STRATFORD NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 223, 20 March 1914, Page 3

STRATFORD NEWS.

THE TOLL-GATES V'iiSTION FURTHER DEVELOPMFNTS. STILL IX ABEYANCE. At the County Council meeting on Wednesday the toll-gates question again came before the Council, but in the end action was again deferred. The chairman reported that the meeting at Midliirst re toll-gates had been attended by about 50 settlors, and IS had voted for the gates, none voting against. Those present, however, did not want a gate on the Stratford,side of Midliirst. If, said the chairman, the Council took action at that meeting he did not quite know what the position would be. He pointed out the difficulty of making the people on all the roads contribute by way of tolls. The upkeep of the metalled road was estimated at £6OO a year. j

In reply to a question, the chairman stated that it all depended on where 1 the toll-gates were placed as to which settlers would be affected. The best place % a gate would be about a mile from the boundary if the other ridings ridings put up a gate. Cr. Walter considered that it was desirable not only to catch the business traffic but the pleasure traffic. The settlers were paying as many rates as they could bear, and by placing a : gate near Stratford the greater revenue would be obtained, as it would catch the outside and the pleasure traffic, whereby' the county ratepayers would be relieved. At :this stage the chairman suggested that Cr. Walter should move in the direction of each riding having a toll- , gate, but this did not meet the views of the councillor in question. . . -1 Cr. Thomson urged that the ordin- ' ary. business should be taken and the toll-gate question deferred till later in •{ the day. After Cr. Chtistoffel had spoken, the matter was adjourned until after lunch. ' 'A SETTLER'S ADVICE. ] Mr. S. Pitt waited on the Council on ' the toll-gate question.. He considered 1 that if a proposal for toll-gates all * round Stratford ; .was carried it would ' not last 12 months.. Such a course ( would detrimentally affect land,values. ' He hoped the Council would well ,con- 1 sider the matter before taking action. 1 Another point'was that the erection of ' toll-gates would send settlers into El- ' tham instead of their doing business at ' Stratford. He suggested that a toll- ' I gate at Waipuku would produce a ban - ■' some revenue.

A LEGAL OPINION.

Mr T. F. Martin, solicitor to tlie New i Zealand Counties' Association, Wellington, wrote giving the following opinion: —"lt is not competent to the County Council in framing its scale of tolls to exempt milk-cart traffic to and from factories, or any similar snecial traffic from payment of tolls. In the first place, the Public Works Act, 1908,' section 156, sub-section (1), par. (c), provides that the local authority is to frame a scale of tolls chargeable on all vehicles, etc., and in the next place the Statute, by section ISB thereof, itself makes the exemption from tolls. I would direct your attention to the provision of the Public Works Amendment Act, 1911, which makes the consent of the Minister for Public 'Works necessary to the establishment of a new toll-gate. The matter was 'deferred until after the cpnference at Eltham on Saturday. STRATFORD SWIMMING CLUB . The final event in the competition for the Masters Cup eventuated on Wednesday at the baths. Although there were only four competitors, keen interest was taken in the event, which resulted in E. H. Kivell securing the coveted trophy; by one point. The order of finishing was:—E. H. Kivell (scr.)l; C. M Kivell (scr.) 2; C. 0. Whittington" (35sec) 3. Also started: H. L. Spratt (35sec). Won by five yards, the time being 2min 37sec The points for the Cup are'as follow:—E. H. Kivell 13, C. M. Kivell 12, Whittington 6, and B. V. Kivell 5. This event practically brings to a close the Club's season, but the actual finish will shortly be celebrated by meatus of a social and dance, which it is expected will be a most enjoyable function. COUNTY ADMINISTRATION I

ENGINEER v. OVERSEER. j A STRENUOUS FIGHT. ' LEADS TO RESIGNATIONS. ' ] The proceedings of the County Coun- , eil on Wednesday were taken out of j the usual calm and enlivened by. a ■ lengthy, and a times warm debate on the question of supervision. Councillors were about evenly divided in their opinions, so that the chairman had the unenviable duty of deciding the question at issue!. It appears that in the East Riding there are no less than three foremen, and this arrangement, although not causing friction, has, in the Engineer's opinion, its drawbacks. In addition to this, there have been" vague complaints and rumors of dissatisfaction at tho results.obtained for the money expended, but there was no definite written charge against any of the employees in connection with the discharge of their duties. The Engineer, Mr. E. C. Robinson, brought the matter before the Council by means of a special report in which certain suggestions were made to the following effect:*— (a) To dispense with the services of the whole staff in the East Riding, and call for applications for a foreman, all the working staff to be under him. In support of this suggestion, the Engineer stated that the present multiplicity of foremen had a tendency towards the foremen [regarding themselves as superior to the position of laborers, the result being an increase in the labor employed. Moreover, the time spent by the foreman in travelling from one point to another was given'more weight than it warranted. (b). That all work, except that of ordinary maintenance, be carried out by contract instead of by day labor. In connection with this recommendation, the report stated that, generally speaking, the day work done in the past had, on the whole, been satisfactory, but it was not always possible to obtain satisfactory labor. As the result of the

GENERAL NEWS

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■ present system and the complaints already mentioned, the engineer was continually being ''shot at" and unduly criticised, while if a responsible and capable foreman was in charge it would be his duty to see that the work was properly carried out, the Engineer giving tho supervision that was necessary. Cr. Smith opened the discussion by stating that when more than one control existed there were always conflicting interests, and he was convinced the present system required overhauling. Cr. Walter was pleased the matter had come forward. ' The same trouble existed in the other ridings. Complaints were made but nothing definite was brought forward against the men, so that he did not feel justified' in sacrificing the men without good cause shown. The remainder of the disensulon, which as already reported, culminated in the resignations of two members and the Engineer, will appear in next issue.

