STRATFORD NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 297, 8 May 1913, Page 3

STRATFORD NEWS.

STRATFORD MUNICIPAL BRASS BAND

It is a standing reproach to any town of any decent dimensions to be without a brass band. The time was when Stratford was open to that reproach, hut fortunately those days have passed, and, thanks to the energy of a number of enthusiastic musicians, we now have a band capable of rendering good music in capable style, and a band giving promise of better things in the very near future. Much of the credit for the present state of eflieiency is due to the conductor, Mr. T. Marshall, who spares neither time nor trouble in coaching the younger players and performing all the manifold duties appertaining to his office. Among the Stratford bandsmen are several old and seasoned players, who have done contest work. But there are several younger men who ne'e'd that experience. A band contest is an education to the competing bandsmen, and it is recognised now as a necessity in the training of the young idea. To listen to the finest combinations in the Dominion —which means the finest hands in Australasia—cannot fail to be of immense benefit to the junior who is striving to perfect himself in tone production; and there is no doubt that the Stratford Band Committee is wise in making an endeavor to visit the big contest to be held in Auckland next year. The bandsmen will set out to help themselves in J the matter by holding a series of concerts,: which it is hoped will be liberally supported. ;lij addition, subscription lists w'rll be circulated. There is little need to stress the point that a good band [ is'.', a' splendid' fts'set to any town, and as a contest performance will benefit the bandsmen, and the band ■will thus be able to give us better music than ever, the townspeople stand to get something for their money. Men who can play well, and interpret correctly the finer compositions, will be more ready to give open-air concerts for the public ear, and we shall have more frequent appearances of the band. In the interests I of band music it is to be hoped then that the conductor and liis colleagues will receive substantial support in thisji ambitious enterprise, remembering that the Stratford .Municipal Brass Band has already a very fine contest performance to its credit. i THE MAYORAL INSTALLATION "PAROCHIALISM OX TOP." < IS IT DEAD? The Mayoral installation yesterday morning gained a little interest by reason of the remarks of ex-May or Masters, who deplored the existence of the end-against-end, feeling, which, although he did hot say so, was prominent in the recent Borough Council election. . The returning officer, Mr. P. Skog- ' lund, having made his report, the Mayor-elect made his formal declaration, and took his seat. Councillors N. J. King, J. Masters, F. Arden, R. Dingle, J. W. Boon, J. Fredric, J. B. Richards and R. McK. Morison also signed the statutory declaration to exercise faith- , fully and impartially, to the best' of their ability, the powers and authority vested in them as councillors by virtue 2 of the Municipal Corporation Act. § -The Mayor congratulated the old coun- c cillors on their re-election, and welcomed c the "new blood," expressing his belief \ that at the expiration of their term of t office the new councillors would have c fully merited the confidence placed in c them by the electors. He praised the c energy and enthusiasm displayed by Mr. t Richards on several local organisations I on which he (the Mayor) had had the pleasure of working with him; intro- c duccd Cr. Fredric as a man of considerable business ability, and Cr. Arden as .i one of Stratford's very popular citizens, a The three, he believed, would be good councillors. He also congratulated Cr. Masters on his return to municipal life, i and said that that gentleman's reputa- -' tion as Mayor and councillor needed trumpeting. The presence of two ex- e mayors (Crs. King and Masters) on the Council showed that interest in municl- . pal affairs was not lacking. He prophe- \ sied a busy year's work. There would . be no loan money to spend, and works would have to be done out of revenue. . From the dictum of the ratepayers at the recent poll he took it that no loan proposal need be expected to succeed for | some time yet. He regrettel that the very necessary waterworks improvements < could not be carried out, and said that 1 as far as he was concerned he would not j be a party to any expenditure in this direction without a direct mandate from the ratepayers. Concluding, he said it i was too much to hope that the council- i lors would always agree, but if they ■ would accept the .decision of the major- ] ity, and let it end at that, they would not go far wrong. i Councillors then congratulated the 1 Mayor on his election. Members of the. former Council welcomed their new col- ( leagues. And all pledged themselves to work in the best interests of the bor- 1 ough as a whole. Cr. Masters, while |rnot wishing to raise a debate, referred to . the

PAROCHIALISM, OR PARTY FEELING which, he regretted to say, had for some !time past been "on top" in connection with the Council. They had now got a level-headed set of men on the Council, and he hoped they would wade right in and endeavor to crush the parochial ) spirit. It was not in the interests of I the borough that this party feeling should exist. As a matter of fact the town had suffered by it. There wa.s no excuse for it at all, for both sides of the town had been justly treated in the matter of expenditure. (Crs.: Hear, hear.) O. Morison remarked that there had been unanimity in the re-election of the Mayor unopposed. He advocated a "slow [ and steady" policy. Touching on the point raised by the previous speaker, he said that this party feeling had not emanated from the Council or from any member of it.

Cr. King: Oh, get out! Cr. Morison said lie was sure that the Council had had nothing to do with it, and the South had not been neglected as much as some people had tried to make out. Cr. Boon was very brief.

Cr. Dingle reckoned differences of opinion among councillors were good, but he regretted the existence of the north, south, east and west feeling in municipal affairs. At this stage he hoped it would be dropped. Cr. Richards was the first of the new councillors to make his bow. As a novitiate, he said, he felt like a child with water at his feet, not knowing its depth or what was in front of him. But he would do his best. The motto of the Stratford borough was "Kia Pipiri," which he believed meant "Shoulder to shoulder." Before coming here he had been told that Stratford people acted up to that motto, that it bound them- together;' and that they went like a .wedge

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into anything for the good of the place. Cr. King: They used to. / Cr. Kifliards said 'that that was still ~ the reputation the town had, and he t hoped the present Council would fully . J justify it. . ; Cr. Arden hoped that the end-against-(j end feeling would he buried. It would j j he as far as he was concerned. , v l '-, I'reili'ic having briefly declared his j 1 pleasure at being'given an opportunity , of doing something for the good of Stratford, ~.''*,' 5 The Mayor returned thanks. "We | should never use the word 'parochial- , ism'," he said, ''because the use of the , Word brings that sentiment into being." I There should be no other feeling but that this is one borough, and that the coun- , cillors represented the whole of it. He hoped that the feeling spoken of, if not dead already, would die out. Cr. Morison: It's dead. The Council will meet next Monday for the election of committees, and on the following Monday for consideration of the estimates. . H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND "It is very gratifying to find that so many people want to see this Dreadnought, the gift of the people of New Zealand to the Empire," said Cr. King at the Borough Council meeting yesterday, and the action of the Mayor in sending a telegram to the Hon. Mr. Bell asking for a longer stay of the battleship in New Plymouth was unanimously approved. SPORTS TO-DAY To-day. Rugby football, Show Grounds; Association football, Victoria Park; golf, Racecourse links; rifle shoot-, ing, at the range. ===== ,