STRATFORD NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 161, 7 January 1914, Page 3

STRATFORD NEWS.

THE POSTAL SERVICE. AT THE STRATFORD OFFICE. Since tin; adoption of the half-past five o'clock closing of business ureinises . in Stratford .people have often found themselves "stranded" for stamps to post letters for the evening' mails, dosing here at six o'clock. The licensed stamp dealers close, of course, at. 5.3(1; and the post office closes at five o'clock, to re-open for telegraph business, and counter delivery of correspondence, from 7to S p.m'. Stamps are alleged to be obtainable from the automatic stampselling machine that is hidden away in the private box lobby; but this is a rotten reed, absolutely undefendable. Buring ithe last few weeks the matter of I haying the post office o nn n continuously ' from nine o'clock in the morning to'i eight o'clock at night lias been fre- , intently mentioned in certain quarters, \ and the Xfcw& has hud enquiries made | as to the chances of this boing brought I about. Unless some drastic changes are I made in the post ami telegraph regulations the chances are very remote. Stratford is no worse sff, it appears, than other towns of the same size, and is just as well served as many much larger places. The hours at Tlawera. for instance, are the same as here; and so are the hours at Clore. New 'Plymouth ' is the only post office in Taranaki which does not close at five o'clock, and that is a chief post office. The volume of ' business at Stratford, though probably ranidly increasing, has not placed the office in the continuous service grade. From enquiries made it seems that even | where the later hours are enjoyed the 1 public use the concession to .1 minor ex- ' tent. The postal business transacted at \ the counters practically ceases when the business premises close, and a fresh volume of business and enquiry opens up between seven and eight o'cloek. The matter of expense need not ie considered, one would think, hut it is a fact that requests for postal concessions are_ frequently denied because the innovation would not pay. But thh is a department of nublie utility, and can hardly be said to be' run" for a profit. Xo one will urge that it wn s a profitable concession to reduce so enormously the postage rate on the bulky correspondence of the big commercial and financial institutions. The concession on oneounce letters was all very well, but the Department must have ciit heavily into its revenue when it began to handle for two or three coppers .what used to return shillings. But this is hirnrcr question. There is one concession which has been consistently refused to Stratford, though it is understood to be In vogue in some places. "We refer to the fact that registered letters cannot be ontnm«il by the private box holders when tlii' office is open at night. This is oft-, times very inconvenient, and it seems a ridiculous implication of red tape. The clerks at the window are not wnerallv overworked at night, although kept bnsv: and there should be time to hand out the (wo «<_• thr»c registered letters that miflit be asked for b>- box-holdor<. Some day little matters like thj H will receive attention. So will that erratic stamp-selling machine. So will th» poit ofl'ic" stens. that are getting too "springy" in places: and the flotr of the posting lobby, which is now pa 'shod up j with ;'. piece of packing-ease. ' |

OUR STREETS The continuance of hot, dry weather lias lirawn attention to the article which appeared in the News the other day concerning the need for a better streetwatering plant. A little knot of business men were discussing the mutter yesterday morning when the News man happened along, and opinions seemed to be evenly divided upon the wisdom of launching out into big expense in providing a new water-cart. One gentleman said that even if we purchased half-a-dozen water-carts it would still be but tinkering with Hie dust-laying proposition. "Get three watering-carts," lie said, "set them at work nil day today, and you'll still have dust to'-mor-row. No," he went on, "we want a road that won't crumble up into dust, and then we can let Tom Sullivan have our watering cart to work with the road-roller or wherever else he wants it- Perhaps he'll send it round to the streets where the councillors live, and lay the dust for them." The little gathering seemed impressed, but someone, speaking with bated breath, ejaculated: "But how is it to he done!' The •ost would be enormous." "Not at ill." was the answer. "As a matter of ] fact, the scheme I believe in would save the Council money evciy year." Then lie elaborated it, and his proposition ran somewhat on these lines. To purchase a new four-wheeled water-cart would cost, sav, £l2O or £l4O. Put it down at '.£l.')(l. Two horses,, with harness, £100; extra stabling accommodation, perhaps £100; a I capital outlay of £330. Then there I would be the maintenance charges. Put j down £4O for wages of an extra man at :£2 10s'a week for the summer sea- | eon: horse-feed, shoeing, etc.. at an cstimate of l<is a week per horse, £Bl 4s; depreciation on cost, say, £lO a year; interest on outlay at six per cent, on £330, £l9 IGs.; an annual charge of £lsl, without allowing- for any depreciation of the 'horseflesh, and, lie pointed out, even with all this added expense we would still 'have dust to contend with in the business section of the (own unless some radical change were made in the formation of Broadway. Then lie started to figure again. Some little time ago the) Borough Council had obtained an estimate of the cost of re-metalling, rollnig and tarring Broadway, from Seyton street (Dr. Steven's corner) to Victoria bridge. This work would cost £2OOO, or rather under. Carry out that wotlc, he said, at an annual interest charge of £IOO, and you would have an up-to-date thoroughfare that would need no watering-cart at allThe cost of maintenance would be verv slight, as compared with jtlic cost of maintaining the present roiid, anil there would be no mud and no pools in winter. The cost of sweeping up Broadway in the mornings would be greatly reduced, and the. town would have a main street reflecting some of the progress of the place. And much more in this strain. As the matter will probably come before the Borough Council shortly, or, during the mayoral contest (if we have one thjs year), the above opinions seem jirorth'j of publication and public consideration;

