Stratford News

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 313, 1 July 1912, Page 3

Stratford News

From our Resident Reporter. ' SCHOOL COMMITTEES' FINANCES INADEQUATE CAPITATION ALLOWANCES. Mr. P. Skogluiid, chairman of the Stratford District High School committee, has received from the Eltham school committee a copy of that committee's appeal to be made to the Education Commission for placing school committees of the larger schools upon a better financial basis than that existing at present, The position of the Eltham committee is not uncommon, and the appeal will probably be supported in most places. Hie caretaking duties demand sie whole of a man's time, and this means an expenditure of £l2l a year. There are the primary, district high, and technical school buildings to attend to, as well as the school baths. In the case of Eltham, the .salary paid to the caretaker is about double the whole capitation received by the committee. On top of this the committee has to pay cost of heating the rooms, repairs, stationery, etc. The revenue from the capitation was £7l in all last year. The balance over and above the capitation had to be raised locally in various ways and with no little difficulty, and, worst of all, from very uncertain sources. Even if the present capitation allowance were doubled the committee would still 'have a considerable sum to raise locally, and this they might do cheerfully, but they object to being called upon, year after year, to raise locally no less than about two-thirds of the cost of maintaining the j school. ° i

In the course of conversation on Saturday with Mr. T. IT. Penn, secretary of the Stratford District High School committee for more years than half of our people have spent in Taranaki, 'he said that the Eltham committee seemed to be in a bad way. In the Stratford school the stationery account is made to pay for itself, the committee buying stationery and charging parents for it. The committee has not to attend to repairs, the Board employing a man for this. And the caretaker, who is a most efficient officer, does not receive anything like £l2l a year, probably only about two-thirds of that amount. The school committee, however, docs not have to pay for the cleaning of the technical school building, this being a charge upon the Education Board. "We manage to rub along all right," he said," and the people here support the committee loyally. We have little difficulty in raising what funds we require for the school. At present we are about to spend £;">0 or thereabouts in levelling and improving the playground." ! Apart from the readiness of the people here to find money for school purposes, this being brought about, to some extent, by the popularity of the teaching staff and the type of men who have controlled the affairs of the school for years past, the schools in the Taranaki education district appear to be on a "better wicket" than those in the adjoining education district. The Stratford school committee has received a circular from the Taranaki Education Board asking whether th|e committee requires the Board to put into operation in this district the compulsory clauses of the Education Act dealing with attendance at technical'and continuation classes. THE PROPOSED LOAN .

The Mayor's loan scheme has formed the basis of a tremendous policy of pro- . posed improvements. The Council tacked on a'whole lot of items on Friday, and no one knows how far the Mayor's ; £15.000 will go towards it. If the schedule is again considered, and again added to, and the Council puts that little lot before the people—why, the rest is easy to guess. At present nearly everybody' is to be given an asphalt i path and a'street light at his front gate, I or something like that, and everyone J thinks the loan is a good thing. The I pruning knife has to be wielded yet, and then, as "'in another place," the dis- i appointed people will have to be reckon- { ed with. Friday night's additions were: Regan street east, widening metal by 10ft, estimate £510; both sides of the street kerbed and channelled to the borough boundary (estimate required). Regan street west. —To be: kerbed, channel led, and metalled from Broadway to Street on the south side; and kerbed only on the north side to Hamlet street. , ;• Fenton .street east.—Kerbing from I Juliet street to Cordelia, street, esti-. mate, £4B; estimate required for .kerbling' and channelling from Broadway to t Juliet street, and from Juliet Street to Orlando street.' . ' : : Cplia street wbst.—To be metalled full width to Miranda street, and on the north side to Hamlet street'; estimate required for this, and for a proposal to • metal the street on the north side from Hamlet street to' Brecon; road, and to the borongh. boundary.. Other ;(ivoTks dfcided upon; for this street ' :-far..: faatpathil from Brecon- 1 pad to Wiekham's" gate, also kerbing, same; .kerbing i»d channelling' ,from': Broadway; to . : Miranda, street,' south'. side;--,north;-s-ide to.- bor- • ough boundary; metalling, -kerbjng, and channelling between Regan and ; Fenton streets, east side. ; , Broadway,—Estimate required, for metalling on west side and 1 , continuing channelling: on Flint road; for kerfiing (from 'the. Patea-bridge to street, 1 and fox ferbing'both sides from section 772'td the road. , . . It is reclconed that the overseer'.'will have the wbole of these estimates'rkdy in about three months. They will be discussed by the Council ip batches, as prepared. : " By the end of the 'thiee months, of'course* there'may be' further requirements! " ' ' '■ TARANAKI SCOTTISH SOCIETY.

At a meeting of the general committer of the Taranaki Provincial Scottish Society on . Friday night, Mr. J),-;Max-well presided. 1 , The secretary--(Mr. •AlecHenderson) -reported that the recent social had resulted in a substantial profit; He .also stated that 3tr.. W. .Tj>. Kennedy, the president,' haij jpreseri€eclthe society with a handsome banner, bearing the, society's crest ijni arms. Votes of thanks to the ladies' committee for their wonderfully good work for the recent social, and to the president, were passed. The committee was informed that a branch of the society was to be, formed at Inglewood, and that a function would be held to celebrate the [opening. A sub-committee was appointed to report upon the proposal to form a Scottish Club in connection with the ' society, and the best means of financing it. MIDHIRS'jr GUN CLUB The Midhirst Oun Club held a social tin the Midhirst Town Hall on Wednesday night, and the function was in every way a distinct success, sub-com-mittees having given close attention to every detail. During the evening the club's gold medal was presented to Mr. Harry Grey by Mr) Arthur "Richmond, who "rose to the occasion" in a capital speech. Excellent miisic was played by Miss McDonald and Mr. A. Kelly (violin). Songs wc;re sung bv Mi=s TT'hlenberc: and Mr. Hrfrrv Gray. Messrs. W. White and McTCkmzie were M.C.'s. The simper provided! wa,3 tasty and plentiful.

