roguishness irresistible, and her dancing pretty, whilst; a piquancy is lent by her somersaults and double somersaults, which are "thrown" with, the utmost ease. Then there is little Miss Pattie Ellicott, probably the most versatile danseuse who has performed on the local stage. She sings well, but dances better. Her dancing might easily be termed the poetry of motion. There are other young ladies \ of excellent promise, too, who do all their work in a" style that warrants the remark that Professor Cardston is a very proficient' instructor. The final tableau loses by reason of th-ei fact that it is unannounced; and many people have 'already left their seats before the curtain rises upon this beautifhi grouping. 'The "Gay Par.ee" : fantastic march is highly diverting.. The programme for Friday andi Saturday is to contain still further attractions. ■■> ■ ' '

The attendance so. far has not bedn up to expectations. The" fact is mentioned that many, of the • largest propertyholders in the borough, men who have lots to lose in a fire, if the fire 'brigade { becomes defunct or,inefficient, have not] i yet been seen am'ojigst the audiences. J One would think people would gladly 1 { help a fire brigade, when it tries to help ] itself in this way- Y " .jEhe,brigade,.is out to") v , [Obtain "the necessary'? for the purchase of more modern ..equipment. They are volunteers. They ask voluntary ■ assistance, and give gqodj; value for the money paid at the doors. Better to pay this' .way than through the rates, isn't it?! The prices for the-remaining nights are 1 j ..lowered to two shillings a,nd & shilling, 'and. the last performance takes place on Saturday night. , ,\

..' -An old bowler, in conversation with me this morning, remarked that the country, cJubs have reason ii<v-be dissatisfied with' the management of the bowling tournament which' opens" at Wellington „jiext Monday, The Stratford Club' is to lie represented by two rinks, and there are eleven Tarsinaki rinks all told. Now, .these bowlers.go to Wellington for entjqyment, but. principally to gain experience' by meeting bowlers, of other elubs. •But for the most part the Taranaki men i could get just <a,S: mjich experience by 'staying at home, peeing-that four:.of these rinks play against; each other in -.snetion E. two in;sectiojvF, and "two in '.section A. Against r,this,-ds the fact ■ tljat the Wellington Gi,ty Clubs' ten rinks do. not meet, one another in section 'play, one being drawn.lor. each section, I ' and the same remark applies to the ten rinks semt down by the Auckland City 'and suburbs. r Other'.'Wellington■ clubs ■ icompeting are/Vic'toMa .!(five .rinks), ■ Newtown (seven rink's),''and Tjiorndton .(four rinks), and' in two .rinks of any of these clubs set down to 'ineet one .another. "TIW bowler, referred to says that the Taranaki ciubs might ■just as well hold a tournament and send .th'e- winning rinks'to Wellington if this is to be the treatment .'meted out to them in the big: toarnamentj Probably this view will be' plaeeibbtifore the other <bbwlers during the tournament by some of the. country players, /with a, view of having the seheme.rof drawing'improved. I

• I almost forgot.''to mention {hat we . :,have had a fine d.ty'i6.-dayS, making the 'second for the week. The official recorder states that last,month there were .'eight days on which no i;ain fell-. 'Twould ; .be folly, I suppose,, .to io.ub|Lthe acci.tr- :. acy of the instruments^,-,but. it would | puzzle a good many folk to locate those < eight days. On. Decertify*. '.2gth, Thurs::j<lay last, we inches in I 24 hours, a record' for, the., month, and the wettest day of .the,'yea-j\ - In. Christmas week! The...average • p:a.iniall perl V month in 1911 was. 0.037 ijicties. In the L - -months of January, March,,'.and August I e the rainfall was less than half this -quaiir.' tity, being 2.88, 2.38, and 2,-72 . inches' f ; .respectively. December helped along a tile average with 14.10 inches, and the .1 second wettest month' was April, with t 9.95 inches. December was. the only' n .month to g«t into double-figures, as the l- cricket scribe _ says. .' We -'had -171 wet ;e , days, 'Tnglevoo'd beating us -bj" two days. sr But there the rainfall for the year was 89.50 inches, beside ■■■ vhteh kxv_ '72.45 r- inches look a comparative drought. Only t a_puflT of wind prevented.3 ngle wood tope, ping the record with four' inches far the [J wettest day, 3.00 inches falling; on 9th f, .Tuly last. Poor little Eltham had to be content with 50.19 .Miches, which: is a disappointing volume of water for 168 a I wet days. That chap up Waihi way 1 reckons we're to get some fine weafchei „ from January 12th. May his prognosti cation prove true is the "earnest wish oi § everybody, I guess, on this particular ( portion of the planet. g j Apropos the weather, a man in busi nesa here reckons the shipping strike a • Home and the labor troubles generall; havo had something to do with it. Hi

opinion is that the dislocation of all seagoing traffic at Home some months ago prevented the usual consignment of rain being forwarded in time for last weather, and that the line weather parcel was withheld by the exporting firm until the delayed wet weather should have been used up! Speculation of this sort does no harm at all. It prevents a fellow getting the "blues," but it doesn't changei the weather.

The arrival of the iron horse in W'lkangamomona is not being hastened by wet weather. The almost continuous heavy rains have caused half the countryside to get on the move, so 'tis said. This may be drawing the long bow, but it is a fact that much of the railway formation has slipped away, whilst other portions are blocked by slips of the * treacherous papa country. It is said t that' deviations will have to be put in y to enable material to be got on to the bridge sites. Talk about ullage and pillage on the a ocean liners! You ought to try ship-J 1 ping a dozen cases of whisky through to i] Whangamomona. 'X.uff said! The Midhirst school picnic is to be held at Te Henui beach on February Bth. Mr. Charlie Seabright is secretary to the committee, and he informs me that there will be a very big gathering at this popular resort. The picnickers will leave Midhirst at 9.40 a.m. and return home at fi.2B p.m., which as a ' fairly long day, and by the liberal concessions offered by the Railway Department the trip costs the schoolchildren only a shilling a head, sixpence more for the senior scholars and teachers, and l two shillings for adults. These are real reductions, eh? The school committee is II going to provide hot water, tea, milk,' * and sugar, so that there isn't much left] n for paterfamilias to do, is there? •. J The Stratford children will go to Moturoa as usual, a week earlier. The premises owned toy Mr. F. W. Wftke in Broadway central, and occupied until recently by Mr. J. W. Simmons' dining-rooms, are now in the hawfe of workmen, who are converting them ] into a suite of offices for Mr. Wake's legal business. ■' s The water-cart was out this afternoon. \ fi A parade t>f the 11th Territorial Regi- *■ ment will take place to-night ('Friday) n in the old Masonic Hall at 8 o'clock. A full muster is "ordered. The Rev. B. Metson, and Mr. E. G. *\ Foster and, Mrs. Parker leave next * Tuesday to attend the Primitive Methodist Conference. ; B