STRATFORD.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 February 1917, Page 3

STRATFORD.

[AH communications, letters, etc., left with Mr. J. Hopkins, bookseller, will receive prompt attention.] (From Our Own Correspondent.) Stratford, Feb. 10. • The annual meeting of the Whangamomona Medical Association was held last week, Mr. Grcever presiding. Thu balance-sheet disclosed a credit balance, which was considered very satisfactory. The resident nurse appointed some time ago was getting excellent results, and her work was very favorably commented on: Officers elected to control the Association during the next twelve months were: Messrs Geever (chairman), Boris, Bacon, Agostinili, Coe, Fawkner, Norrie, Mills and Strombom, secretary, A. F. Sharpe, vice R. G. Fawkner, resigned. Our excellent roads! A party of motorists to Hawera yesterday were pulled up three times through motures. At the S.M. Court to-day judgment by default was given in the following cases:—,T. 'Masters and Son, Ltd., v. Newton Julian, claim £l2 10s: Win. Lovetfc v. Riki Kalmi, £'lo 1 t-Bd; T. J. Grubb v. C. Mol'hce, £G; Rawles and Rawles v. Leslie Mills, £0 Is lOd; D. ButchaTt v. F. Ritchie, £5 17s 6d. At the last sitting of the Court here, after a lengthy hearing of an affiliation case brought by S. Signal against 11. Allen, the S.M. reserved judgment. Today he handed over a lengthy typewritten judgment, in which Mr. Haselden stated that Ethel Signal was de-1 praved from childhood and admitted misconduct with two other men. The details of the evidence of the girl were too vile to set out, even in a judgment. Defendant confessed 'lie was intimate with the girl three years ago. It was remarkable that the girl denied any intimacy with Allen prior to January, 1910. The girl's father was evidently intent on getting many hundreds from two of the men intimate witli 'his daughter, and as both men were married they might have paid rather than disclose their immorality to their wives and the public. Girls like Ethel Signal were a menace to the community in which they lived. ■ No doubt the girl was wronged and taken advantage of by lustful men, but a year ago she was little more than a free lance, knowing sood and evil, and choosing the latter, lie was by no means sure Allen was (lie father. The character of the girl must he taken into account and her character reduced the value of her testimony, anil makes it so unreliable that it would not be safe to accept her story as to the paternity of the child. The I'on.luct of the father, and the family rii'i'iim-tnnccs, added to the doubt in the [•a--,e. The conduct of the solicitors engaged in the case was also peculiar. One side had hinted at a charge of blackmail ■Mid the other side at a charge of seduction. The Magistrate's decision was that Ethel Signal's statements .were unreliable anil her loose character made it hard to find the father of her child. The charge was dismissed, n { / costs being allowed defendant. A FARMER ON LABOR. Recently a farmer thus unburdened his views 011 the labor question.- "You (meaning the writer) ask what X think of the bibor qm-Btion and the 'go-slow-policy mentioned in the papers. Well, I'm afraid J cannot speak too forcibly.' You know yourself that 1 have always advocated paying a good wage to st worker. Pay the best wages;" if they want 2s ail hour, hand it to them; but, niju'k me. see that you get a fair return for your money. On the surface the delay of boats for a day or so may not moan much to the wliarf laborers, but niy way of looking at these ocean transports is that they are running to a timetable like the New Plymouth tranicars, and look at the confusion that would arise in a small town if the ears were to run just anyhow. Each day Jost in idleness in port means something in the long run. Supposing each steamer can make three trips a year, roughly a little over 100 days each trip, it does not take many days of idleness to the different boats that means the loss of one trip in the aggregate of the fleet. Again, regarding overtime, why should men quibble over that in these times. Do not our boys at the front work overtime and on Sundays, too, and so should the watersiderg. What 1 should like to see is for the authorities at Trentham to take a few hundred men from camp and get them to load foodstuffs, <<nd one could rest assured that the laborer done out of his job would not aa re to interfere. Perhaps the seamen and firemen would then strike in sympathy with the laborer. But this could be prevented. The Imperial authorities liavo commandeered the ships, then why not the crews. The latter would 'knuckle down' when the seriousness was brought home to them. A good strong man could do a lot of good just now, but our ppliticians are too much afraid of losing their seats to give a lead in the matter If the worker wants 2s 6d an hour, give it to him, but see that he earns it. Filling half a sling and dawdling over th« work is not going to reduce the cost of living, but military control of the wharves and discipline wtfll effect a more expeditious despatch of boats prevent- labor getting out of control' and stay any feeling of uneasiness that may arise." '

At Wanganui last week some "excitement was caused by the crowds of women blocking the thoroughfare ea°-er to participate in the bargains being°offercd in that town. There is no need for Stratford people to visit Wanganui as bargains in every class are being offered at O. Ji. James' fancy goods warehouse.*