STRATFORD NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 171, 19 January 1914, Page 3

STRATFORD NEWS.

F2OM OCIi m&m WE REPORTER. Office and Job Printing Works: York Chambers (upstairs) •JfJesaoHs Ko. US.

OUH MOUNTAIN HOUSE

A POPULAR PICXIC JIESijRT. Tlii' statements made at tinXaliomil Park Board meeting on Thursday, and reported in the Daily Xewu of ■ Saturday, under the "Rival Hostelries," were read with inlerest by .Stratford people. Whilst there may he rivalry, there is no antagonism, though it seems an attempt to magnify a healthy f pirit of emulation into one of antagonism. There is really no need for the representatives of the. Dawson's Kills eommiltoc lo be so jealous of our efforts to popularise, the Hast turnout or Stratford monnlnin-house, wbieh enjoys tiie distiiiefion of being more rapidly and more easily readied from the railway line than the mountain-house, whose representatives are apparently up against Stratford. Aeenrdhi;;' to' the ' newspaper report, -'the remark was j passed thai, at last the loeal people at | Stratford were begimiinj,' to wake n;t j a realise yhat an ea;y route they had' of jri'ltinjr to the. mount:iin. .Mr. I Wiikie and other members, however, ! maintained that this loeal trallie wu not suliieieut to maintain the house, now erected, from which Jhe board had hilherto- ri'eeivei! nd revene.e at all. It was generally recognised that the Daw-

:;.-.'tfs Falts site was by far the superior of the two, and .Mr. Wilkie's idea, was that, eventually (hero must be only the houses ;it Dawson's Fa]!.;, with u round road conned ins; up tht- present .Stratford route. Tfic Stratford house would si'.libr, for one-day picnic trips, >but would never do as a tourist resort. Mr. Vfilkie lio])i'il that the idea of making a, round drive, would In; kept in view. '.Mr. Coodson with .Air. M'ilkif." Wasn't it possible to advocate t'ae ronnd.-ilic-mountiiiii track without disparayin;.;, or iippca.riiif* to disparage "our" house?. (;)' course, if the Stratford people were really tr, wake up and put more into their work on 'boliaii' of .Stratford as (lie best place from which to reach the mountain, and the I •Stratford house .is (ho most accessible of then all. there would be some, cause I for a spurt mi behalf of the other | routes. "Stratford hoico will never do i as a tourist resort!" Why? People do) ;;ot know that the trip from the Strut i !o:d post ollico to (lie. Stratford mountain house is mafic by :uotor-car in' thirty-live minutes, and the return I journey in thirty miiiut-'i. Mr. .1. Donald, of the frown Stables, who runs his ' "Cadi! 1 at." cac to lb:- various bouses as / repaired, told the New ■ reporter that. [ the Stratford track is hm;e:i!;eiy su-i perior to the track to Dawson's Falls,J and reckons that on bis last trip the] bad state of the road ,iid tremendous ' datwijjß (o his tvivi. Mr. Mmiford. of : the local Karate, ,nade the trip tli<; J ■ !il';; : r d:ty to "our" house, and says; the rond is splendid. His (lurly-five j i pollutes run proves that the distance! is nine miles. ■So far we have done nothing lo cater for the tourist Irallic. We are endeavor- ' in l .' to popularise, as a one-da v picnic re- 1 sort, our splendidly sitetod house. We liavc in Mr. aud Mr.,. If. Williams a , vorc capable couple of managers, and ; visitors'speak in I lie highest terms of their kindncsi and aitention. We have laid the road put info sncli .'.food condition, and the 'distiince is mi'short, that hit-in;.' motorists are prepared to lake parties up in the moruiufi. return to, town for their ordinary work, and briirr back the picnickers the same eveninjr. Messrs I"!. Morison and K. •Taekson have done excellent service in this direction, and it is most unfortunate that their successful work should have aroused a feelin;,' in the breasts of our sopthrrn friends. Of course, if Ihev want il, we will admit that Dawson's Falls isreallv the. mountain, but there will always linscr the memory of pleasant journeys to the beautiful 'Curtis' Falls from tile Stratford bouse, and of beautiful bush scenery near the house we are endeavoring? to popularise. RESIDENCE DESTROYED BY FIRE. Mr. •[. Croft's residence in Cordelia street was destroyed by ,'ire just before three o'clock on Sal unlay morninc. Mr. Crofts .is at present in Christ.diurch, but Mrs. Crofts was a'', borne, with yonns children. Sim was awakened by Hemes l>entin<r down the ceilin;;' of the bedroom, and had just siiliicient time lo jjet herself and the children clear. The whole c;f (he furniture and effects were destroyed. The bri-.id--turned out promptly, but some dele , occurred, owinjr to their bchu; no water-. main nearer Ib.ui the Pembroke road. nearly Willi fect'lawav. Insurances were •CI.W on (he bolise. held by the .Atlas oflice, and .C*Hn\oii Hie furnilnre. in the State ollice. .\ sum of money is understood to have becon lost in the fire. GENERAL. The Midbir.-t Dairy fonipe.uv is payi!ig"out' .CI2.SSH odd to 'suppliers f,',r December milk mid casein. The Stratford l.awn Tennis Club will play Flthani at F.ltlinni on Thursday. and New Plymouth a I New Plymouth on January 20th. In the champion singles on the Strafford bowline 1 jiieeii on Friday. X. .I.Kine; romped over (he '■favorite," (,'corye Smart by lIG to (j. Tlie tire brigade carnival is to be bold on or about February 2(ith, in Victoria Park.

