Stratford News

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 87, 29 August 1912, Page 3

Stratford News

From our Resident Reporter. STRATFORD RACING CLUB. ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the Strafford Racing Club was held on Tuesday, Mr. A. W. Budge presiding over a fair attendance. The report and balance-sheet, showing a balance of £5554 7s 8d to credit of assets over liabilities, :were adopted. The president announced that the guarantors had re-appointed Messrs. S. Pitt and D. J. Malone to the committee. Elections resulted: President, Mr. A. W. Budge (re-elected); vice-president, Mr. W. H. H. Young (re-elected); committeeman, Mr. J. R Watson (re-elected); auditors, Messrs. S. H. James and L. Riera (re-elected). Votes of thanks were passed to Mrs. A. W. Budge (for presenting trophies to the riders of the winners in the gentlemen riders' races), the President (for past services to the club), Mr. S. Pitt (for acting as course and farm committee), Mr. D. J. Malone (for his efforts i in the direction of tree-planting), the officers of the club (for services rendered), the Metropolitan Club, (for donations of gentlemen riders' fees), Messrs. A. W. Budge and R. H. Nolan (for representing the Taranaki Country Clubs at the recent racing conference at Wellington), and to Mr. Budge (for representing the Stratford Club on the Metropolitan Committee). It was decided to recommend the gen-'. eral cdmmittee to consider making a donation to the North Taranaki Hunt Club; to make a donation to the Stratford A. and P. Association as a special prize in the horse section; to substantially increase the stakes ■ in the four open events at the forthcoming meeting; to consider improving the entrance to the racecourse and to formulate a general and continuous method of improvements to the club's property.. STRAY PARAGRAPHS. At the annual Fire Brigade ball t> night ex-Captain H. Kivell is to be presented with the-gold star of the Unite:! Fire Brigades' Association in recogni/on of, or rather earned by; 25 years' service' in fire brigades.' Mr. Kivell has long beenan enthusiast in fire brigade work, and it was in a large measure due to his efforts that' the Strat'ord brigad? so early' attained that efficiency wMja is still its pride. May he live long to wear this covevi.l distinction.

Tuotday was sale day. Anyone e'ouid have jmrijicfl to thiit conclusion v,7>o witn. j «i-'fl the alacrity of seveii. rc»idents making way for a stra' cow, which, not Demg used to Broadway, was inclined to make a "bit of a stir.

A boy and a bottle of kerosene came to grief on the asphalt yesterday afternoon. The youngster might very easily have sustained serious injuries, but escaped with one or two small cuts on tue hand. He bawled some, you bet, but stopped in wonderment when a bystander remarked that if he were really hurt he wouldn't he able to make sucb a row. The originality of the remark set him thinking, and the atmosphere came together again. The annual meeting : of the Stratfoid Racing Club on Tuesday evening was one of those happy gatherings that we sometimes hear about. There was scarcely jiything to argue about, ;iflle?« it i"as in considering the several ira portant recommendations made to ;he general committee for the further jrpuiarisingoor the already most popular holiday on the coast as far, of course, as races are concerned. For many years the club has had an exceptionally able committee and officials generally, who are prepared to work hard to mane the club and its race meetings successful, and their efforts hate been crowued .only with that success which thry so richly deserve. Further schemes are now under consideration in the inteests of horse-owners and the public alike. These include the beautifying of the en-1 trance to the course, involving tho form- \ ing of a drive through or skirting the ; fine "native bush along the western sjjc of the property, and course improvements. The property is a credit to those in charge. The members have signifiei their approval of the work of the management by re-appointing them, and l.'r.us the good work may be expected to continue.

Mr. John Petrie has secured a position with the well-known firm of Coltman, Queen street, Auckland, and will leave for the queen city of the north tonight. Mr. Petrie is looking for further experience in the watch-making and jewellery business.

The debate on the proposal of the Hon. C. D. Sole, in the Egmont Club Parliament on Tuesday night, to abolish the import duty on boots, was very successful. The principal argument in'favor of the motion was that the boot manufacturers of New Zealand were unable to supply the demand, and that they themselves imported large quantities of footwear. The duty, it was urged, was a tax upon the mass of the people, and largely being on the working classes, not in the interests of the boot operatives, but to fatten the few men with capital invested in' the boot industry of the Dominion. The House decided, on the casting vote of tlie Speaker, to retain the duty. Every member present spoken on the subject, and the Speaker eomplimciMied several of them upon the materia] adduced and the method of presenting it.

The Toko branch of the Farmers' Union is a live branch. At a meeting on Tuesday night, addressed by Mr. R. Dingle, chairman of the Stratford Formers' Co i-.pcrative Association, and Mr. X. Fulton, Government dairy instructor, the matter of forming a cow-testing associ;i(ii)ii was taken up with enthusiasm.

The anniversary social of the Foresters' fcnale lodge on Tuesday night was well ;i f '".■Tided, and was a great success, reflectiii\ f the greatest credit on the young ladies who were responsible for the arrangements. The n' tendance at the last social of the Parish Hall series on Tuesday night wa« excellent, and the social passed off very -niv-''Ssfully. BERNARD'S PICTURES. Mine. Jj >rnard is advised that even without a '.other film she should be able to crowd Wis Majesty's Theatre to the doors to-night with the great attraction, "A on Pendleton Ranch," wlii-h fh >ws an. annual round-up of all cattle on a big Oregon ranch. The film depi.i.s •!..' rough work of the cowboys, but rail' : :ing operations on a big scale in the A. :.Tienn West are vanishing, and it is possible that such another picture as l.h-il li. be shown to-night will never b. li.'o ..in. Scenes show cowboys at wor'.- ; ii i play, roping and taming" »;ild lim>. j, S'.-ify rope spuming, riding bucking bvo .olios, driving wild buffalo, moitnled potato race, and wild, horse race. There should be a good attend-aiv-e iMs Majesty's Theatre tomorro'v night, when Madame Bevnarl Ikis '■'■:.<:\ ! - consented to give a bei-jß< for ;'" !.a«t P.gmont Mounliun House., the tme"\v raised to be devol d to the ' ■ ' f nec---arv furniture.