STRATFORD.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 November 1915, Page 3

STRATFORD.

NEW MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS. LAYING FOUNDATION STONE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Stratford, Yesterday. The ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the new municipal buildings took place yesterday afternoon, in ideal weather. There was a large attendance of the public. The Senior Cadets, under Lieut. Cray, and school children, headed by the school fife and drum band, marched from the school .to the buildings, and formed up. The Municipal Band played the National Anthem, and then the Mayor addressed the large audience. He said he was "ratified (hat the Council had honored him by asking him to perform the ceremony. He was pleased .to see such a large numbar of boys and girls, as in course of time they , would be called upon to act as couneH lors, mayors, members of Parliament, committeemen, fte. It was a coincidence, lie said, that newspapers found under the foundation stone in the old building contained news of the Boer war, and now the papers were full of a world war. The foundation stone of the old building W39 laid on May IS, 1900, by Mr. I'\ J Stewart, and the borough councillors then were: Messrs N. J. King, 11. N. Liardft, G. Smart, R. B. Tatton, E. McK. Morison, F. W. Wake. T. Harry Perm was town clerk, Mr. T. C. Fookes was borough solicitor, and Messrs Clime and Fairhall were the thorough engineers. Mr .1. W Warren was architect for the building and Mr. Fred Browne the contractor. It was interesting to note the comparison of the borough in Muv, 1000, and November, 1915. In 1900 the population was 1850, now it was 3000. The number of burgesses on tTTc roll in 1900 was OSS, in 191") 1700. Capital value of the borough in 1900 £12,000; in 101.1 unimproved value, £21(1,827. The newspapers in 1900 were advertising a waterworks loan of £BOOO for the borough, and this had proved a great success. On October 23, 1914, the old nunicipal buildings Were destroyed and the then Mayor immediately called the Council together. Steps were made to, rebuild, and it was decided to do this in ferroconcrete. The Mayor said he wanted to give all praise to the part to the past Council, who had worked hard and given up a lot of time in perfecting the plans and arranging finance. At the second meeting of the present Council tenders were opened, and that of J. L. McMillan, of Wellington, for £8,792 10s, was accepted. The new building will meet the requirements of the town for many years. The borough offices will contain a largo public office, town clerk's room, Mayor's room, engineer's room, and two spare rooms, and large public reading room and library. He congratulated Mr. Healy on the excellent plan, and referred to the fact .that, through the supervision of the architect, it had not been found necessary to appoint a clerk of works. His Worship then declared the stone to be well and truly laid. The stone, which is of greenstone, is inscribed as follows:—This stone was laid by his Worship the Mayor, Jas. W, Boon,' Esq., on November IS, 1915. Councillors: A. <l. Dav.ey, E. Hancock, .S. B. Hunter, T. LiLawson, G. W. Mills, E. S. Rutherford, ■A. W Stanley, J. H. Thompson, W. H. HYoung. P. Skoglund, town clerk. ■ Mr, J. B. Hine, M.P., thanked hi,. Worship for the invitation to be present. It was an important day for Stratford, another milestone for the town. In a passing reference to the war, Mr. Hine said that the Public Works Department should not employ single men. Borouglr and county councils, and employers generally, should do the same. There was need to doubt the future of Stratford and district after seeing such a large gathering Of young people present that day. His Worship thanked Mr. ,T. L. McMillan, the contractor, for presenting him with a silver trowel, suitably engraved, with which to perform the" ceremony GENERAL NEWS. WHO BLUNDERED? Some comment was made on Thursday fternoon at tile absence of the exayor and ex-Councillors from the cereony of laying the foundation stone of le new buildings. On making enquiries '•day, "your own" was informed that iither the ex-Mayor nor e.v-Councillors ere invited to the function. Surely is must have been an unfortunate ror on somebody's part. His Worip admitted at the ceremony vesterty that the past Council had' done al) le hard work in connection with the ans and finance of the new building, nd that tile present Council had simply >pened the tenders, and, to "say the least, i.lie ex-Mayor (Mr. W. P. Kirkwood) and •Councillors should have been specially linvited to the function. ''Honor to whom lionor is due," and the past Council, who Initiated the scheme, should have been ■lie first to have been invited. SomeRodv blundered, and blundered badly, ■ A large plate glass window in Mr. C. B James' premises was cracked last Kit. It appears that a young fellow Bs bowling stones down the street Hth the resultv that one hit the ■ H°andah post and glanced off and struck I Bfcwindow. By all accounts it will be expensive matter to the culprit. team of bowlers have Hie pi,!-H..to play against .Pihama at local green to-morrow afternoon at 2 o'clock: ,T. Levesedge, X. J. King, .T. S. Rowe, G. Smart, (s) ; J. S. McDonald, W. J. Reeve, Sangster, R. McK. Morrison (s).