STRATFORD.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 October 1915, Page 3

STRATFORD.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) Stratford, Yesterday. Stratford shopkeepers intend closing on Labour Day (Monday next). Mr. W. J. King has received word from Dunedin informing him that his son Laurie bad passed the first year's medical course. The lad was formerly a pupil of the Stratford District High School, and left here in February for Dunedin to further pursue his studies. The Dardanelles Market will again be opened in the C.B.A. Buildings to-mor-row. Mesdames Uniacke, Robinson, and Glasgow are the ladies in charge, and have already received numerous promises of donations. The whole of the proceeds are in aid of the Red Cross Fund, and, apart from the market, this object alone should provide a tidy sum towards the fund.

At the annual meeting of the Stratford Fire Brigade the report stated there had been three fires of a serious nature during the year. The total musters for the year were 31, comprising: Practices 12, meetings 14, fires 3, false alarms 2. The Municipal Buildings fire was the worst that the town had experienced for many years. The report also referred to the loss of Firemen Kennedy and Dewar at the Dardanelles, and that ten firemen were at present fighting at the front, The balance-sheet showed a credit balance of £74 4s 7d. The election of officers resulted a3 follows: Captain, T. G. Grubb; Lieutenant, A. J. Davey; first foreman, W. Kowson; second foreman, E. A. Drake; committee, Firemen Brocklebank, F. Davies, G. King; secretary, G. Bradley; treasurer, A, Moon.

This afternoon about 3 o'clock the fire bell sounded an alarm of fire and soon dense smoke appeared over Broadway. The cause of the alarm was a shed used as a bulk store, owned by Messrs Curtis Bros, and occupied by Messrs Martin and Co. and On Kee. The fire had a very big hold before the alarm was given, but the Fire Brigade, under Lieut. Davey, were quickly on the spot, and, thanks to a good water supply, the fire was soon got under. A large quantity of kerosene was stored in the building, but fortunately this did not catch fire. The stock of Messrs Martin and Co. wa3 not damaged to any great extent. How the place caught fire is a complete mystery. If any visitor was in Broadway this afternoon and saw the crowd of residents running to the fire, he would have thought that Stratford had quite a population of 5000. Every person in the town seemed to have heard the alarm.