GYMKHANA-EASTER MONDAY

A viaitor to Stratford last Easter was speaking with a friend the day after Easter Monday, and in the course of conversation remarked' to his friend, a, prominent business man in the town, that he was puzzled to account for the cheering a.nd other marks of evident approbation that he had heard during Easter Monday. He had stayed in the town that day, ahd had played bowls. He described the noises he had heard. To begin with, about 11.30 a.m. he heard loud shouts as of a crowd encouraging somebody, then a burst of cheering, followed by quietness. Ten minutes'afterwards this cheering was repeated. The volume of sound was much greater now, aB though the crowd had increased in numbers and the roar of voices was well-nigh deafening,' It resenfbled the appalling sound made by gigantic waves, hurled onward by a wind of hurricane force, and breaking upon a rock-bound and wreck-strewn shore. He stopped playing and walked down the road a little way and met many tennis players, with the,,insignia of their sport with them, hurrying along in the direction of the tumultuous outbursts. They had evidently arrived at the 'same conclusion as he, that teimtas'must have very little enjoyment in comparison, to what the cheering multitudes were participating in. At the corner, of Broadway he beheld motor cyclists motoring at great speed towards the source of the cheering. After them he saw his bowler friends. Behind again were the :lame, the halt and the blind; in fact, all those to whom a good laugh meant a temporary cessation of their- worries and pains. In the rush to join the aforementioned tumultuous crowd, some of tho lame and halt were actually re- > | covering the use of their limbs. The i mere suggestion of hilarity had worked its strengthening influence on their various ailments. The beholder wasj amazed and astounded. Had he not beheld this marvel he would have been completely mystified. He restated no longer, but joined in with a beggar, wh« was a new man since he had joined in the rush, and hurried along. The further they went, the greater was the crush Out of town they swept, alonjj i a b ° rdered with trees on one side, and by the railway line on the other, and finally came to a halt at the Stratford showgrounds. Then the visitor understood. It was Gymkhana Day! And the gymkhana is a grand elliptical, asiatical, nervous cordial, and will cure all ailments to which humanity is heir. BERNARD'S PICTURES It is some time since picture lovers have seen on the screen Mary Pickford ™ l *," new I! 1 "- *> to-nighfs refined melodrama they will see little Marv in a new light; "In the' Bishoo's Carnage, from the book of Miriam Michelson, will please every division of society. In its delineation of the character of the Charity Girl, who falls out of the clutches of the vfcago in the chanty douse, into the hands of the thief—out of the frving-pan into the fire, as it were—and then, under the, inof a man animated by honest motives, the picture is more than interesting; it is instructive. Nance's attempts to reform, her failures, and 3«r final triumph over wrong, will be followed with tne closest atentioa-. Dave Wall, as Tom Dorgan, the crook, gives a splendid performance. His work is restrained at times, yet showing) when the occasion justifies it, every ounce of force necessary to carry over a situation.

The county chairman, Mr. W. Hath, away, has given notice to move at £he next meeting that the Council will be limited to an expenditure of 1700 in any one nionth. The county chairman waited on the Minister of Railways yesterday regard-

I ing the shortage of railway trucks for the conveyance of metal. The Minister said he was unable to do anything in the matter before the end "of the month, hut hoped to be able to improve things then. A joint deputation of local bodies travelled with the Minister of Railways to Eltlmm by train yesterday. The hon. gentleman explained that the section of tlie Stratford-Okahukura line between Pohokura and Whangamomona . was awaiting being handed over to the Railway Department, this statement being made in reply to a request that the Department should secure control as early as possible. He promised to give !his consideration to the request that the Stratford railway platform should be further covered in. His reply to the deputation re the Opunake railway . differed little from his statements made at Hawera, Manaia, and Opunake, tho burden of it being that when the route was decided the construction of the line would be pushed on. As for the requested reduction of railway freight on hardwood, the Minister said the whole tariff would he revised shortly. Mr. R. Spence was farewelled by the Stratford Club last night, on the eve of his departure on a world's tour, i At the bowling green yesterday a very enjoyable progressive pairs' match was played. Ewan Jackson and H. S. Harris tied as the best leads, and Harris won on his scores in the two first games. King and McDonald tiijd also, as the leading skips; and the count in the first two games gave King the verdict. There will be a big batch of undefended civil actions and by-law cases at the S.M. Court to-day.

I Your photograph will please them all —some of your friends have been expecting one for a long time—don't be satisfied with one taken years ago. just as you are to-day, in your everyday attire. Having your portrait taken is as pleasant as an informal call oh good friends. Make an appointment to-day with Mr. McAlister, Stratford. Eight sticks of dark Havelock tobacco for os; eight sticks of »erby,'6s; eight 2oz tins Havelock, 7s 6ir; eight 2oz tins Derby, 7s (3d., These are specimen 1 prices ! from Stan. Sharp's stock of smokers' requisites. "Next Bellringer'S, Stratford! There is no questioning the fact that "The Kash" is the best place in Stratford for men to supply their clothing and mercery wants. Quality and prije tell their own unequalled story in* favor of the store, •