Stratford News.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 183, 9 January 1912, Page 3

Stratford News.

UNIVERSAL HALF-HOLIDAY. To the' Editor. j Sir, —I venture to ask foi? space for a letter concerning the above. My Chamber has been active in this matter since the beginning of October last with a view to the amicable establishment of a universal half-holiday for Taranald. The result is that the following towns hare declared in favor of Saturday: ■ New Plymouth, Waitara, Stratford, Patea, Manaia, and Raponga. Inglewood prefers Thursday, but would: probably agree to Saturday, and Normanby would adopt Hawera's cho'ice. Unanimity of councils and boards is, of course, .essen-1 tial, andi my Chamber sincerely regrets that Hawera and Eltham have not advised us of their views. Pursuance of the matter at this stage would probably . end in confusion, and my Chamber deems ■ ( it advisable l to abandon the project in view of the necessity of the half-holiday being fixed this month. Efforts in the same direction may meet with a. more fruitful result next year. Thanking you in anticipation.—l am, etc., J. B. RICHARDS, Hon. Sec. Stratford Chamber «f Commerce. . THE PEA RIFLE NUISANCE. Sergeant MeNeely, in replying to the iTown Clerk's letter regarding the necessity for preventing the use of firearms, in the borough, writes: "The police will I use their best endeavors to put a stop to the dangerous , practice. During the last month I have spent some time in the more remote part's of the borough with a view to ascertaining if the use of I firearms is prevalent amongst the youths of this town, but up to the present I have been unable to obtain aijy evidence to support a prosecution. However, the matter .will be. kept in view, and if* an opportunity occurs, prompt steps will ] be taken to. secure the punishment of of- " fenders*." i ' —. — | AN OLD SETTLER'S DEATH. ■ f The death occurred \vith tragic sudden- | ness to-jday of Mr. Harry Walter Huggett, one of the oldest settlers in the Stratford district, and stated' by' some old residents to-day to have been- the first man to attempt to.make q, home in . the bush wilderness which then, occupied the spot \Vfre'rl» 'this thriving centre stands to-day. Mr. Huggett's death was i the result of $n accident' which occurred . just before. Christmas. "He fell/ off ■ a mowing machine, and broke several of : his- ribs,, one'"' of which, it .is stated, pierced Ijhe lung. Dr. Steven attended him at the' time 'ofi thie accident, ''his regular riiedical adviser, Dr. Carbery, be-' iqg then out- pf town.- for a few days, -i He seemed to be making good progress, : and only yesterday morning told,a friend ' that he pxpeoted to be out working in-* t the fields again;in : the course of a week ■ or so. An hour later, the same friend Was passing the h.ouse_, when h.e learned, ] that Mr. Huggett was dangerously ill. 1 In a few minutes Jie ;\yas gone, carried off ! by a severe burst of' coughing before 1 the medicdl men,, w&o were 1 instantly 1 summoned, totiJd'Teach ihe fibuse. The 1 late Mr. fiuggett was born at Tunbridge ' I Wells, in Kent; 30pi&S9 jfears'ajgd; and., came out'to New Zealand when quite aJ ' young mart. ! Foi .'o«er thirty y&ars lie 1 has been a' hard-wor'king, honored ahd .1 respected president' of ISie Stratford di»- '■ trict, living f®r rmJuiy oh "thfe Flint < road. He sold 3iis farm there a 'coifple of years ago ioJ'thj and' ' Pastoral Association, And' pdrt it is ] used by them' fafr the purposes of the ' ] show. For sotne time ipast 'he lias been 1 a warm supporter, of thie Primitive Metk- s odist Church.. He was a man of most. 1 generous, itapuls,e,: and his many kindly 1 acts will I'ong be remembered by many. He leaves a widow/ 'three sons, and a * daughter. Mr? Albert Huggett is it. home, managing ithe Harm; Mar. William Huggett is 1 in •ij.'uekfand, and Mr. Arthur Huggett is engaged %n the electrical - staff of the Tokotnaru freezing works; .- Mrs. Lilley," the.' only daughter, is residing at- Hamilton. The funeral will probably take plade oii Wednesday afternoon. ' GENERAL NEWS. The Rev. B.' IMetson will not leave until Tliursllay Jto attend the Primitive / Methodist conference at Christchurch, < owing to'the death of Mr. H. W. Hug- ' gett. - ' There is some s doubt expressed now as to whether the Midhirst school picnic

From Our Resident Reporter.

can be held on February Bth as notified. Owing to the Hawera/races 'being held

on that date the Railway Department may not have the rolling stock to spare. Master Kenneth, Wilson, the little five-year-old son of Mr. Arnold Wilson, who was Tecently operated on in the local hospital for appendicitis, was operated on yesterday by Drs. Steven and Carbery for the same complaint. Miss Bredon, who was injured in the Palmerston North railway accident, is well known in Stratford, where she is employed' in the office at Mr. B. Harkness' engineering works. Mrs. W. Buckle, of Hawera, whose death was announced in this morning's paper, is a sister of Mrs. Moir and Miss Coffey, of Stratford.

The fire brigade carnival ended up on Saturday .night. There was a good , house, and the performance went with a swing that was a credit to all concerned. Unfortunately for the 'brigade three performances were necessary before the public werw at all convinced that the local dancing talent was worth going to see. Had the support on those three opening nights been what it should have been, if only out of a desire to help the brigade, the funds would ) have benefited to a much greater extent. As it is, Professor Cardston and all the performers must be congratulated' on "the successful staging of the daneing. It is suggested that the brigade might endeavor to hold a 'function at Eastertide, and put half a dozen of these, dances on the evening's programme, j Mr. P. J. Sheridan, manager at the J Stratford municipal abattoirs, and Govennment meat inspector for the district,, will take up duties as meat inspector at the Waitara freezing works, working in conjunction with Mr. Broom, of the Ag-/ ricultural Department's office at New; Plymouth. H© will be succeeded 1 here! by Mr. Spilman, but the change will not take place until Mr. Sheridan's t«--signation has .been accepted by the Borough Council and his successor appointed, The Christian Endeavor Society in connection with the Wesley Church will, hold an anniversary social on Wedras-' day evening next in the Foresters' Hall to celebrate its anniversary. The programme will comprise musical items, competitions, etc., and there will probably 'headdresses also from Mr. Dixon, of Hawera, and Sir. Russell, of Wavers ley, president and vice-president respectively of the Taranaki Christian Endeavorers' Union.

• On Thursday afternoon the return match between the W.Y.M.I, and St. Andrew's lawn tennis clubs will be played on the St. Andrew's lawns. On Sunday a young man named Walter Burton, aged about 24 years of • age, was brought into Stratford suffering from severe injuries, to his head sustained by a young horse rearing itself up and landing with its hoof oh his head, fracturing the skull. The sufferer was taken to) Nurse Stronach's private hospital and attended by Dr. Menzies, who had to rport to trephining, a difficult surgical operation, in order to release the pressure on the brain. Burton is an employee of Mr. \Knuckey, on the Eawhitiroa road* and' has only been out/ from Home about a year. ; A start has been made with the alterations of the Territorial offices to meet the-requirements of Mr. W. t>< Molone's legal business. The Defence Forces' ' staff will move into Mr. Makme's'present offices in Broadway south. T During the recent heavy rains, when, the wash-6ut occurred on the Monmouth road, the! creek running through the/ ' municipal abattoir paddocks reached an unprecedented height, and some of the stock bridges and some of the fences were, washed away. It will cost prob- \ ably £3O-to £4O to repair the damage.