STRATFORD.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 July 1919, Page 3

STRATFORD.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) (All communications, tellers, etc.. left with Hi H. J. Hopkins, bookseller, will receive prompt mention.) , THE RAILWAY LEAGUE Stratford, July 30. A meeting of the Stratford Railway League was held on Tuesday evening, Mr. Kirkwood presiding over a good attendance. The chairman read an extract from the New Zealand Herald of July 17, in which it was stated that at present work on the Okaliukura tunnel was proceeding at a greater rate than ever before. The concreting was commenced in January, and since then one and a half chains of concreting bad been averaged each month. To complete the work 27 chains j had yet to be done, and it was estimated that this would take about 18 months. Mr. Kirkwood said he drew attention to the extract to show that good progress was being made from the other end. j With the completion of the tunnel the line could quickly be opened up to Matiere, as /he formation work had I already been done. They did not care how rapid the progress from the other end was provided good progresa was being made from this end. The Minister for Public Works wrote, in reply to an inquiry in reference to the survey of the line from Tahora> to Matiere, stating that lie had been informed that the survey was well in advance of construction work, especially at the Matiere end. The chairman said the information was not what they required. They wanted to know to what extent the survey had been made from Tahora eastward and from Matiere westward. It was very necessary to have this information. They had also asked the Minister to inform them of the number of men engaged on the Stratford end or the line, but to this inquiry no reply had yet been received. The Minister for Railways (Mr. Herries) wrote in reference to the length of tenure and general conditions which will govern the present railway leases in Broadway, Stratford, when they were offered for re-leasing next year, and stating that he was having the matter attended to, and had asked for an early report so that he could supply the in-, formation desired by the leagueThe secretary (Mr. Power) was requested to write to the Minister of Railways supporting Mr. Wilkinson in his pndeavor to induce the Department to rit i a goods train for the carriage of such essentials as concrete and timber between Patea and Stratford, and New Plymouth and Stratford twice weekly. The chairman said that they had written to the Department drawing attention to the fact that a number of trucks passed through empty, and suggesting that they be used for carrying essential goods. They could do no more, and, so far, no reply had been received. The secretary stated that lie had inquired from the proprietors of motor lorries the price at which goods would be carried between Stratford and New Plymouth and Stratford and Hawera. In the former case 30s wag quoted and in the latter 18s per ton, subject to back loading in each case. Mr. W. J. McMillifn stated that durin?. the fine weather the Stratford County Council had consented to waive their by-law forbidding loads over two tons. HEAVY LOAD RESTRICTIONS. Interviewed yesterday in regard to the restrictions on heavy traffic lately enforced by the Stratford County Council, the engineer (Mr, Spence) stated that on an application being made the day previous a permit would be issued for any motor lorry, during the fine weather, to carry loads over certain roads not exceeding two tons (actual load). Mr. Spenee mentioned that many people were under the impression that the council, in barring heavy traffic, were acting under a by-law, when, as a matter of fact, they were simply enforcing a Government regulation, which could not be upset. INSPECTION OP TEE ROADS. Further evidence of the wide interest taken in tar-sealed roads was afforded on Tuesday, when members of the Manakau County Council, accompanied by Mr. W. J. Lopdill and the county clerk, arrived at Stratford with a view to making a tour of inspection of those counties which have adopted tar-sealed roads. They were entertained at the County Hotel by the Stratford County Council on Tuesday evening, the council being represented by Mr. Mackay. They left for Hawera yesterday, and, after inspecting the roads in that county, proceeded to Waimate West and Eltham. They expect to return to Stratford either tonight or Friday. STATE OP THE ROADS. Discussing the state of the roads in the Stratford County yesterday, the engineer said that so great was the wear and tear from motor traffic that they had now reached a stage when the rat*s would not meet the cost of maintenance. Even if the rates were increased so as to make a heavier expenditure possible, the state of the roads would still continue to afford ground for complaint and they would be almost as unsatisfactory as ever. The only way to obtain good roads and case the burden upon the ratepayers was to raise the money for tar-sealed roads in the way proposed—by loan. They would then, in the course of time, have good roads, and the cost of maintenance would be so reduced that interest and sinking fund would not be a serious charge on the Ratepayers. They could be met to a considerable extent out of the money saved in maintenance. While Stratford, which only has a few short lengths of tar-sealed roads, is deeply concerned about heavy motor traffic at the present time, Eltham, with the whole of its roads tarsealed, was not worrying, for its roads were not suffering in the slightest. STRATFORD R.S.A. At ft meeting of the Stratford Returned Soldiers' Association Inst even Mr. C- A. Marchant presided over *a fair attendance of members, The following resolution was carried: "That this meeting strongly protests dgainst the proDosed re-appointment of Von Zeydlitz as Professor of Modern Language, or in any other capacity, at the Wellington College, and urges the Government not to permit the appointment of any person of enemy origin, as defined by the War Legislation Statute Law Amendment Act, 10IS, to any public position, in the civil service or otherwise." A resolution was carried in support of i the land policy for returned soldiers as , set out in the Land Committee's report • adopted ;by the annual conference. A (iisntsaioa took plfcee on th« efattge