GENERAL NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 192, 12 February 1912, Page 3

GENERAL NEWS.

There was food for a splendid laugh in a little incident in Broadway the Other day. There's an old song about "a bicycle built for two." But when two people try to get on a bicycle that is obviously only strongly enough for one there's trouble. In this case a cyclist was pedalling his way down Broadway, when a pal jumped on behind. The bike wasn't equal to the occasion, and the back wheel crumpled up like a piece of tin. A cycle doctor was at hand, and he got a job. whilst the duo-cyclists wont on their way. Moral: Have a bike of your own. Mr. .J. L. Bruce, assistant director of the live stock division of the Department of Agriculture, v.lio was on a visit to Stratford in company with Major Young, Government Veterinarian, returned to Wan;.rMnui by to-day's train.

Drivt-j s ami e v i-li= us note with pleasure that tin; borough workmen are engaged in raking the loose stories oil the streets. The dry spell has broken up the surface badly. The loose stones are mostly worn river stones. There's nothing like broken metal, well, rolled in.

The tarring of the footpaths in 'Broadway is proceeding. L was going to say it proceeds aprce. So it does proceed at a pace, but at a pace that no one need crow about. 15y careful computation, a well-known mathematician has estimated that this new tar will not be ■worn off one end of the street before the tarring stall' arrives at the other.

, The Stratford Di f. nee Rille Club is not making many new members. Only eight or len men take part in tha weekly matches. There are various excuses for non-membership, the principal being want of time. Some allege, too, "that rifle-shooting is too expensive a pastime for most. Could any special inducements be offered to new members?

'Friday night was very chilly for February. Some consider there was a bit of a frost, but the vegetation shows no bad effects of it.

There's a very hopeful tone in Stratford just now. .Retailers seem to be doing very fair business, despite the lessened milk yield caused by the bad weather during spring and the greater part of summer. There is a fair enquiry, too, for town properties, and people with the speculative 'instinct are laying hold of anything offering at fair market value. Recently several properties which changed hands were sold again in a few days at a considerable advance. The dearth of business premises continues, and good houses are still wanted for tenants.

| Stratford is keen on politics, and to- ■ day there are little knots of men in the ! streets anxiously discussing the political situation. As usual, there are divided opinions as to what the 15th will bring forth. Parliament meets on that day, and our local street-corner politicians profess to be able to prophesy what will occur. As showing that all don't know about it, I may mention that one old gentlemen, with flowing beard and active walking-stick, declared to me by the heads of his nine sisters that the Premier won't last a day when the House meets. Another old chap, almost choleric in his excitement, offered to bet my friend a mustard plaster to an ounce of green gooseberries that the present Government would see the present session out, and the next. Still another man, a farmer of some standing, reckoned that ■ if we could get 'hold of Mr. M.assey'* good points and graft them on to th* best trees in Sir Joseph's orchard, cutting out the weak branches in each party, the country would grow good fruit.

At a meeting of the executive committee of the Stratford Agricultural, and \ Pastoral Association on Friday it was | decided to interview the Town Band in J reference to playing at the autumn gym- / kana. The meeting adopted the pro-1 gramme as already published, and a com-. mittee, consisting of Messrs. Kirkwood/ Good, Hobbs, Masters and Malone, was set up to draft conditions. The appointment of a secretary to succeed Mr. E. Jackson will be discussed at next Saturday's general committee meeting, as well as the question of licensed booth at the Easter gymkana and leasing of the showground for farming. Mr. D. Ogilvy, manager of the Cardiff Dairy Co., who has been appointed manager of the Kaupokonui Dairy Co., was entertained at a social on Friday night and presented with a silver tea service.