STRATFORD NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 218, 3 February 1913, Page 3

STRATFORD NEWS.

j (From Our Resident Reporter). | "WERE ALIVE!" AN AGGRESSIVE ASSOCIATION. At Saturday's meeting of the Stratford A. & P. Association's committee .Mr. J. 15. Richards advocated makiiiL- application to tlie Government to set aside a piece of Crown land as an endowment for tlie Association. Mr. Richards spoke strongly in support of hi.-: proposition, pointing out that land in this district had been set aside as endowments for local bodies elsewhere, and that other A. & I'. Societies were endowed with lands, but there was nothing of the kind as far as Stratford institutions were concerned. Just now tin> reservation lid is lifted from a block of land beyond the Mangaeliu road, and he thought it very reasonable to request that a part of it should be set aside to assist this Association, whose members had undertaken considerable responsibility and expense in the interests of better fanning and stock-raising ill the district. He moved that the executive make representations to the Prime Minister on tlie matter. Mr. Dan Malone seconded, but held out little hope of getting the endowment. Bitter, he thought, to try for a slice of the totalisator earnings, because that would be an immediate source of revenue.

I Mr. Thos. Webb reckoned it a waste j of time for a private body to take this step. It would be all right for a borough council. Mr. .llarkness reckoned the big associations would settle the matter by using their influence against it, for they did not like young associations springing up. Mr. Watkin favored the idea; So did the president, who said the block of land referred to was being opened up mainly because of representations of the .Stratford Chamber of Commerce and Stratford Borough Council It was agreed on all hands that this association was doing good work, and it was quite possible that the Government would help it to carry out its aims and objects—the better working of the land. They should try the totalisator scheme as well. Mr. R. Dingle agreed. If they tackled the Prime Minister for the Taranaki « model dairy farm, an endowment for the I Association, and a slice of the tote earnings, they must surely get something. The president: "He'll come to the conclusion that we're alive, anyhow." The recommendation to the executive was carried. THAT PADDOCK While not admitting that there is any danger of infection from the condemned stock placed and held there from time to time, the Stock Department has decided that no more diseased stock is to ,be placed in the paddock in the south end of the borough. Instructions to this efIfect have heen received by the local stock inspector from Major Young, Government Veterinarian, and a suitable paddock is to be obtained outside the borough. The ! reason given for acceding to the persistent request of residents to have an end put to the present purpose of the I paddock is that the section is too valuable to be thus used, and that it will ' be better business to sell it.

This is another proof that the proper way to get anything from a Government Department is to agitate, agitate, agitate. Xo one expected the Department to admit that its policy was inimical to the public health or to other stock, but it can hardly be denied that the presence of the stock there has been prejudicial to the interests of propertyowners in the locality, and not a nice thing to gaze upon from one's front dcor.

PERSONAL Master C. M. Kivell, a son of Mr. Harry Kivell. of Stratford, won several events at the Patea Swimming Cluli's carnival last work. Miss Ida Sole, for five years « most efficient clerk in tlie local telephone exchange. has left the service, and will shortly enter a new sphere of life, where irate subscribers cease to trouble and 'phone calls are not. On Friday afternoon the assembled staffs of the office gathered to wish her every luck in the future, and to present her with a silver hot-water jug as a memento of ine friendly relations which had always existed between the recipient and the remainder of the staff. Miss Elsie llollingcr. M.A.. who recently resigned from the teaching staff o? the Stratford District High School, intends leaving for Germany in March to study languages.

STRAY PARAGRAPHS A butting ram held sway in Broadway in the early hours of Saturday morning. He was cheeky, for he followed the county ranger into town. The approach of any human being caused his bead to go down, and his threatening attitude' caused a hasty scamper on the part the biped if he happened to notice the beast. A shop window reflected the wou'ly male, and he butted bis likeness, but not hard enough to do anv damage to his head or to the glass. Tie was no prohibitionist, apparently, for he made the f'o.unty Hotel his next port of call. There was a porter in (be way, and the ram knocked him ever in short order. A visit to the i >st office followed. A man in a 1 ' >e suit w"as charged, hut lie made good his escape. ] Abo ■ swinging a couple of • sof milk ■iium; I'd the visitor, and + !> ■ bOv and the milk were spilled, 0 'iig back into the County Hotel wa disastrous. The borough ranger appe:vd. The ram hutted Hilly Harlow. In? i the ranger caught him by the forele; < and tipped him out. He was then I iken off to the pound, and kept in durance vile—till he got out again. Xo attempt was made to ring the warning bell at the "Regan street railway crossing during shunting operations on Saturday afternoon. The bell should either he regularly used or dispensed with altogether. Vital statistics for .January: Thirty births, nine deaths, two marriages. BERNARD'S PICTURES To-night there will be a complete change of programme at this popular house of entertainment, the management promising an unrivalled screening of star dramatic films and comic pictures.