STAMLET EOAD LADIES' BALL On Friday night the young ladies of Stanley road gave a ball, and the bachelors of the district will have to "put t'heir best foot foremost" if they are to equal it. The invitations had been issued on a liberal scale', and there was an excellent response.-. The guests expressed unbounded admiration of the decorations and the capital floor, and all the other arrangements were equally good, whilst the supper was right up to I standard. The pleasure of dancing was enhanced by the excellent Msic of Miss McDonald and Mr. A. Kelly. The greatest credit must be given to the secretaries, Misses Savage and Manson, and to the M.C.'s, Misses Mischewski and Smith, who carried out their duties in an unexceptionable manner. After supper tile room was placed in charge of Mr. Linchara. Miss R. Anderson played for an extra, dance.

| BOROUGH COUNCIL ELECTION. Mr. J. H. Thompson, one of the candidates for the Borough Council, has a notice to the electors in this issue. Mr. Thompson is one of the progressive young business men of the town, and one who has lived here for seventeen years. As secretary of various organisations at various times he has become accustomed to the conduct of public business, and he should prove a good councillor. His policy, anyhow, looks all right. It is "Progress along sound business lines." FOWLS AND BABIES ON SHOW.

The Poultry, Pigeon and Baby Show, to say nothing of the root crops and canaries, will be held on Wednesday and Thursday. Ther official opening is timed for Wednesday at one o'clock, but it is not thought likely that His Worship will be asked to act as referee in the baby competition. As previously stated, the birds benched will include exhibits by the leading fanciers in New Zealand, and this should ensure a good attendance. Trains are very suitable, and arrive here from the south at about 12.40 p.m. and 3 p.m., returning at 3.3 p.m. and shortly before 7 p.m. Visitors from the north can get here at just before 3 p.m., and return home by the express at 6.41 I p.m. | J BERNARD'S PICTURES. | The usual bi-weekly change of pro- ! gramme at His Majesty's Theatre is due | to-night, when, amongst a number of j other sparkling pictures, the greatest of i detective dramas, "Nick Carter," will be [shown 'here for the first time. The film is by the Eclair studio, famous for its great detective pictures, and for producing the great Zigomar .series. The news that "The Adventures of Nick Carter" and "The White Bed Mystery" will be shown will undoubtedly draw big audiences. The new programme includes the most recent edition of Pathe's London Gazette, and a great Vitagraph drama entitled "A. Message from Beyond." This drama is stated; to have most pathetic yet thrilling sides to its story. "Told in Colorado" is a Selig Western drama, said to be one of the firm's finest efforts. The scenic and travel portion is well supplied with "The River Loigne," "Bird Life on Moorland, Marsh, and Mountain," whilst the comics leave nothing to be desired.

STRAY PARAGRAPHS Saturday morning broke clpar as a bell. Shopkeepers got busy. Everyone expected a big day's business, for warm fingers and toes are conducive to good spending by the people. The afternoon, however, was cold and raw. Still, business was good. ' ' • .

Mr. Henderson, conductor of;the local band, 'has decided to leave Stratford for Manaia. Once again our band is like a ship without a rudder. Each conductor who has 'had the band of recent years has had to resign the change just when the worst troubles 'have been surmounted, and Mr. Henderson; has certainly brought the band to that state at which ft can easily be brought "to a'high state of efficiency if the new conductor is immediately forthcoming. , • - CaTds everywhere. Tlie Egmont Club is in the wliirl. To-night the clubmen will tackle the Oddfellows. On Friday night, at Mr. Payton's dining .rooms, Denbigh road beat Skinner r ( oad, at cribbage by 51 games to 41.; Iho Denbigh road team did the honors. .To-morrow night Denbigh road wi.ll ,play . against a Stratford team. Wby npt-forja an association and hold a tournament series of matches' i , •

| A return ball to tlie t,erin}s ladies' leap |year ball is en tapis.. The' Borough, Council, at "a. .special meeting on Friday;, to adopt the : engineer's recommendation 'to put in % drain ..in Miranda street fronj the saleyards i "dip" to the Patea river. ..This Will bp appreciated "by mep, in, the centre of the* town, 'whose'premises' are liable (o be floode'd by the ;v&garies of ithe tunnel ' from Miranda, street, under Broadway and tlie railway yard, to . the Town Hall gulty.. .- .Captain ..Nicholson, of '"the Armyis under orders to fijans'fer ,himself 'to the : Auckland conferes'sj, thejK& f lie -fcaoW not where,. .

. . ; *Anjjl the barbet went' on .shaving;" It refunds one of the verses on "W'ho stuffed that owl?" t On- (this occasion a tyore : <fuery 'Voulcfe 4 been, "Who 'snuffed', that light?"Thife felectric liptht in a portion ol the centra" of the town'failed ott Friday/.night' owing to one of the transformers' geittvhg' out of gear., A Itarber weiit -on with' his business, : the customer's phizi* being lighted up by a couple of candlesl' > > 4 "