It's time to have that long promised portrait taken. Xo need to wait for a line dar. Fast lenses and fast plates make showery weather as good as sunshine. Make tl norl nmr.v ro-ilav. McAllister's Studios ivill give yon faithful and pl/'nsin;.' results. " i Warmer weather Makes neflij™ 'Ti/lo j more than ever desira'j'p. "Tim ICash" lias them in new patterns in-.l \urir,:is materials. Tennis shirt?, lirjl'.t sinjrlets and pants, now hosiery, new ti(|s, new sox. new hats, are here' in faet. an entirely new stock of men's wcarin" apparel.—Mullen and Marsha" proprietors. _Giv c him a "ire. Tint, l"t it l.n n -mod pine. Handsome is as handsome, does, and our handsome pipes provi'e a delijhtful smoke. Vi'l the " : ne with Stan. Sham's special pii\(nr«. or anv of the regular l.rands. all nf vlih-li ar" stocked imrn. as well a; cinars, erraretfes. ei"ar and cigarette holders, eases, oonclics. and so on. Stan. Sharp's, next to 801 l - lißgei's.

I SIOA ROAD BOARD.

, —cr» ' . IIOXTIJLi: JJJIETLVU. The ordinary mnnthig of the lloa Road Board v.'as hold at the Board's uliiee, Inglewood, ou Saturday, when .there were present: .Messrs U. TrimWe (in (he chair) .1. A. Bridgenmn, 0. .if. Bold;, \Y. I',. liialiop, E. Cioppertli, M. lfopson, A. K. Laurence. N. {}. tflioemai'k ami .1. Williams.

FOIUttIKN'S REPORTS. . Foreman T-li. Knoll'lock had Imsoti en at various maintenance work on ,Uie ]lri.itol. Lincoln, YYortley and liich mond roads, lie asked tlic Board to uiiic contractors to .start their jobs while the line weather lasted. Maiiitnnana iuori; was required on the Yoi'i, Lincoln and Kaimata North romla. Foreman 1!. .lones had been occupied J with maintenance work on the Norfolk iV.'csl, -Johns /nid Surrey roads, Mil. A. Polrox liuil farted between 15 and -20 yards of -boulders on to the Bedford road, and asked for an advance of £1 thereon. .Mr. I!. Laurence Jiad commenced his contract on the Norfolk West road. Foreman W. liennett reported that -Messrs Knwan and Thomson , had Idelivered about J.V) vards of boulJders on Kamiata. South roads. Ho i had lifi'ii employed on 'maintenance work on ;iic Mann, iuipara, Kaintiita | and Ralapiko ends. Work was also nouiivd c,!i the Kohete. Mangoatia and I llo.ss roads. ■ Foreman VViimshurst reported that 'Swan and Tiioina»ou hid completed their .contract for'-iIM) vards of boulders on '.he Lcppcr road. All file Windwr road ■ lieial was napp;d and would he used, wiili tin' except; in of a few vards for maintenance, lie asked for an additional !l:i yards so as lo extend the metal as far'as .Mr. Bowler's gate. There were, he saiii. about 11 chains of road uamrlailed. and. unless something was done, there would he an accident. Wooden cnlvi rts which lied been placed . on the road under the old tram line'' had collapsed, necessitating new cul- : verts. One settler had offered to clean j

