Our Stratford Page

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 204, 26 February 1912, Page 3

Our Stratford Page

} Stratford, Saturday.

OUR TOWN HALL.

The Stratford Town Hall is not wel {situated. In the days of its ierection ii seemed more accessible than now. Julie! J street was more frequently used for foot traffic, perhaps, in those days. The Central Co-operative Stores were doing a retail trade. There were popular dental rooms round there. The big Trocaderc boarding-house was situated on the corner of the street. And the "Egmont Settler" issued from premises towards the Fenton street end. All these have passed'. The store is used as a bulk store only, with retail premises in Broadway. The dental chambers have been succeeded by an industrious Chinese laundryman. The "Settler" was merged away eight or nine years ago. The Trocadero, then populated by thirty or forty people, and with several well tenanted shops, is represented to-day by a blackened waste and an unsightly heap of burned and rusting roofing iron. The glory of Juliet street, then, has departed. The timber yard and the engineering works are there, as of yore. But the growing railway traffic has made it k necessary to proclaim "no thoroughfare" across the railway yard, at one time a "short cut" to the Town Hall and the businesses /adjacent v thereto Now the longest way round, "if not the shortest, isthe cheapest, for crossing the railway lines in the yard is an offence. In the daytime the inconvenience is not so great. But at night one cannot fail to notice the wretched lighting of the street. An enterprising picture theatre proprietor in Broadway lights up a great sign at night that all the world that cares may know the theatre is open. One has' to strike matches to And the kerbing in Juliet street on .the way to the hall that is owned by the and which isn't used as much as the people i would like. Perhaps if Juliet street were better illuminated, particularly near the hall, it would become better liked. At: any rate, on those e occasions'" when the hall is in use, the general public would be glad of a little more light. A. & P. ASSOCIATION. MEETING OF EXECUTIVE. At a meeting of the executive committee held on Friday night there we're present: Messrs W." P. Kirkwood, president (in the chair), R. Masters, R. Dingle, J. D. Healy, H. Good, S. M. Por- j ritt, and' R. McK. Morison. j It was decided to call tenders for grazing the showgrounds. A letter from Mr. Bayly in reference to the association having cut a paddock for hay was referred to the president and Mr. Dingle with power to act. The following committees were set up: Messrs. Dingle, Hobbs and Porritt, grounds committee; Messrs. Healy and Sangster, building Messrs. Kirkwood, Masters, and Dingle, finance committee; and Messrs. Kirkwood and R. Masters an advertising committee. The matter of erecting a, porch to the stewards' room and other improvements was referred to the building committee to report at next meeting. , Sundry minor matters, such as the lending of a tent to the Midhirst picnio committee, and details in regard to the gymkhana on Easter Monday were referred to sub-committees with power to act. "'■ •'' ■' ,

STRATFCJRD GUN CLUB The results of the Stratford Gun Club's first shoot, held on the racecourse a week ago, are now available. They were previously withheld, owing to the handicapper not having completed Ms duties. The scores were:— Cup.—H. Campbell 37, W. R. Foley 36, A. Scott 31, H. R. Wickham 30, H. Voyle 28, G. D. Hunter 27, E. Kirkwood 26, R. Handley 24. Sweepstake.—H. Campbell (scr) 26, A. Scott (scr) 25, W. R, Foley (scr) 23G. D. Hunter' (4) 22, H. R. Wickham (ecr) 21, E. Kirkwood (8) 20. AGRICULTURAL SHOW. A LITTLE SUPPER ' A little supper followed the. closing of the show x>n Friday night, and most of the officials attended, the president (Mr. T. Reader) presiding. In happy style he tendered the. ihanks of the society in judges and • stewards; ,and to the exhibitors, parjeularly to Mr.'F. Weetbury, of the Hutt, who had brought up such a. splendid exhibition of fruit and vegetables "for exhibition only." Mr. Westbury sent a few exhibits a year or two ago, and took prizes. Next, lie sent up a big number of entries, and swept the board. Thinking that it was "hardly good enough" to walk off with the prizemoney, he being a professional gardener, he made his prize-money a donation to the society. This year he 6ent along a great collection of stuff, was given a certificate of merit, gained much kudos for the excellence of his. growing, and now, at this little supper, the president expressed the 1 society's warm appreciation of his interest and his "sporting" spirit, and presented him with the Royal Horticultural Society's bronze medal. Mr. Westbury evidently appreciated the presentation, and in returning thanks made many complimentary references to , the, management of the show and the ! courtesy extended to him on all hands. Mr. R. McK. Morison also spoke on behalf of the society. The president's wife, a great enthusiast in horticultural matters and in the society, expressed appreciation of the services of the secretary, Mr. S. Cato. The society has a wonderfully good secretary, and he proves the truth of Mr. Walter Amburv's maxim that it's the busiest man who finds most time to devote to public and semi-public affairs. In replying, Mr. Cato said he wasn't too pleased with the I financial result* of the show, and felt that he might have been more energetic himself, with better results to the society, an opinion which found no supporter or seconder. Two or three gentlemen have mentioned since that the one thing needful was decent weather, and as that wasn't in the secretary's keeping he could hardly be held responsible for its vagaries. The secretarial and managerial duties were nil that anyone could wish, and the society is fortunate indeed in its secretary.' THE C. E. UNION From Mr. D. Evans, the secretary of the local Methodist C.E. Society, who at-. i-ended the meeting, I gather that the executive committee of the South Taranaki C.E. Union met at Hawem on Thursday night at 8 p.m.' There were present: Messrs. Dixon (president), Russell (vice-president), Miss Squire (secretary), and delegates from the Hawera Presbyterian Societv, Kakaramea Society, and Hawera, Patea, and Stratford

