Stratford News

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 98, 11 September 1912, Page 3

Stratford News

From our Resident Reporter. FIRE COTTAGE BURNED. Shortly after 8.30 last night, an fl,!arm of lire was given in Stratford! and it wan found that a two-roomed cottage in Portia street, occupied by Mr. G. Richter, was in flames. Owing to the rope jainbing, the firebell did not ring, and tinbrigade were subsequently slow in being summoned, and the cottage was gutted before the water could be got on. There was an insurance of £SO on the contents. and the loss is estimated at £4O over the amount. STRATFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL MONTHLY MEETING. At the ordinary monthly meeting of the Borough Council on Monday evening there was a full attendance of members, the Mayor presiding. " OUGHT TO APOLOGISE." A letter was read from Mr. Clias, Diamond, licensee of the Club Hotel, in answer to a communication, from the town clerk, forwarding the requisition of the Health Department for the demolition of the Club Hotel Stables. The letter was couched in terms that were certainly not polite. The Mayor left the .chair, saying he was more or less interested in the mat- J ter, and Cr. King was voted to the chair, j Cr. Healy asked, whether, in the event j of the licensee not complying with the j request, the responsibility would then devolve upon the owner. The town clerk said that the notice should have he en sent to the owner, and not to the licensee. Cr. Ward moved that prior to issuing the requisition the Council inspect the building. He did not believe that the building was in such a state as to warrant demolition. Cr. Morifon moved an amendment that the requisition of the Department be given effect to. it was beyond the jurisdiction of the Council. Cr. King supported the motion. Cr. McAllister maintained that if the' Council believed the officer competent | they should not question his decision. ' He considered that if the Council inter- | fered as the motion suggested they | would get into an awkward position. I €r. Ward, replying, said the Council j should see that no man was put to exI pense unnecessarily. Some years ago, I he reminded the Council, the Health Department promulgated an order requiring all the livery stablekeepers in Stratford to put in concrete floors. The Council stepped in. and the stables were brought up to requirements without going to the expense of concrete. He was not satisfied that this officer of the Department was competent to condemn buildings. The amendment was lost, and Cr. : Ward's motion carried. FIRE BRIGADE PRACTICES.

Capiuin (irubb and Lieut, Rowson, representing the fire brigade, asked the Council to kiy a 0-inch water main into Victoria Park North, so that the brigade could practise there instead of, as now; in Page street, the gravelled roadway there causing severe damage to the hose. They pointed out that the brigade wished to practise for the West Coast Fire brigades' Association's competitions, which would be. held this year at New Plymouth. Had Stratford had a proper ground, with water laid on, the competitions might have been held here. Three chains of main were required, which the foreman stated would cost £!J a chain. ' (Jr. Morison doubted whether there would be sufficient ground left in the northern portion of the park, seeing that the Board had granted permission to the Stratford Lawn Tennis Club to lay down courts, and they had another application from another club, which waa likely to be granted. Captain Grubb said he understood that the Domain Hoard would grant them the use of the necessary ground. Upon it being pointed out that the brigade had already received over £121! from the Council this year, Cr. Healv suggested the advisability of holding the matter over till next year. The Mayor pointed out the danger oE over-spending their estimates. Crs. King and Dingle strongly urged the claims of the brigade on the Council, the latter, however, pointing out that the brigade could not exactly locate the proposed plug, and the length of pipe might be greater. Cr. Healv said he was in favor o! granting the request, but he wanted to see the expenditure put into next year's work. Eventually the matter was referred to the Fire Brigade Committee. WATER WANTED. Mr. I). S. Maxwell waited 011 the Council, and asked for a re-consideration 01 the Council's decision not to lay water on to his section, off Romeo street, on which he was building a house for him self. He considered the Council should change its policy of refusing water supply in cases where the revenue would not pay interest on the outlay. They should adopt a broader view, and lay the water to serve the group of houses which were sure to be erected there. If the Council would not grant his request he would ask permission to lay a main himself, or, in the alternative, he would pay interest 011 the outlay. ' But he must have a water supply. Cr. JTealy considered that where, as in this case, the revenue would come to within a few shillings of the interest 011 the outlay, the water should be put ill. The nl 1 ' >• councillors thought so, too rescinded '.he previous resolution, and granted Mr. Maxwell's request. A PECULIAR REQUEST. Messrs McMillan and Frederic asked for a refund of part cost of their cross ing iri Broadway north, as had been allowed to Mr. Newton King at a previous meeting. It was explained that this statement was due to an entire misapprehension. It was stated in the course of the discus sion that, the crossing constructed by the applicants was unsatisfactory. There could be 710 refund, as the work had been done by the firm, and not by th" Council. The position in most cases was that whereas the crossings cost th" Council 355, the owners were charged only 255. Cr. Dingle contended that the over seer had been lax in allowing the crossing to be put in by the firm without the Council's consent. The over.-ei r stated -that the crossin" was certainly not satisfactory, and Mes-rs McMillan and Frederic will be asked to carry out the work to his satisfaction. GENERAL. Mr. J. F.. Montgomery's letter risking for a strei light in Seyton and Ariel street eorne:, was referred to the Lighting Committee. The Works Committee were empower ed to prepare a shed for the road roller. The Health Department; asked tlvCouncil to require the owner to remove a dilapidated shed in Orlando street and demolish the building.—-The clerk sai( ! the owned had agreed to have this one. The Council decided to order a quanthe owner had agreed to have this done, ed for tarring roads and footpaths.

