STRATFORD NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 252, 14 March 1913, Page 3

STRATFORD NEWS.

From Guv Resident Reporter.

OiiU'i-: Xe.\l l.oan & Mercantile Agency to. Tf-Icj(!;u;ie 111!.

elderly jr. :i ii walked into the branch ollice of tin* Taranaki Daily News at Slraliord the other in or ni 11 ii', ami a -I. iil I hat a little light be .shed on the wage-cutting met hods mow adopted in the I'uhlie Works Department. 11l- ::avc It is name as I!. Ilindey. and >aid ti..11 he had just recently come up 1 ro!n W t-l Ii ii Lit oil to employment in knapping stone in the Skinner road pit tor the I'uhlie Works Department. The ■1 one given him to break was, he said, not stacked, and had been picked oven It had nit. been spauled either. lie broke some, only a yard or two. and wint to draw iiis pay at the I'uhlie orl> ' 'nice at St rat ford, lie refused to I't: ; cash, tor the assistant engineer had certilied to payment only at the rate of three shillings per vard, a reduction of >i\pence from the ml"mi>rate. Mr. McKenzie. district engineer, subsequently told a reporter that there had (videntlv been some mistake, probnbly in taking otl' telephoned iiistruetinns Irom the assistant engineer, dinslev saw liiin on Monday (the incident occurred on Saturday), and the man was paid at tie.' rate of .'is. (id a yard. The old man savs there was 110 telephone in the matter, hut that the instructions were in writing, lie further says that the district engineer lost no time i* putting the matter right, but alleges that there is considerable discontent on the public works, owing to the action of some officers who are not in full authority. ffe also stated that the utmost that a good average stonebreaker could make in the pit at three shillings a yard was six shillings a day, and that had the full rate not been paid he would have placed the matter in the hands of his union in Wellington to take up. BOROUGH LOAN PROPOSALS

The ojluimi is general in tin* wellinformed circles that Stratford lias a bi.u future in fore ii. Sound commercial men are convinced that before very long, with the inevitable development of the country lio'li adjacent to the town and in the backblocks, Stratford must have a Hindi larger population if she goes the right wav to attract it. What can we do in the matter? We can do our best to provide residents with all reasonable conveniences, so that, life will be reasonably comfortable for dwellers ill all part- of the town instead of only in the more central and consequently more favored areas. We can see to it that the road surfaces are brought up to the pilch that is demanded by the Irallic of to-day. We can do away, in the less open places at any rate, with antiijtiat. d method.- of disposing of rc-

fn-e. We can have a complete ri-tii illation -I'i'vire for every house likely to be erected in the borough. We, can make Uroadv.ay, the main business thoroughfare. in f o 11 magnificent thoroughfare. A'! tli'-e ilijnwill have to be

i brought about it the town is to mainlain iii.' prominent position it took up . year- a::". anil to progress as it should do. .Ml of these tiling cost money. The 1 Mirii.ieh ( umcil has not enough money to carry out the works just enumerated, I 11<ir e.in tii.' neee-sary sum be raised by mean- i f ordinary taxation tlnouj;h the rates, lint provision is made for local hodie- to borrow for sueh works, pledj*iiiir as sicuritv a special rate levied oyer I the borough. Wiiiist no one is fond' of i paying r.tir«. the majority of px'ople, | we should say, recognise that it. is a I necessary part of the system of focal | government. They recognise tliat if money is to be borrowed, interest will have to paid, and that it is only fair thai tie' .'--payment of the loans and .the pa \ mil;", of interest should be a charge upon the peoples of the reasonably near future, who, of course, will benefit from the expenditure of money in streets and bridges, drainage, water services, and so on. The Stratford Borough Council proposes to borrow a certain sum of money for these purposes, and the ratepayers are asked to, sanction the loan. It is not sutTicieiit for the ratepayers to say they favor the scheme. It can only be carried into effect by the will of the people lis expressed at the poll. As thi' date.of the polling is drawing near, the matter is on the tip of the tongue almost everywhere. As the result of invest iga! i.,ii of the finances of the borough, the rating burden, and the state of our streets and services of publie utility, it is patent to the unbiassed iniml that the proposals of the Council are sound. Stratford is a borough of vcrv considerable area, and on the map it is we'd l oaded, l'.ilt very many _of the streets need a great deal of improvement. Many (if them are innocent of footpaths, and' where there are these, very necessary aids to locomotion there is verv heavy i xj.-cii-e of upkeep owing lo thi' ab-cuVe of kerbing and channelling. Again, there is much to do in the wav of metalling before our streets can be made anvthing like what they ought . to be. The extension of the water reticv--lation system, and the purification of the water bv means of filtration, canv their own iustilication. Good water, and plenty of ' it. is an absolute necessity. 'The drainage extensions are called for by the rapid huiidiiig progress, and in thi» ei;iiiiei-i ion it is interesting to notice thai the Council is now considering the town clerk's valuable suggestion to do away with drainage rate by making eliui'ue- for extraordinary water supplies. lii, idea has much to recommend it. I.asflv. the bridge. Unfortunately, there an ••cn.i-ayi'iust-end" pull connii:>" the hrM'je. and the principal light, r- i'„r it a re 1 he people living south of the I'aten river and having property tno e. We have no hesitation whatever in 5,,;-. ii,-,- that LM'eallv improved eomli'i ullii aii oi: i- necessary between the. north an,'. -oitih portions of the borough bv means of more bridges. At, present there ;s no urgent need for the widening of the l'atea 'bridge, but it must come s,,on. and tin need for it may he apparent before lout;, particularly in view of lhe <re11leiid'ius increase in motor tralbe. || 11,.en urged, and with some logic, ti,o tic the erection of this bridge will greatlv increase the rateable value of propcrtv south of the river, ami that several 'buildings will be erected immediately the widening takes place, in which ease' -otuc of the money paid in rates on this -e'etion of the loan would he returned to the municipal treasury in the form of rates. Taking all things into coiisider.it ion. the future interests ol Stratford can best be served bv the ratepavers supporting the loan proposals on all four issues. EASTER GYMKHANA