* From Our Resident Reporter. * * Office: No. 3, York Chambers, Stratford. , *

Methodist societies. The president reported that new societies had been formed in the Wesley Church, Eltham, and the WMteley Memorial Church, New Plymouth, and it was decided to invite these societies to join the union. The annual convention will be held as usual on Good Friday in the Methodist Church at Hawera. It was also decided that as no nomination had come forward fbr officers of the union for the ensuing year, the societies be written to asking for nominations. ■ ■ ~ Other business of a routine nature waft I gone through, and it was decided that the executive committee meet again I about a fortnight before the convention. I At this meeting a notice of motion to alter several points in the constitulon will be considered, and final arrangements will be made for the rally. BIBLE CLASS UNION A TARANAKI CENTRE FORMED. At the last camp of the New Zealand Bible Class Union permission was given to Taranaki Bible classes to form a centre in Taranaki. Accordingly a meeting of delegates was held in the Wesley Church, StTatford, on Thursday afternoon last, and it was. decided to" form a \ centre, wity headquarters at Stratford, on _ account' of its central situation. Owing to the very short notice it was I decided not to hold a camp in the province this year, but the annual meeting will be held at Hawera on Good Friday. It is hoped that all Bible classes will affiliate.

GENERAL NEWS A visitor to Stratford this morning stood and watched the man in charge of the water-cart fill it, and he drew my attention to the manner of doing it. The hose conection is fixed to a plug in the middle of the road,, and the water is admitted from there. This means) that the driver has to dismount from the cart, and, further, the outflow from the hose has the effect of washing a hole in the metal just at the plug. In most towns water-carts are filled from stand-pipes, which do away with the necessity for the driver getting- off, the cart, and thereby save a good deal of time, besides preserving the roadway. A lady who strolled into King Edward Park yesterday afternoon wonders why, there is no provision made for persons who enjoy sitting in the sun. All the seats are in the shade!

Madame Bernard, proprietress of His Majesty!s Theatre, has offered to give a cinematgraph entertainment in aid of a fund to establish a library for,the fire brigade. The'-brigade received the offer last night, and'accepted it amidst applause. The Midhirst Methodist Sunday School 1 scholars, to the number .of about eighty, picnicked at Ngaere' Gardens to-day. Mr Fred<Browne, formerly in business here, and a brother of Mr. Geo. Browne, Mayor of New ; Plymouth, was in Stratford to-day, aad -seemed tp enjoy meeting his oldlriends.' lA's an'old councillor, he would- doubtless have liked to have been here during the electric light controversy. •> - J ° An effort rs to be made to form a beautifying association in Stratford. There's lots of seoje. l /[ \ Already-preliminary arrangements are* being made, phear,.to establish a erym-\ nasium in-Strjitfqrd this winter. ° - Thei judge-iii the farm produce section at the Horticultural Show this week remarked' that\ he, had never seen finer I swedes" than th'o'se exhibited by Mr. J. Copestake, tyia't is,- at this time of the year, i Thes(e"fine roots are now on view at Messrs. Young, Hobbs andCo.'s stores m Regan street. Though only about half-matured, the' best of them weighs just upon-13 p6unde, and the exhibit is of a very evihiquality throughout. They are Garton's Superlatives, the seed having been obtained,from Messrs. Young Hobbs and CbJ ,