Stratford News

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 119, 7 October 1912, Page 3

Stratford News

JA'om uur .Resident Reporter. POLITICAL. ; The adjourned meeting of supporters i of the Reform Party to form a branch of the Political Reform League will be held on Tuesday evening in the Council Chambers. Mr. Lindegreen, Dominion organiser, will be present. A full meeting is requested. A. & P. ASSOCIATION. The executive committee of the Stratford A. & P. Association met on Friday night. A circular was received from the Agricultural Department re testing seeds. A resolution was carried that the Depart- ' ment be informed that the Associa-tion has no seeds competition at its show, but in the event of such classes being added at any time, the Association will avail itself of the Department's assistance. The Department proposes that seeds entered should be submitted to the Department's experts, who would report on the purity of the seeds, and the names of all impurities; germination and gerniination energy; real value, equalling actual percentage of seed true to name and capable of germination; weight of 1000 seeds (important, as the heavier the seed the tetter will be its growth, other things being equal); the number of seeds per pound; and the number of living seeds true to name per pound. Oilier-details re schedule, etc., were'ar-! ranged. .v THE SCOTTISH SOCIETY At a meeting of the executive of the Taranaki Provincial Scottish Society on 'Friday night, Mr. A. I\ Grant (vicepresident) presiding, the secretary reported an increase of twenty members, bringing the total to well over four hundred, it was decided to hold a bazaar in aid of the funds, probably in May next, to take the form of a "Scotch Fair," in which the national costumes will be prominent. It was also decided' to hold a Scottish concert during the Stratford Show Week, probably on the night before the Show, and to engage the best Scottish singers in the Dominion. The patronage of the Society will.' be extended to the ''New Zealand' Scof," the newspaper which is being | started in the interests of the Scottish ! population in the Dominion. The execui tive confirmed the incorporation of the i Taranaki Caledonian Pipe Band with the Society. A letter was read from the Marquis of Ailsa, expressing his pleasure in accepting the position of patron of the Society. The secretary reported the successful opening of branches at Toko and Jnglowood. Surprise was expressed locally that, so far, New Plymouth has not formed a. branch. One member suggests that New Plymouth may feel aggrieved that the movement centres in Stratford, and may 1)0 of opinion ..that it is a case of the tail trying to wag the dog. Such, of course,. , is not the case. The movement centres ■ here because the greatest enthusiast in '. the matter lives here. Had Mr. Alec ; Henderson resided in New Plymouth, he would still have set the movement going, . but then .New Plymouth would have been the centre, until Stratford woke up and demanded its heritage. We never beg;' we demand. Aud the enthusiastic J ' Scots in our midst demand that Scots ' wake up in every centre and form a branch. Eltham, Hawera, Manaia, Waitura, Opunake and New Plymouth are all looked to for good support. Which , will be first? J

" BOYS WILL BE BOYS." Some of our boys have recently been in full training for the classical cycling ivent of the century—a boys' bike race from Stratford to Elthaiu and back. The affair was kept very dark until about Thursday or Friday, when handwritten circulars were distributed at the school announcing that the great event would take place on Saturday, October 5. Parental prohibition was ignored. The young aspirants for "Round-the-Moun-tain" fame duly assembled at Warwick road, and were regaled with raisins a la mode before the start. The selection of Saturday, the busiest day of the week for the main road, was perhaps unwise, but thwre was an especial Providence watching over the lads, and no accident occurred. The winner was. Master Healy, who was adjudged to have covered the distance of about eleven miles in G4min. losec., and Master Hunter was second in TOmin.

SXSAY PARAGRAPHS

The Stratford Bowling Club Committee has initiated a movement in favor of, the adoption of a daylight-saving scheme, and will engineer a deputation to the Tradesmen's Association on the matter.

Two fine days in succession. Saturday was line, too. Both items are worthy of publication. A football match is to be played on Thursday next between teams representing the two Stratford companies of senior cadets.

A FAMOUS FLIGHT

One of the most famous flights ever made in a flying machine was that made Frank Collyn in his hydroplane. Accompanied by a cinematograph operator, lie flew above the city of New York, and the picture screened of the metropolis is said by all who have seen it to' be one ■A the most sensational pictures ever screened iu tins age of cinematographic enterprise. The great film is the star feature at His Majesty's Theatre tonight. The views of the evolutions of the machine itself, interesting though they are, fall into insignificance before those that follow, in which, the operator ,hus accompanied Mr. Collyn in his flight 'over Xew York, all the main features of which are visible in a series of bird'seye views. In these days everybody is keenly interested iu the details of .airmanship, and this picture gives one all the sensations of a rapid flight through the air, with the additional sensation of an interesting water trip. The long pictures arc an exceptionally entertaining selection, including ''The Indian Mail Robbery," a detective story full of •thrills,"featuring the prince of "tecs'" Nat Pinkerton. "Under Mexican Skies," and "The Love of an Island Maid," are also great dramatic films that are quite capable of taking the star places on any programme. Undoubtedly the present series is one of unique excellence, and none should miss it.

CORRESPONDENCE THE LAND OF THE DOODLE-DOO. To trie Editor. Sir,—Onct! on a time, in the land of the Doodle-Doo, there lived a famous personage named Jpscph, who ruled the country wisely and well, and his inaiia was great amongst the people because he made laws that helped to uplift the poor, and tried to equalise things that their life would be happy. These poor people had no land and no flocks, so this class of people were pleased; but those that held their heads high and

had many sheep, cows and fat bullocks, waxed wrath, and. said "This man is liko David; he will put' down the mighty from their seats and will exalt the humble and meek." So they met to- f gether in secret conclave, and decided that they could not slay the mighty Joseph in the open ; so they resolved to do so by strategy; and when people spoke highly of Joseph they put their tongues in their cheeks and wagged their heads and sniffed.' Then their leader, one Billwilliam, said, "Send forth our spies' and tell all .the;, rat men whose dewlaps hang down like sleek bulls of Basan, to sniff and toss their heads, the faminine bovines to do likewise." So that the good ruler wondered why the poopFe. looked askance at him. But one day, while walking out in the cool of the evening, lie saw the man with a muck rake pulling up and turning over the garbage, and muttering to himself, Tammany, vouchers, land transaction, loans to loeal bodies, civil service reform. Then the.man with the muck rake sat down and wept, as he found that after all the emell he had turned he had found nothing, and lost the golden crown he so much coveted. And, brethren, this ends the first portion of my discourse, and I trust when the second part comes I will be able to tell you how Joseph was betrayed by some of his own brethren, and how'thy country will mourn that' the Whangdopdle reigned in his Biead. —I am, etc., JUST AN ISHMAELITE. Stratford, October 5, 1912. '