'tlic drains provided the Board [»it in new culverts, lie asked for instructions ns io whether lie was supposed to put ill the culverts under the line, or clean out all ditches on either skin of the roads uli'cctim; peoples' ])ropert.y. Swan, and Thoniason's contract of (';!) yards on the K'.'inont road south was comn'etrd. ile inur.ircd if gravel could not l;c ».'.ili.:litmi'd lor .siiir.de on the Kaipi read, as ;:rav,l could be jjot at the same price, end shingle would not set. The t'phnid road south was cutting up cud Si) yards of gravel was urgently reonirid on it. Twenty yards of metal was a'so iviiuircd on the Unkind road nortli. The chairman, Messrs Laurence, and Kokil were appointed a committee to v>it I lie Windsor roaii and inspect the "ttlvcrls on the old tram line, with power to act. Tenders for 21) vards of metal or. the fpiand road lion!: will lie called lor c.t VCMUST CO AD. Mr. (i. 'J'. Murray, resident engineer. wot; that ike Cnvernnietit (jr.mt .of cJHIi) was. he understood, to lie expended in general repairs of ■iiictallin;-- where "lost, remiired over the whole leufctii of the road from (he, radius line to the iimrtion road. )\s the usual custom was for the Department io write, the, Hoard iuvitiny proposals, il vould, lie added, be as well to wait until that was done. Foreman A. W'ilvnshiirst in his report staved that the dry weather and heavy motor traffic had called the metal to kick out verv thickly, nocpssitaiiiifr rnkiu.n and iiindin- io saw the road. About 11!) chains from Mr. (;. Swan's was completely done, and th!» wa.s where the' flnveimnonl praat was most urgently required, otherwise some portion of the road would need corduroying this winter, lie asked (he lio.ud io push on the work, as the track into the river was dry now. eitahimv; bowlder* to he trot out cheaply. The clnirniai: -aid (hat. with a view io pnsiiii'ijr on the matter, ho had writleu the resident engineer in reference (hereto. It was resolved to call for tenders for ■.'!''!> yards of boulders at once, to lie delivered hoi vera Lepper road and Airs. Patterson's. KAII'I ROAD. Mr. .1. .Williams icnorted that lie. Ifiid interviewed several of the settlers re the expenditure nil the Kaipi road, and he enclosed a letter from Mr. IT. Sinclair, who stated that he had consulted the other s ■ttlors and they wished the Hoard to spend (he ■money Niihscribrd ill mctallinjj the tv, () hills,'and allow the repairs to stand over for tlie present. He thought ,EHi was ;t bij; amount to set. aside for labor, and. should any sum be left over from this, it might help towards the repairs. Mr. O'Shauyhncsy hail also agreed to refund any royalty for -metal taken from the pit in his property. Mr. Williams said that this did not provide for repairing the present metal, which seemed rather a pity, as the road was worn out. The matter was held over pending a reply from the Tarauaki Countv Council. The chairman remarked (hat. so far as the. money provided 'by the Hoard was concerned, (he. Hoard could sneud it where they considered it would be most beneficial, i Mr. Hop*™ tiiu-.nht the settlers were anxious to .wt the bills at the luck iiftendcd tol.eeaus,. (hey knew the front, would, have to be repaired someway or' nnotliar. KOIII.TK BRIDfiE. Messrs llobinson and Christophers, euyinecrs. of Strafford, notified (iiat. should th:. Board so desire, thev could order I he b.ardwo.vd timber for the Koi'.clu •bridjje. and when ii came lo hand make arraiiyemcats for the election of (he new struoinre liy day labor. The engineers were .nuthovisnil to proceed with the w.rk as suggested. icvrj-j.-.TT ROAD. The (luestion of < xncudin.g the government urani of C>!)0, ;C for it subI uilv on tiiis road, was discussed. The chairman suggested implying io the Advances Hoard for a. loan of .C'JiW. Re pointed out that whereas the Hoard had some time afro applied for and been re- \ fused a loan of V.lvKK>, which it would '

I :i--]u\v:' (...) complete (lie inetallili" for ji>., miiis, tliii Advances Hoard might I possiMv i-i-.ii<t the smaller ;imount. ( The' !i!uel.i:i;r !i:\i! agricd to this I course, ivhen ;■, i;c;>;>ialion, comprising ! rati payers on the road, waked on llie lioiinl anil asked that something should be done in the matter. They said teat settlers were quite prepared to go in I for a loan of ,€.io()0 to complete the mi'ialling, and, if this could not lie obtained, they asked that the road should . he i'lirnieil throughout. j —-' TJie Hoard decided lo again, apply [ j for t!u: loan as requested, and to let J the deputation know the result at as J early a date, as poisiltlc. J I CiE.VlviiAr, J | The chairman reported that he and I Mr. Hridgcitian. had measured the, heap of metal over which" there was a dispute ' l;etueen the fni'eman and the sloneI breaker, and li'id made it come eleven I feet less than the foreman. It was resolved to pay in the ioreimin's mcasnre(nient. It was decided to inform Mr. L. .Salter that the culvcit on the I'.ristol road j must be eleare 1, otherwise, the Hoard J will do it at hU expense. >■ J All contractois will be asked to push n on with their contracts. ' i- Accounts amounting to £2-23 ;"is were ' e. J,[facs;ed for payment.