STRATFORD.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 January 1917, Page 3

STRATFORD.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) 'Wednesday. Jan. 3. Hie exodus from Stratford began toa 'ii " S lea,vin » for Xorth and ooutli were crowded with passengers, and the railway platform was packed with folk bidding farewells. The weather has been free from rain, so visitors were able to see this portion of J aianaki at its best. Mi. Johns, of Auckland, the suceessiii. tenderer for the construction of the liew picture, show in Broadway, was tocommence operations to-day. The building will lie in concrete, and contain a dress circle, and seat ovei SOO patrons, "lhe depth of the building will be 145 feet, and the frontage 39 feet. It is expected the Palace will be ready for the initial performance early in July. The value of a <'ace meeting to bring a town into prominence was demonstrated by the two Jays' races here. The good stakes offered by the club attracted a large nomination list Prospects of good racing, and the possibility of accumulating cash through anticipating winners, added to fine weather, brought thousands of visitors to town. Chatting to business people, all report that trade has been well up to expectations, and in many instances ahead of the final month of ioia. One of the officials of the Racing Club informs me that there were considerably over 200 motor-cars in Stratford on each day of tihe races. A long string of cars inside the drive on the elub'3 grounds testified to the wealth of Taranaki, and the popularity of the car as a means of travelling. Although Stratford is a long remove from Hastings a.? regards population, tlie Hawke's Bay town had a smaller percentage of cash invested there than passed through the totalisator hero. Hastings,' however, has six or eigl.t days' racing each yeai, against Stratford's two. it is only natural that one desires to obtain the best when making a purchase. The buying is stil! jziore satisfactory when you get tho best at lowest r-ost. This was the experience of the thousand buyers at C. E. James' fancy goods warehouse during the holidays. There are bargains still awaiting purchasers. Step lively and set his stock.— Advt.