STRATFORD.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1262, 7 May 1896, Page 18

STRATFORD.

The last meeting of the outgoing school committee took place last Friday, and was an interesting one. The school was shown to be in a lr'g'.i state of efficiency. The little difficulty with tho ladies' committee had been satisfactorily arranged, and the ladies handed over the balance remaining to them, with the recommendation that it should be used to form the uncleus of a school library, which the committee agreed to. Mrs Burgess offered to don ite a press for the books, which was accepted with thanks. The report for the annual meeting of household us dre.v attention to the fact tint. the iapid g owi'n of iho school necessitate I expjudituio beyond the capitation gran', which had been exceeded U> the extent of L'lo L'-is Bd, and further expenditure is urgently requiecd fur the health and comfort of tho scholars. It appears that the Stratford, Ngaire, and Midhirst scholars are among tho very few that are worked at a profit. Could nut some of the profits be applied to such necessary work as putting floors to shelter sheds, asphalt round, swings, and other improvements which go to keep the children in health. Otherwise energetic ellorts should be made to collect funds fen' such necessary matters. Parents might greatly assist the committtee by seeing that their children attended school regularly. The meeting closed with a vote of thanks to tho chairman, Mr Irvine, who had taken great interest in the school, and given much time to the duties of his office.

The following Wednesday there was a meeting of householders, fairly well attended, to elect a new committee. The annual report was adopted, with tho addition of a vote of thanks to the outgoing committee. The following are the, meinbcrs of the new committee elected without opposition :—Messrs Flat man, Greig, Irvine, King, Kivell, Mackay, Larsen, Kennedy and Heed. At their first meeting shortly after, these gentlemen elected Mr Greig chairman of the committee. Mr T. 1!. Ponn continues to be clerk and treasurer. The chairman and Mr Kivell v.ere appointed a visiting committe. There are now seven teachers and a cadet on the staff, and if tho atten-

j dance keeps up as it should the school I will soon be entitled to another teacher. The State school children subscribed I over £5 to the Brunner fund, which so ; far has amounted to £46 9a 3.1 in Strat- ! ford.

I The Stratford W.C.T.U. met in the J Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, j when an account of the Rev. L. Isitt's I visit in Dulington, England, was read by Miss F. Ilodder. Mrs Liodder presided. The season for li soo'als" and dances is now setting in, and already there are several promised, 'those who organise these functions would do well to be ready with games or some form of amusement in case those who have promised to per form fail to put in an appearance. A well attended "social "the other day fell quite flat for want of some such arrangements, nearly all those who had promised to sing failing to appear. A meeting of tho creditors of R. p. Allen, recently lessee of the tidtkr newspiper, : bowed a remarkable state of affairs. In the short space of six months the bankripl, who came here quite a stranger, had managed t ■ get into debt to the extent of several hundreds of pounds, and to about sixty cred'rors, most of whom j were unsecured. i

A fatal accident happened at. Ngairo on the 29th, when a little boy of four fell on to the floor with such force as to eau.'e concussion of the spine.

George Smith, aged 10, of Cardiff, had his k'L' broken by a fall from his horse.