Stratford News

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 79, 20 August 1912, Page 3

Stratford News

Frtm our Resident Reporter. SX~ATFO3D TO I.IAWAIA BY RAIL. While in Wellington Messrs. Kirkwood, Dingle and Morton waited upon the Prime Minister and the Minister for Public Works, and placed before those ( gentlemen the resolution passed bv the Stratford Borough Council at its last meeting, urging the immediate construction of a railway from Stratford, via Kaponga, to Manaia. In urging the construction of this railway, the deputation stressed the unanimous opinion of the Western Taranaki Railway Commission, viz., '"that when the ocean liners visit New Plymouth, the exports of the Taranaki district will concentrate at New Plymouth and provide sufficient bulk to warrant the mail boats calling there." Thus the railway asked for would dovetail with produce shipped through the deep sea port' at New Plymouth, providing as it would the most direct Tail way service to the port, from Western Taranaki; also this railway would adequately relieve the roads of the heavy traffic through which it would pass. The deputation pointed out that the railway asked for was recommended by the Railway Commission and the only deviation desired from the finding of thp Commission was the earlier construction of the line. Mr. Massey stated that the representations made would have every consideration, but nothing would he done in connection with any part of the railway until the whole mat-. ter had been placed before Parliament. Mr. Fraser, Minister for Public Works, expressed his belief that a light line railway, where it would be possible to construct two or three miles of light line, in place of one mile of heavy raihvayj would prove of great service, and the construction of this class of railway would probably be undertaken earlier on account of the lesser cost. However as with Mr. Massey, the Minister couM not do more than promise to look closely into the matter, and will visit the disl trict before anything is done.

A SURPRISE FOR SOMEONE.

there are things that are apt to deceive, and the hush missionary must at times be included amongst the number. One such was doing the rounds amongst the backbloek settlers out east, when he came upon a man who was cruelly belaboring a horse. The poor brute was doing its best, hut the task set it—to pull a dray axle deep in the mud—was bey.6nd its powers. The missionary remonstrated with the driver on his treat.ment of the horse; and received for his pains a torrent of oaths and abuse,'and an invitation to' get off his horse and have his "blanky head knocked off." Probably, with a thought of the.gvmnasiunj of his university days, the follower of the Xazarene dismounted, and, tying his horse to a roadside post, proceeded' to divest himself of such of his clothes as interfered with the freedom of his hands and feet. Then, taking up a position ort a piece of level ground, invited the driver to "Come on!" The driver came on, and for three torrid rounds the atmosphere in the vicinity was disturbed to some extent, and it was a hadlv battered horse driver that crie<l "Enough!" The general opinion out there is that, while the incident might have done the church a bit of harm,'it certainly did the driver a lot of good.

THE INLAND RAILWAY.

The two tunnels at the Tahora end of the Stratford-Te Koura line are in a fair way of construction. Five water drives, for deviating the water, have been driven through the intervening spurs, so that the tunnels will be linked by a huge filling, 110 ft. high, 400 ft, wide at the base and 20 chains long. On one side a double heading is being driven with a view to obtaining the eaTth necessary for the filling. This cutting, when excavated, is estimated to yield 130,000 yards of stuff. This, "together with which will be taken from the tunnel proper, will be sufficient to build the embankment, which, when finished, will be the biggest in Xew Zealand. At the Kurimoana side of the Tahora'saddle, a start has been made with the water drives. The fnen here are having a bad time, owing to the smoke from the blasting operations, which occur at intervals during the whole of the twenty-four hours, and, these drives being only five feet high and two feet wide, it can be imagined that at times the air is very thick. The cost of an air pump is not much, and a country that can afford to give two millions for a Dreadnought can surely afford to pay a few pounds for a machine to blow smoke out of a tunnel.

STRAY PARAGRAPHS,

The following will play for Ngaere in the cribbage match with the Egmont Club at Paton's Tea Rooms on Thursday evening next:— On- (3). Thomas (2). Winewski (2), Taylor, Walker, Morrison. Pennington. Sims, Brett, Scannell. Robertson, and E. Kilbride. Emergency. Wat,kins. Play commences at 7.30 sharp. The pea-rifle by-huv was badly smashed up in Broadway on Sunday. Glorious weather is still with us.

The Rev. .A. Reader announces a special address to young men at Wesley Church next Sunday.

■Mr. J. McAllister, who recently assumed active control of the Wesley 'Church choir, has been most successful in his oflorts. Under his guidance the choir has done solid practice, and the anthems, trios and quartettes are now quite a feature of the services. The choir is also increasing well in numerical and vocal strength. To-night, at the Egmont Club Parliament the Government will bring in leasehold legislation. The Government will comprise the team selected for the New Plymouth debate, and will be opposed by a selected team of hot oppositionists. The Methodist and Primitive Methodist ministers exchanged pulpits on Sunday evening, the Rev. Reader preaching at the Primitive Methodist Church, and the Rev. Metson at the Wesley Church. The union of the churches promises to be a real union in this district.

BERNARD'S PICTURES. The present programme includes a novel film, entitled "The liomance of tlie Clill'-Dwellcrs." a uni(|iie creation hy the hdison Company. photographed in "The ClilMhvcllers' Canyon," Maniton, Colorado. To supply the necessary ingredients of a romance, and a love story at that, ol Hi" stonv ntrc. when men's sartorial encumbrances were picturesque. even if ~cant- •in.] when stone axes and clubs •; ji:mice and performed the role of V!>*-ioi!. implements, tli. iilm-makers li'M'f' '• ■! draw upon a powerful imnir!M"' '• l-:n (lie picture i- none the 1 '' '''ii' on that :u 'oniii. Some t!• ir i "it rites and raysliV ceremon- •••' •• "''re resurn cLe ' for the oe- " f intense in) ''v. while the cav- Ives, licwn out of rock and i<>!" ovliiv of close a' •iilinn. in contra-.i m the society of p' o'iifiv,. man, a <;(")•('•! ' modern dvamnCc su ;, iect. "The i> d of Jfan." rrr- i ned. to Hi" •> -iiiiment of rounds of applaiH ■■. '' t'epiets the hc]pin?-hnnd lent to •>') " d athletic instructor, who has taller on evil days, hy the hero, a tine we" ' m "f manhood. In order to prov"'' M •'cssary dollars for sending his

<r ■ to a sanatorium, the hero take-. he challenge of a leading pro-

fessional wrestler to secure two falls and 500 dollars. After an exciting contest the ex-pupil triumphs. Of course there is a love story in the piece, but that is only incidental. A charming film, "A Visit to Senegal," shows all that is to be admired from a scenic viewpoint in French London, and also portrays the manners and customs of the native inhabitants of that country. The (iaumont Graphic is, as usual, repleta with new-found sensations, and includes topical events all over the Continent. A quartette of hilarious comics are also included in the programme.