STRATFORD NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 295, 6 May 1913, Page 3

STRATFORD NEWS.

FfiOM OUR RESIDENT REPORTED

j THE POST OFFICE WHAT" y THE MATTER? Yards and yards, columns and columns haye been talked and written about the railways, and how to make thorn pay. And the present Government has'gone so far as to arrange for the importation of a madc-in-England manager, who will, so 'tis hoped, bring business acumen to bear to a greater extent upon the working of the railway system, and earn dividends for us. The other day the Hon. R. H. Rhodes complimented Sir Joseph Ward as the best Postmaster-General and so on. Which is all quite true. Does anyone think that Sir Joseph Ward would alI low the present laxity in this department? The Government ought to go ' abroad for a manager of the P. & T. | service, too, if there is no one in New Zealand to put matters on to a decent business footing. If a private company were operating the telephones in New Zealand, it is possible that the manager of that fill with reasonable expedition the orders given for the installation of telephones, particularly as every telephone installed means greater revenue. But in Stratford, under the State monopoly, it takes weeks and months to have a little matter like this attended to. Even repairs to telephones are not attended to promptly. The excuse given is that the-men are too j busy. Then why in the name of commonsense are .not more men employed? One : Stratford professional man has had his application for a telephone, in for three months, and is still believing. What a grand thing is'hope! In other difecttons the postal authorities seem to be quite' active; Not so very long ago the: suburban delivery of correspondence' was ' instituted per mounted carrier. But the round has been found Very hard On horseflesh, and it is now stated.that the carriers are to be mounted on motor-cycles, and that two of-the machines ■will be here iu a few days!

A TREACHEROUS BRIDGE Talk about •widening Victoria bridge in Broadway. No 'of widening' could have enaWed it to deal successfully with'horse and wheel traffic on Sunday morning. 'A man from the southern portion : of" the district drove his horse and'dray on' to'the bridge at about eight o'clock. "There was a slide and a scrape and a crash. The horse's .four.feet slid '-from' under 'him. He tried to rise, but the : feet shot away a<»ain. In a minute Or" so there were half a dozen helpers,; but-the next-struggle of the horse warned t/hem to sheer off. He was freed from his/harness, and gradually, prodded from behind, and struggling', panting, sliding, lie eventually got' his fore feet on to the metalled road at the north end, slightly cut, but otherwise unhurt.'Other horses fared similarly until at length the ice melted.' There had been a heavy-rainfall in the night, ; followed' by' a' very severe frost, which* frozft the -water .Jyiflg on the wooden decking of the bridge, so thaf;. in the morning it was like a sheet or glass. One of those ,affected reckoned it was the business, of,the inspector of nuisances to have thig;nviißance inspected on any future occasion when the conditions are similar.. STRAY PARAGRAPHS The street lights are on again. They were off for a couple of nights, .as the result of Friday's storm. There's a big cold snap on just now. The Mounteds got away to camp on Sunday—a big muster. • '' ■ - The benefit picture performance in aid of the .road to the Mountain.House, eventuates to-morrow (Wednesday) evening. .-, : • _, Miss Diamond, of Auckland, sister of Mr. Will Diamond, is arriving here on a visit for the benefit of her health. Mr. T. Trask,of the Railway Permanent Ways Office,. has returned from J Rotorua, and resumes duty this morning after five months' sick leave, .as the result of,his treatment at Rotorua he has thrown away his crutches, and even the stick he carries looks partly a matter of form.

A traveller along most of Taranaki's county roads gives Eltham the palm for the excellent roads in that county. Stratford and Taranaki he places a good second,,with a leaning towards the former, and unhesitatingly places the Egmont county last.

Office and Job Printing Works: Next N.Z. Loan & Mercantile Agency Co., Broadway. Telephone Xo. 113.