STRATFORD.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 November 1916, Page 3

STRATFORD.

TAHORA-TATU TET.FPffoys. (From Our Resident Reporter), ■Saturday, November 4. The Stratford Chamber of Commerce has for some months now !,ee;i agitating for the installation of a l?-i--phona eon° ncction between Tahora an:l Tali. The total mileage necessary to wire is about 18 miles, but it is a stumblin? block to success. The Chamber recognises the urgency of the installation, and their demand—or rathei request—has been supported by the Stratford Count? Council, Education Board, Ohura County 'Council and Taranaki Chamber of Commerce It is no new idea this Jinkiiisr up of communication between Stratford and Ohura, but apparently the Government cannot see the necessity of complying with the request.' Why the ujlny is made it hard to conceive, but the latest is said to be shortage of material on account of the war. At first sight this seems a reasonable obstruction, but the president of. the Chamber (J!-. J. B. Richards) states, that the Government makes every effort to comply with private requests for lines up to 15- miles. One excuse previously was that the work was too costly. At present a message between Stratford and Ohura has a journey via New Plymouth and Auckland province before it reaches either town indicated. The importance of Ohura to Taranaki generally, and Stratford particularly, is recognised here, and the Chamber is to be commended for the persistent manner in which they are trying to urge the Government to take action. At Thursday's meeting of the Chamber the matter was further ventilated, and a request made that the pre-* sident should interview the Postmaster - Genoral during his visit to Wellington. Mr. Richards is taking a keen interest in this particular request, and should he secure a favorable reply his journey will not be in vain. But why should" it be be necessary for business people to.lose so mtu'h time and money in trying to persuade a Government to introduce an extension that is urgently needed? Stratford is vitally interested in the Ohura country. Conferences on this matter have been held in tlhe past. On! such was held, ai Whangamomonn, but a.lthought the settlers, county councillors and Chamber representatives were unanimous in the need for a telephone, the authorities in Wellington turned down the project, first on the scort of ex- . pense, «nd next of shortage of material. The opening of regular sales at Ohura by Mr. Newton King, and later on the opening of the freezing works at New Plymouth, which will depend a great deal on Ohura stock, may impress the Government. The extension is a small matter for the Government to sanction, and they cannot be accused, of acting with undue haste. They may be in no hurry to push this portion of the Dominion ahead, but not so those aiound here; the latter want tlie connection. It appears a reasonable request, and should it be granted will assist in many ways the business connections between the two towns. If the extension fails to materialise, our country friends will know that it was through no fault of the province that they are in. that unfortunate position. BOROUGH LIGHTING. On Friday a. meeting of the Stratford Borough Council and the directors of the Electric Light Company was held in the Council Chambers. The Mayor (Cr. J. W. Boon) presided, and others present were: Crs. Davey, Walsh, Hunter, Lawson, Rutherford, Thompson, Young, the Town Clerk; and. Messrs. R. Masters (chairman), iPorritt, Wilson, James, and A ,W. Reid, directors of the F.lectric Light Company. The business originally was to sign the final adjustment of the transference of the light from the company to the Council. This had to be adjourned till Monday evening, owing to the indisposition of Mr. A. W. Budge, a director, who had been empowered by the directors to sign all documents with the chairman (Mr. R. Masters). In. handing, over the business cf the company to the Mayor and Councillors,, Mr. Masters congratulated the Council on taking over control. He touched on the early history of the company, and also of previous negotiations for the sale of the works to the borough. The company had 'had a long experience with ttie light, and the time had now come when they had to pass the control into municipal hands. The borough, in accepting the ownership, thoroughly, understood the position. All interested in the company were men in ajid around Stratford, and their actions would stand criticism. Municipal enterprise had much to commend it, and in this particular instance he was perfectly satisfied ratepayers and Councillors would learn the borough had secured a "good thing" in the purchase of the light, lie urged the Council to keep in view the desirability of extend-1 ing their lines into the county, with the object of supplying the settlers with power and light. "The Mayor, in reply, stated that the acquisition of the works marked another milestone passed in tlie history of the borough. He firmly believed that present requirements and the future growth of the town would demonstrate that the Council had acted wisely in coming to terms with the company, and the ratepayers, by their majority*vote, had recognised ihe stage had been reached when it -was necessary that the lighting of the town should pass from a private company to the Borough Council. He felt sure the Councillors and officials would always do their best to push the works ahead, and trusted that the amalgamation of the works with municipal duties would work smoothly and successfully. Crs. Lawson, Hunter, Rutherford, Thompson, and Young also expressed congratulations at the successful ending of the many conferences between Council and company. LADIES' PATRIOTIC COMMITTEE. The ladies of the Stratford Patriotic Committee have been working assiduously for the past seventeen months, and during that period between £I4OO and £ISOO. has passed through their hands. The ladies have set a. fine example to others of what can be accomplished by combined action. The controlling -officiails are:—President, Mrs. J. W. Eoon (Mayoress); secretary, Mrs. A. W. Budge; treasurer, Mrs. R. 11. White. The membership averages between 25 and 27. members, and each Saturday the ladies are engaged in tiie Red Cioss rooms, where they dispense refreshments to visitors, and by this means raise fair sums. On. Wednesdays tlie ladies form a working bee. and just now are engaged in makinsr muslin shirts, which are sent to Wellington to be treated with some formalin, to make them vermin-proof. Some figures in conI nection with the ladies' work show that,