One of the events at the Stratford f!vmkhana which should create into the ]i\ihlic is the fancy poster race handicap. The competitors in this race will wear a fancv costume advertisin" anv business. A splendid opportunity is' here -riven the merchants of T'irinaki to advertise their businesses iti a novel wav. In India, the home of I his kind of sport, this race is made a speciality, and it has become so popular that Inure sums of money are 'iH.nl in ' : KeUins up"_ each conipetiior. There i- sure to he a big entry, and e\ei y mail in Taranaki should set; ,\V^ U

that his business is represented. The enI trance fee is only "is. and excellent prizes are to lie awarded In the successful compel itor. ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY The .Stratford Acclimatisation Society met on Thursday, when there were present: The president ("Mr. W. P. Kirkwood) and .Messrs. A. W. Budge. It. Campbell. (1. I). Hunter. L. Keira, \\ . .f. Morrison and •!. I!. 1.. Stanford. It was decided not to purchase any pheasants this season. The committee appointed to enquire into the stocking of streams with perch reported that there were no stretches of open water suitable for perch fishing. and the question was therefore dropped. Discussion took place on the question of an open season for game. Some weeks ago the majority of members were in favor of a close season, but it was not known then that the Minister of Internal Affairs had decided to grant an open season for imported game to those societies wishing for one. As neighboring societies might therefore have an open season, some forty sportsmen petitioned the society to request the Minister to declare the season an open one for imported game. The reasons set out for the request were: (1.) From a revenue point of view the society would lose a considerable amount from loss of license fees with a close season; (2) With a close season in the Stratford district and an open one for neighboring districts the game in their district would be sure to suffer: (a) for want of rangers and (b) for want of definite knowledge of the district boundaries; (3) sportsmen who bad taken out iieenses with the Stratford Society would, with a close season in this district and an open season in the neighboring districts, perforce take out licenses in the open districts; (4) quail were very plentiful in the Stratford district this year, while pheasants are reported to be fairly plentiful. After considerable discussion the president, Mr. W. I'. Kirkwood, gave notice to move at next meeting that the resolution respecting a close season be rescinded. This will be discussed at a meeting to be held on Thursday next, information in the meantime to 'be obtained from the Hawera and New Plymouth Acclimatisation Societies as to their intentions in the matter. STRAY PARAGRAPHS

The Stanley School Committee held its annual picnic to-dsiv. Mr. It. Masters, a member of the Education Board, was present, Stratford was well represented at the Tariki Show to-day. Mrs. fi. T. James in cookery and sweet peas. Messrs. P.oyles and SVilkio in vegetables. Mr. and Mrs. Arden in cut llowers and decorations. Mrs. "Reader and Miss E. C. Morison in the latter class. Mr. F. Davis bad a fine show of cactus dahlias, for exhibition as well as for competition. All were prize-winners, and pretty extensively. too. Mrs. F. Arden won the points prize in cut blooms. Mrs. G. T. .Tames in cookery, and Mr. G. H. lloyles in vegetables. 'All of these had successes in other classes.

The second train from Xew Plymouth Occupied just three hours doing the 30 miles to Stratford this morning. The ensrine was evidently not working up to concert pitch, as the journey has been done in less time.