■Mr. Copestake. head slaughterman at Lho, abattoirs, asked for higher rcmun oration for his uri-vim*. His contract wages were £4 (is lid a week, out ol which he had to pay a man £"2 ss. He hud also to keep a horse. lie asked for £4 15s a week, or to be put on union wages. The union rate of wages wa-. £3 10s for slaughtermen and £2 5s to £3 10s for assistants. —lteferred to the Abattoir Committee for report. The Town Hall Committee reported on the necessity for repairing scenes at: the Town Hall. Mr. W. Diamond had been asked to report <m the work required and its cost. —Several councillors said the work was absolutely necessary. —Mr. Diamond's ofl'er to repair and renew the scenery and appurtenances for £25 was accepted. Mr. J. MoKenzie resigned -liis position as caretaker of the old cemetery in Regan street.—The Works Committee will till the vacancy. A petition for a footpath in Flint road was referred to the Works Committee. A letter in reference to proposed proprietary pipe works in Taranaki was received. Upon the motion of Crs. ITealv and King, it was decided, to ask the Lighting Committee to report on the excessive cost of lamps for the streets. This was adopted, after some discussion concerning the fragile nature of the new filament lamps. The abattoir manager reported on the working of the abattoir for the month. Stock slaughtered comprised 50 cows, 14 heifers, 27 oxen, 239 sheep and 15 pigs. Fees for the month were £47 6s. Four cows, one heifer, two oxen and two sheep were condemned.

DISEASED STOCK PADDOCK DEPARTMENTAL DICTUM DENIED, j Mr. David S. Maxwell, who came as a, deputation to the Borough Council on Monday night, made a statement concerning the diseased stock paddock in use by the Stock Department m the southern end of the borough. He said lie had seen a departmental letter published in the Press, making a statement that the Department was doing its utmost to stamp out disease, and that this paddock was useil merely as a holding paddock for partly diseased stock for a night or so, pending removal to -thu boiling-down vrorks. Now, -he had been for three months working in .the vicinity of that paddock, and he had been able to keep his eye on the paddock in question. On the day of the publication of the letter referred to he had. seen disseaseil cattle put in there, and they had been kept there for over a week. . He impressed on the Council that, he was not talking at random. ■He was not a man who would make a mistake about a beast, for he had worked all his life amongst them. One beast which had been kept there was suffering from cancer on the face. It was a horror, and should never have been allowed in the ! town.

At a later stage this matter was referred to by Cr. Ward, who remarked that the Hospital Board was in communication with the Government Department on the matter, protesting against a section in the town being used as a holding paddock for diseased stock. Cr. Ward urged the Council to take simitar action. He pointed out that the stock" was collected from the country districts, and railed from here to the Patea boil-ing-down works. It was sent from the railway cattle yards in the middle of the town, quite close to the school. Cr. Dingle said another serious phasj of the trouble was that 'these condemned cattle were penned in the same yards, and sent in the same trucks, as were used by healthy stock, to the danger of the latter. The Department insisted on stock-owners isolating diseased stock, yet it allowed this sort of thing to go on. He moved that the attention of the Railway Department be called to the mat' ter. Cr. Lawson seconded.

I't was suggested that this phase of the trouble was one for the A. and P. Association, or the Chamber of Commerce, rather than for the Borough Council. Cr. Healy emphasised the danger to milking cattle through travelling in the trucks which had been used by diseased cattle. Trucks, although fumigated, were not always over-clean when owners got them, Cr. Dingle strongly urged the necessity for reverting to the old practice of boiling down these diseased animals locally, on the Monmouth road. Representations are to be made to the Railway Department, and the Agricultural and Health Departments. TO-MORROW'S REP. MATCH CANTERBURY v. OTAGO. There is sure to be a big crowd at the rep. football match to-morrow. Red-and-black will doubtless be largely m evidence, for the ex-Canterbury-ites, however vociferously they may cheer on Taranaki against Otago, Wairarapa and other foreign teams, drop the amber-and-black when good old Canterbury is in the mill. The men from the south will have a good team of barrackers, for '"blood runs thicker than water." For one reason, it isn't as plentiful. The visitors were received by the Mayor last night, and afterwards entertained privately by the Egmont Club. To-night they will be Mme. Bernard's guests at Stratford's fine little pictures hall, and to-morrow night at the S.F.C. annual dinner, a notice regarding which appears elsewhere on this page. STRAY PARAGRAPHS The 1.0.0. F. euchre party on Monday was well attended. Mrs. Miscall and Mrs. Pay-ton won the ladies' prizes, and Messrs Marett and Walsh the men's, the "boobies" going to Mrs. McQuay and Mr. S. Thompson. , Mrs. Brooking provided the supper. Mr. Marett played for an enjoyable dance afterwards. Mr. T. D. O'Sullivan, borough overseer, has been granted three weeks' leave of absence. Ilis holiday will be spent in the Hawke's Bay district. At Monday's meeting of the Borough Council, while the matter of street lights was under discussion, Cr. Lawson sail that some of the lamps which went out could be relighted by kicking at the bottom of the pole. Which suggests a job for one of the old-time Taranaki rep. forwards. BERNARD'S PICTURES The programme to be screened to-night for the last time is of the highest order. The principal film is a 3000 ft exclusive subject bv the famous Eclair Co. This is entitled "The Mystery of the Glass Coffin." and, as the title suggests, has a distinct flavor of the magic and mystery of the East. The whole thing is designed and staged with that perfection ot detail which characterises all Eclair fdms. "Those Eyes" is a thrilling and novel drama by the Nordisk Co. The comic films are good, particularly the Edison burlesque, "The Yarn of the Nancy Bell," a series taken from th*s well-known verses of Sir W. S. Gilbert. "The Widow of Nick O'Neal" is a Western comedy by -Selig, dealing with many eccentricities of everyday life. This evening's entertainment will be attended by the Canterbury rep. footballers and footballers generally.