FROM OUJk KESID ENT REPORTER. Office and Job Printing Works: York Chambers (upstairs) STel«jkei» No. lit.

STRATFORD'S SEASIDE PICNIC Stratford will make its annual descent on New Plymouth on Thursday, January 29. Air. T. If. Penn, secretary of ! the Stratford School Committee, lias I received advice that the Railway Departi ment cannot give special train* for the I annual picnic on any Thursday in Febj ruary, -or on the- first Tlmrsday in I ATareh. The school does not re-open till February 3, so the picnic will take j place during the holidays. Special trains will leave here for New Plymouth, stopiphiff at, Autere street, Te.Hcniii, at IS a.m. and 9.5 a.m., returning from | Autere street at 5 p.m., and (i-KI p.m. Fares will be children Is, teachers (and senior scholars) Is 7d, adults 2s 3d. One of tlie conditions imposed is that the number of adults' tickets sold shall not, ■exceed Hie number of children's tickets. Tlie East End Reserve lias been selected as the picnic site because, in the opin-, ion of those who have, inspecttid tlic.j various sites recently, the Henui beach 1 is so very suitable and the In ml attrac- j tions and conveniences exceedingly so. '.

I BOWLING There in a mix-up over bowling matches. New Plymouth undertook to I give us a game on the loth, and Stratford arranged with Eltham to play the 'banner match on tlie Btli, the Eltham men gladly consenting. Now it appears that the New Plymouth Club has enI gaged itself in a banner match on the 15t.1i,' m> the friendly mutch will probably b.e arranged for the 22nd. STRAY PARAGRAPHS | The Kev. ."fames Flanagan's lecture on "catching men alive" was fairly well I attended, and-attentively listened to. Tlie Rev. James Flanagan himself was very iirominent throughout, and he i praised his own tact and astuteness in making captures. His account of his own conversion, and the first attack he made on shiners for the glory of God, were capitally told stories, whilst the trout-tickling episode in which he figured in tliis *."o!.\ntry—Jnit, no; he asked that the reporters should not note this tit-bit. Mr. Flanagan is a fine lecturer, and a hcart-wholo worker, wlio is always interesting and often amusing. Mr. Charlie Ruseoe's horse Royal Dragood ■is having a great time on the West Coast, und the handicappcr has not got his real strength yet. Four wins, two seconds, and a third came from seven starts. Unlike many racehorses, Royal Dragoon -is still owned by the man who fc?e*l Trim.

Don't leave it too long. Get your order in now for one of Dan Malone and Co.'s great mine Christmas hampers. All liquors of the best brands. If delivery i» required at flag station, plaase add freigkt. I It's time to have that long promised portrait taken. No need to wait for a, fine day. Fast lenses and fast plates make showery -weather as good as sunshine. Make the opportunity to-flayl McAllister's Studios will give you faithful and pleasing results. Warmer weather wakes nejlitjc shirts more than ever desirable. "The Kash" lias them in new patterns and various , materials. Tennis shirts, light singlets and pants,, new hosiery, new ties, new sox. new hats, are here: in fact, an entirely new steek of men's wearing apparel.—Mullen and Marsha", proprietors. Give him a nine. But let it l,e a good pipe. Handsome is as handsome does, and r,nr handsome pines nrovi'e a delightful smoke. Fill the ™«e with Stnn. Sham's special mixture, or any of the regular brands, all nf which are stooked here, as well as eiwars, eig.wttes. ei»nr and cigarette holders, eases', nouehes. and, so on. Stan. Sham's, next to Bellringers.