STRATFORD NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 290, 30 April 1913, Page 3

STRATFORD NEWS.

FROM OUR RESIDENT REPORTER,

Telephone No. 113,

j THE BOROUGH ELECTIONS SOME MATTERS OF INTEREST. Possibly the absence of a Mayoral contest has robbed the Council election of much of the interest usually attaching thereto, and to-day's poll will probably not be a large one. There is, however, some organisation in the matter, for a "ticket" was recently selected at a meeting of southern ratepayers, and probably the four gentlemen included in that panel will receive solid support. They are Messrs.. R. Dingle, R. McK. Morison, T. Lawson and Frank G. Arden. The first three are members of the old Council, but Mr. Arden is new to the work. It is not easy to prick the card, for it is not known to what extent the organisation of the "ticket" vote has been carried, .but it is evident that the South End is out only for fair representation on the Council. Mr. J. D. Healy, a retiring councillor, hailed from the south side of the bridge, so that if the bracketed quartette fill successful places there will be no over-representation of the large area lying to the south of the bridge. j The North v. South, or end-against-end, agitation is to be deplored, for in a general sense what is good for one portion of the borough will reflect beneficially upon the remainder, even though at first the expenditure of money in any particular area may arouse the ire or 1 the envy of people living in the other parts of the town. Sooner or later—and the sooner the better—the whole town will be fully served with good streets and foothpaths, and then this jealousy will probably fade away. One way of dispelling suspicion in the minds of any section of a community concerning any other section of it is for the two to fraternise] Were it not for the river dividing the borough there would be no end-against-end feeling. We can't cover up the whole river ajid build over it, but it is possible for the Council to do the next best thing—to bridge it at the various streets whose north and south ends now gaze at each other across the rocky bed of the Patea. Bridges., even foot-bridges, at Brecon road, Juliet | and Cordelia streets, would do much to improve the accessibility and rateable! value of a big area of the borough on < both sides of the river; and there are many minor works which might be held over until some reasonable bridging scheme has been carried into effect. It would be interesting to know what the candidates for the Council have to say about it, but they are discreetly "mum" on policy, and content themselves with a general promise to do their best in the interests of everyone, which sound and reads well, but may mean little or much; according to circumstances.

The only line of cleavage, as far as can be ascertained, and the only policy, concerns the overseer. Mr. T. Sullivan stands in the opinion of some of Stratford's best citizens as the best foreman or overseer the borough has ever had. Verbatim reports of the speeches of the councillors at the dying meeting of the Council were better than any gold-il-luminated address or testimonial. The big majority of the councillors reckoned he was the best man obtainable for the job. Ex-Mayor Masters, who is again a candidate for the Council, saw years and years of service as chairman of the Borough Works Committee and as Mayor of the borough. He told a Xews reporter that he had had any number of men under him, but never had he had to do with a man of such all-round knowledge of the work required of him, such a grand grip of Stratford's roading and other requirements, or such tact in the handling of men, as Mr. Tom Sullivan. The present Mayor, who is to be congratulated upon his return unopposed, practically endorses this view. So do ex-Mayor and Senior-Councillor N. J. King, who was chairman of works last year. But a section of the people, and certain candidates, say that Stratford needs a coat-off foreman, a man with a pick and shovel and a brawny arm, leaving the brains to be used by' the Council or employed by the Council at professional fees. Hut Stratford has progressed beyond the days when a man sweeping up droppings in the main street can be expected to know what was going on in the sewage works down by the Swansea road bridge. Stratford today demands the retention of an overseer who can manage the office work, draw plans and estimates, handle men, and see that work is done properly. If the election is to be fought out on this platform—brawn or brains, coat-off against coat-on overseer—the result is not in doubt, for the way in which that stone-crushing plant has been enticed into exceeding all its previous records, and the plans and levels given at little more than laborers' wages to the Council during the days of the loan discussions, have settled the question in favor of the present system. Xo candidate has told us what he thinks of the scheme to plant some of the streets, as proposed by the Beautifying Society. Have they 'thought of it? Neither does the body of ratepayers know whether last year's water-rate'col- ' lecting scheme, which cost the ratepayer I so much, is to stand. Nor has any candidate made any pronouncement upon the complete change of policy in regard to by-law charges outlined recently by j the town clerk, Mr. Skogluml, who is deserving of the thanks of the ratepayers for putting the information and "the suggestions before them. Has any of the bunch of new men any idea of hasten(ing the purification of the water supply, I or of making Broadway a little less undulating? If so, whv have we not been told about it? Why growl at the electors for apathy when the very candidates themselves decline to open out? The general opinion is that Messrs. Masters. King. Boon. Morison. Thompson, Dingle and Lawson are sure to be returned, although some wiseacres shake their heads and declare the two latter ' are in danger of losing their seats. The services of the first four and Mr. Dingle on the Council have been of great value, and it is hoped that they will be returned, the last-named because he has a fault-finding knack that keeps the Council and others awake. Mr. AY. 11. 11. Young has seen previous service, and can be depended upon to bring commonsense to bear upon municipal problems. Mr. Thompson is energetic and able, and is seasoning well into a really useful member. Mr. J. B.- Richards, the very enthusiastic secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, stands a good chance of being elected, and as he is imbued with the idea that Stratford must be made to progress he should be welcome, despite the fact that his speeches arc not of the shortest. Reporters have their own standard by which to gauge public men, of course. Mr. Fredric. another of the new bloods, is a keen critic and a shrewd business man, while Mr. Anion, the other of the maiden trio, claims a good deal of practical road-making experience. One or other of the trio will probably find this contest only a breather, but which of them? ' *

Office and Job Printing Works: Next N.Z. Loan & Mercantile Agency Co., Broadway.

The new Council will lie minus M "Sid." Ward, who lias for years bee one of the best of the bunch, only to ready to devote his time to the people' needs. He is not a starter this timi The electors have an easy duty to pei form. They have but to select the nin men best calculated to advance the ir terests of Stratford without expendin too much money in the process, and t keep the finances good without starvinj the streets. It's easier than the 53n problem of Euclid.