£4lO had been contributed towards the Wounded Soldiers' Fund, £l5O to/ the Red Cross Fund, and £IOO (approximately) for the Belgians, and ' £nO for Christmas puddings. To secure these results within the, time indicated proves the value of the committee's helri in war matters, and they are to becongratuls.ted on the work accomplished, GENERAL 'A reminder of the late burglarv cases was given on Saturday's mail train by the presence on the platform of Mr. Paget, Constable Robertson, Mr. R. H. •White, and others. Mr. Johnstone, of New Plymouth, who is defending Browning on the charges,' was also a passenger. ■Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Mills were the recipients of presentations ot Holy Trinity Church on Thursday evi-ing. The gifts were a Langley ware tea-set and gold-mounted pipe. The speakers were the Rev..Howard and Mr. W. H. Young, both gentleman voieinsr the rei giet at the departure of Mr. "and Mrs. Mills, and wishing them the b<-st of suei cesij in their new home. Mr. Mill? suitably acknowledged the generous gifts The next sitting of the Court here is expected to create much interest. Charges of '.shouting" are preferred against Thomas Barraclough. of- Turakawa, and C. Swadling. The former is charged with breaking the law in the Junction Hotel, Toko, and Stratford Hotel; and Swadling is ■bein? reviewed by the Magistrate for "shouting" for Barraclough at -Mid-hirst and Toko Hotels. These cases are believed to be connected with the recent drowning fatality. The date of the Cou.t sitting is November 17. "Trading with the enemy" to many appears to be merely a figure of speech. To one at least it was a reality, and on November 17 Valentine Hebling, Stratford, will toe the mark to a charge that, b y paying the sum of £9 !os'to the Leipsig Insurance Company, of Germany, j ho contravened the law under the heading of "Trading with the Enemy, Proclamation No. 2." This case was set down for hearing yesterday, but, owing to Mr. Haselden's absence, was adjourned till the 17th inst. Some neat penmanship is displayed on foolscap paper in the window of Mr. Hopkins, bookseller. The exhibition has attracted some attention, ami is worthy of more than passing rioticc. A fine three-storey cake, nicely iced and decorated, is now doing duty inside the windows of the Red Cross Mirt. Its duty just now is to direct attention to the fact that it constitutes a we-igh-guessing competition. The cake was donated by the employees of tlie Central Co-operative Store, and their generosity in this direction is to bo commended. . Stratford seems to "enjoy 1 * a succession of wild Saturdays. The weather is more in keeping with JulyjAugust months, and if it were not for the get-ting-close-to-Christmas season one might reasonably anticipate that Stratford had been sidestepped by the summer sunshine. A meeting of the committee oF the Stratford Model Farm was held on Saturday. Those present were: Messrs. E. Jackson (chairman), Richards. R. Masters, Ranford, Dingle, Were, and Stanley. The meeting considered a report from the chairman, and at its conclusion the-following resolution was handed to the iPrcss:—"That applications be invited for 12l"> to 175 acres of land within five mite of Stratford, to be leased for a term of seven to ten years; the lea.se to provide for full protection of lessee's improvements by the rights of purclia.se or otherwise. The purchase of existing leases will be considered."—Carried. . Messrs. E. Jackson and A. D. Stanley I (president and secretary of the Stratford A. and P. Association) returned from Palmerston on Friday evening. They report they were very hospitably treated by the. Manawatu executive, and also received promises of generous support from stock and other exhibitors at tlie Manawatu Show for the Stintford Show, to he held at the end of the month. Inspector Wilson, of Wanganu), came to Stratford by the mail train on Saturday evening.