Stratford News

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 281, 24 May 1912, Page 3

Stratford News

From our Resident Reporter. Broadway Xorth, next Loan & Mercantile Agency Co. WATER, WATEK EVERYWHERE. Somehow or other, water forms the subject of a great deal of talk in Stratford, both in municipal circles and outside of that privileged section of the body politic. For a long time past there has been an almost incessant muttering about the murky fluid, which finds it way into bath and kettle from the municipal mains, but as yet the improvement of the supply has not been tackled in a business-like style. The suggestion is made that the Patea river is the wrong source for a water supply, and that the mains should be extended to take the Waingongoro, which, being interpreted, means "snoring water." One advocate of this scheme has introduced another letter of the alphabet, and assures anyone who will listen to him that the water in that stream is ''snorting water," which is but his way of referring to its excellence. ''Snoring water," with an extra "t," becomes "snorting J water" for tea. But enough of this, the j pen is running wild. The solution of that problem, or the purifying of the i solution, is not yet; and Stratford folk are fast accumulating the peck of dirt which it is decreed that each must swallow in a lifetime. By the way, what happens if the peck is disposed of in a comparatively few years? Is it like the allotted span of three score years and ten—liable to be exceeded in the case of good, healthy mortals—or does the announcement of the fulfilment of the peck of dirt mission sound the deathknell of the dirt gourmand ? The matter is one that may be deserving of the notice of the Borough Councillors, for anything that will interfere with the' longevity of the inhabitants of the borough must not be tolerated. There is another watery debate just now, and it concerns the collection of the water rate. The Council has decreed that the amount of water rates to be collected this year shall be merely sufficient to pay interest on the loan. This is, no doubt, "within the meaning of the Act," but there appears to have been in the minds of Borough Councillors "confusion worse confounded" regarding the water revenue. The water supply scheme was carried out about nine years ' ago, and the money therefor was borrowed from the Government under the Local Bodies Loans Act. The amount was £BOOO. The interest and sinking fund on the loan have to be paid by a special rate levied over the whole borough, and this has been done consistently. Apart from this there is a rate of 6d in the pound collected from users of the water, and half-rate on proper- ' ties unserved by the supply, but within a certain distance of the main. This is I for ordinary domestic supply. On top ' of this is the charge made by the Coun- i cil to users of water motors, etc., and this is classed as extraordinary supply. ' The effect of the resolution of the | Council will probably be to reduce the 1 charges' made upon users of the water, whilst the borough treasurer will go on collecting the special rate from every ratepayer in the borough, notwithstanding the fact that inhabitants of a large area are still unserved by the water scheme. These are the people who take exception to the decision of the Council, contending that they are paying for something they do not get, and paying for something the other fellow gets, when, by slightly increasing the charge for extraordinary supply, or by charg- J ing for all extraordinary supplies, the j special rate need no longer be collected. Further, it is argued that if the extra- ' ordinary supplies to people connected' with the drainage .system were charged for, as is the case in other boroughs, there would be a good surplus in the water account, and this might be used in extending the mains to the "dry" areas of the borough. It is, so the opponents of the Council's decision state, unusual to collect special rates to pay interest on loans which can be made iself-supporting by the sale of the com--inodity made available by the loan. Thus a municipal electric lighting scheme entails no burden of rating on the people so long as the electric lighting department shows a profit. Usually, too, i. the water supply is looked upon as a sort of commercial undertaking, and is I made to pay its way. It is not necessary to go into figures to prove that such a scheme is a commonsense one. The revenue derived from the water rate in Stratford has not been sufficient to pay interest and cost of maintenance, for the interest .has,always.,been met put of special rate. On a loan like this, with its liability spread over the whole of ( the borough, is one on which the in,tere3t can be paid out of general rates, and there is an idea abroad that this should be done, and the water account made self-supporting as well. The motion to rescind the Council's decision was lost on the casting vote of the 'Mayor, on whose initiative the resolution itself was minuted. At Monday night's meeting at least one councillor voted against the motion to rescind whilst lie admitted that he had previously misunderstood the position and assisted to place the reduction resolution on the minutes. Should the matter be brought up again, the position will be interesting. . _ .

BERNARD'S PICTURES. Some people have the showman instinct.' Barnum had it. So has the manager or the proprietress of His Majesty's Pictures —perhaps both have it. Anyhow, the audi', r: " was glad on •Wednesday night when, as a prelude to a pretty and thrilling Irish dramatic series, Mr. Sid Bernard played the cornet solo, "Killarney." The treatment was excellent, and the sympathetic ac- ■ companiment, played by Miss Crozier, assisted to the full. Thp. audience clamored for more, and refused to be quiet until the dulcet strains of the cornet announced the second performance. The grand change of programme last niglii drew the usual good house. "The New Superintendent," an oilfields drama, evoked the utmost enthusiasm, the lire, the explosion, and the hero's deed of der-ring-do making a great impression. There was a firmament of star pictures, including a wonderful natural history series. This programme runs to-night and to-morrow night. Parents are reminded of Saturday's matinee at 2.30. A full programme will be screened.

COMMERCIAL Mr. T. Lamason, Stratford, reports as follows:—Last Saturday I held my usual weekly sale at the Mart. Owing to tlie very wet weatiter in the morning only a moderate entry of liirds came to hand. The prices were very satisfactory. There is a good demand for good birds, and if farmers would try and go in for good killing sorts there is a very good market in prospect for them. A very large quantity of vegetables came to hand, and the market is rather glutted. I quote as follows: Roosters Is Gd to 2s Id, cockerels Is 3d to Is !)d, liens Is .to Is Cd, pullets 2s to 3s, cabbage 2s 6d to 3s per sack, parsnips Gd to 9d per bag, marrows Od to Is each, cauliflowers g

per doz. Furniture, etc., brought usual auction rates. "SCOTS WHA HAE!" No need to remind Scots of the great Scottish gathering to-night in the Stratford Town Hall. They're coming from near and far, and, knowing this, the local committee of the society, together with a ladies' committee, of whom the town seems to have reason to be proud, is making great preparations. There's a musical programme par excellence, and a supper a grade better than that, and a dance where all may enjoy themselves to the full. Needless'to say, townspeople are going to turn up in force, and they are expeeting a great time. GENERAL NEWS Messrs, McMillan and Frederic, whose name is synonymous with the "Sims" weighing machine in the dairying world, have just placed nine of these fine machines with the Eltham Dairy Company, in competition with and after full investigation of and comparison with other makes. The order means something like £4OO to pay into the firm's account. The Egm'ont Club's newly-formed debating society held its first meeting last night. The Operatic Society is getting along well with "Pinafore." On Monday evening the Orchestral Society and the operatic folk had the first combined practice. Miss Ethel Black, a useful member of the Stratford Operatic Society, who is leaving Stratford, was made the recipient of a presentation from the members of the Society at Monday's practice. Mr. T. C. Giubb, conductor, made the presentation, and Mr. X. F. Dunlop replied on Miss Black's behalf. A contingent of Boy Scouts from Stratford will visit Wellington to receive the Chief Scout, General Baden-Powell, of Mafeking fame. The Egmont Club will hold its second "open night" on June 3. The social evening tendered by the members to their friends on the opening night is still pleasantly remembered, and there will doubtless be as great a success to record this time. A young man named Buchanan, employed by Mr. Stockley, at Kiore, was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday, suffering from an injury to his knee, the result of a kick from a horse.