Strafford News

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 51, 18 July 1912, Page 3

Strafford News

I'vom cur Kesident Keporter. ' GOOD NEWS FOR " WHANGA." For very many years past the people of Wliangamoraona and the "country out yonder" have been in urgent need of a resident medical practitioner, or of the presence of properly certified nurses. The movement has been well organised, and a fund established, but so far no doctor has accepted the job and the terms offered. There is now, 1 understand, a good possibility of their wants being supplied, and supplied twofold, by the establishment of an up-to-date nursing establishment at Whangamomona, whilst a medico is also prepared to establish himself there. Let us hope that this good news is well founded. A day or two will tell.

STRAY PARAGRAPHS. j A first offending drunk was fined the usual Ave shillings and costs at the' Police Court yesterday, and a man named Judge, charged with drunkenness and the use of language unfit for cars polite, was ordered to contribute £5 to the

revenue, as well as 5s costs. Should he neglect to pay, then he will have fourteen days' lodging at the stone house behind Marsland Hill at New Plymouth. ' At the School Committee meeting on j Tuesday evening the headmaster, Mr. J V. A. Tyrer, reported that the average attendance for the June quarter was 641, considerably lower than for the March quarter, principally due to the wet weather, and the mumps, and mild chickenpox. The slow combustion stoves used a tremendous quantity of coke and coal, ! and the electric radiator in his office was practically useless to him. A committee was set up to investigate the complaint regarding the stoves, and it was decided to attend to the floor of the shelter shed during the next holidays. ' The Board will be asked to commence these holidays on August 12 instead of at the end of that month as formerly. j Stratford had a '"high test" yesterday. j It' was full of Jersey men. Dairymen aver that a little water added to the milk increases the test. Well, they had it—lots of it. At yesterday's meeting of the Stratford County Council the chairman said that he was satisfied that every year from 25 to 30 per cent, of the Council's rates were wasted in patching. The ! sooner councillors realised- that it was I necessary to completely re-metal an ! eighth part of every.r&a.d each year, the better. 'Roads wear out and must be resumed, as without roads they could make no progress, especially in"dairying. Cr. Walter thought the chairman was taking a very broad view of the matter. Patching was necessary up to a certain stage. Beyond that it might be a waste ,1 of money, but until then they must con- I sider the interest they were saving. The ! matter, after a little further discussion, .> 'lapsed. I

Mr. L. Bullot, a useful, member of the Fire' Brigade, and for some years one of the Stratford senior" football fifteen, has removed to Hastings. ■•!"■.■ The Borough Council-Ms. I believe, a mud-scraper, and it is freely alleged that when the present spell of" wet weather has extended into a jJerid'd of 'six or seven weeks, instructions will be given, to have it prepared !for use. Until- then the shovel brigade will'probably be kept in office. ' " . ■'■" - •• We have no division here. Taranaki is one—"the home of the Jersey." !?o srfid Mr. R. Dingiest the Jersey'.meeting yesterday, in opposing the sub-division of Taranaki into north and south for purposes of represeritatidn'oh the Council. Mr. Harkness produced sonie' interesting figures. Taranaki has some' 130 members of the Jersey Breeders' Association, Auckland and Waik/ito about sixty. South Island under twenty. The .Stratford branch has twenty-four members. ' "Anything but a purebred Jersey bull, but.something that would'be a disgrace to be called a Captain Cook bush "pig or J bull." This, in -Mr. Mackenzie's opinion, is what would-be buyers sometimes find at sales of alleged ''purebred Jersey I bulls." . . "." .' {

WHAT'S THE. GOOD OF THEM? What is the good of them?. This is. a. question .that' one so often hears—especially in the smaller towns—when discussing musical and operatic societies. What'-dowe get out of it? Well, there's one thing certain,.and "that is that the willing horse gets a.lot of hard work in preparing th'e performances, and also gets a lot of criticism from the "drones." But what: benefit i.s an operatic or dramatic society-.'to a. town?' For one thing, it provides innocent and elevating enjoyment for the performers. Then it gives pleasure to the patrons of the theatre. It is an' education for those musically inclined,. and, last but not least, very often Local institutions are benefited financially by the assistance of these, societies. A very pointed case has been brought to. my 'mind*. ..Xapier is well off for societies of this sort, having

a dramatic and operatic socjety and.also a troupe of minstrels , known as the "Frivolities." A gentlemen who.was for- •' marly.a member of the latter, cpmbina- ■ tion states that the 'musical' society has. * raised nearly .£20.00 in the few years it - has been in existence, for..charities and, local institutions., On.e/ concert a year, |'• was given for their own. funds, and every- ' thing else was handed oyer to others. * Surely a society of this kind deserved ' the whole-hearted support of the public, * and in Xapier they, got it. ~ i To come nearer home. The public have ; not forgotten Operatic Society's production . of "Trial by Jury" ; last - year. It may not he generally, ' known that had", the Society not repeated the performance shortly after the fir<t production, the children at the. Stratford School would """have ha<l no prizes last year." Th.e Society 'were api proached. and informed that there i was no money, available for .prizes, and they immediately offered to assist, with ' the result that, with the help of the Gov- ' ennnent subsidy", the. prize's were forthcoming, and many a little child's heart i was made glad. The Stratford Operatic '■ Society are producing "-fk-tf.S. 'Pinafore" to-night and .10-morrow night, and close on a hundred persons have given their evenings and spare time for months past in preparing the opera.- It is "up to" the public to show their appreciation of the efforts of these good people. What is the Society doing with the money they are making? This might be-, asked by some. The Society has given only two performances. The first was in aid of the I'ov Scouts, "affd the second for the prize fund. The production of "Pinafore" is for the Society's own funds, so that they may get a little money in hand to enable them to put on bigger and \ even better operas than they have yet done. The public'can be assured of this, that if the Society receives the support it so justly deserves, the public will get , its full value. The Society is not out to ;j make money for anybody in particular. ' ( It wants to give enjoyment to the scores ] of its members, and it wants to please / the public with its productions, and it will always be found willing to help I charity and local institutions. These ren- rks yjf.-.r not only to "H.M.S. PinaI fore" and this particular Society, but I are meant to apply to all local societies that are doing their best to liven things

up in any town, and to do so much towards assisting others. | THE EGMONT COACH & CARRIAGE FACTORY CO. ! Mr. Chas. Martin, one of the most popular men "on the road," has assumed . the -managership of the Egmont Coach and Carriage Factory Company, which has acquired the .business owned andconducted for so many years by the late Mr. F. & Pollock. During the' whole of | that period the carriage works were noted throughout the province, and far beyond its .boundaries, for the excellence of the vehicles made there, the originality of design, absolute faithfulness' and faultless execution of all painting work, and almost -unexampled durability of every part of the vehicles under all conditions. This is a reputation that will be zealously guarded by the new firm, who have been fortunate in retaining the services of Mr. R. McConnick, for sixteen years in the woodworking department, as foreman. He is almost as well , known as the business itself, and his retention should be a sufficient guarantee of the intentions of the firm. In an advertisement in this issue Mr. Martin notifies that all now required is "orders."