The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER TUESDAY, JULY 11, 1910. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 118, 11 July 1911, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER TUESDAY, JULY 11, 1910. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Last night the Borough Council inetructed the Overseer to investigate the matter of drainage of storm-watei from the pound, which, according to Or. Healy, still runs over the lootoath. Auckland’s phenomenal development and its present prosperity was touched upon by 31 r C. J. Parr at ;; Ponsoaby meeting of ratepayers the other night. lie pointed' out that in twelve years tire population of the city had grown from (30.000 to 110.000, the value of exports had Jumped up from £2,000,000 to £3,600.000, and the capital value bad doubled. With only half the progress in the succeeding twelve years, they would have a population of 1(30,000, and if at the same rate the figures would reach 200,000. The Mayor suggested that the expansion of land settlement in the interior and along . the coast as well as railway construction were factors that would assist the progress and prosperity of the community, while the establishment of the naval base at Auckland, and the. completion of the Panama Canal in a few years would undoubtedly contribute to ibe Pado and revenue of tire city, '.in looking into the future, absolutely nothin;.-; could be foreseen to prevent the progress ol the city 'continuing in the next lew years at the same rate as in the pact few years. It is slated by the “Christchurch Star” that there was trouble on the Marabou on June 21th in regard to some, members of the Shciiicld Choir. Owing to the vessel ''ring a led! ship, accommodation was severely taxed. Shakedowns had 1.0 ho provided, and some member;! of the choir were housed ’tween decks, while others had to put up with the steerage accommodation. The arrangement caused a good deal of dissatisfaction, and the grumblings finally found vent in an indignation meeting held :u the smok-ing-room, where the dissatisfied members of the Mg troupe ini endowed Or. Harries and Or. Coward. si: was stated that the member.', considered that the management bad not fulfilled its pari of the agreement in placing come of the members in flic steerage of the vessel, and it was also urged that discontent, had arisen owing to the extra concerts that had boon given. Exception was taken to the fact that, an extra concert had been given at Palmerston North. Explanations were tendered by Dr. Harr Iss. to the effect that the crush of (in 1 ikon the steamer bad made the task of providing accommodation a diiliculi one, and he expressed his regret at the inconvenience caused, widen, he said, bed not. been bis fault. Alter a long discussion, however. Dr. Mar vlss was able to pacify the member.'-; of the choir, and the incident closed.

In t.'io past three years in Britain 71 men have been sentenced to death and 17 executed : while of ton women sentenced none mitered the extreme penalty. The other day the Now Zealand Fruit and Produce Company (Wellington) sold nine sacks of cauliflower at 27s 9d sack. This would average about Is 3d to Is -Id pc-r cauliflower. When is a hotel verandah a “public place?” Two men who were found ou the verandah of Fitzgerald’s Hotel. G vanity, near Westport, on a recent Sunday, were charged with being on licensed premises. As there appeared to be some doubt as to whether tin! verandah was or was not erected on a public road, Mr. Raw son, S.M., dli missed the case.

The spectacle of a wife waiting in deputation upon her husband is surely unique in public affairs. But Mr. I.hq d-George lias just received a deputation oi Welsh Liberal women to discuss the Women’s Suffrage Bill, and among the Indies forming the deputation was Mrs. Lloyd-George, who it might lie thought has the private ear of the Chancellor of the Exchequer if am body has. The whole party of laches, including Mrs. Lloyd-George, afternut Us lunched together at the Trocador) Restaurant. Dr. Coward, the conductor of the Sheffield Choir, has some interesting theories about choral music, which lie rightly regards as an educational force. He believes that it is closely associated- with democratic progress. “You will find this,” he remarked in Sydney, “that the most progressive counties in England arc those in which such music is cultivated. You will find it so in Yorkshire, in Lancashire, and the North of England, and further south at Nottingham. Vigour and independence and democratic progress are usually associated with choral singing.”

The length of the lairs arm was demonstrated at the Wellington Magistrate’s Court the other day, when a young man named Thomas Horry Appss, aged 19 years, was charged before At r. W. C. Riddell, S.M., with absconding from the Burnham Industrial Scliool. Apps cleared away from the school in 1990, and remained at large until Thursday, when a chance remark overheard by Detect ive Cassells caused that officer tc make enquiries, the result being that A i pa, who was going under the name of Smith, was taken into custody. The Magistrate ordered that he should bo sent back to Burnham. At an inquest at Green Island the Coroner (Mr. C. C. Graham) gave utterance to some remarks of the utmost importance. Coroners and doctors, he said, had for years been preaching on the folly and wickedness of mothers taking their infants U bed with them. At Home the infant mortality from this cause war something appalling. One Coroner there had even gone the length of saying that the practice was so common that it would not be stopped until legislation declared it to be manslaughter that the death of a child should bo brought about by the mother overlying it.

In conversation with the Government weather recorder (Mr. L. Azzo pardi) at Napier a reporter elicited some interesting facts as regards rainfall. Mr AzKopardi stated that the rain fall in Napier was not anything like il was in some places. “For instance,” he said, “1 was looking up Going records last evening and found that tin

annual rainfall for the Kapsi Hills (India) is 600 inches, and of this 500 inches fall in seven months. In the low-lying parts of India the annual rainfall is only four inches. Indie

holds the record of the globe for ;. fail of 39 inches in 24 hours, and Japan comes next with 29 for that poiiod.”

'1 In: Mayor of Auckland has consented to take the preliminary steps tc wards the formation of a municipal orchestra in Auckland, with a view tc the establishment ultimately of an Auckland Choir also. The suggestions for carrying out the project were lair' before the Mayor by Mr. W. H. Wcbbo. Mr, Webbe asked the Mayo: ti invite tho various musical socictier to send representatives to a meeting to discuss the scheme. Ho emphasised the necessity of providing a complete set of brass and wood-wind instruments of the normal diapason pitch, so that the orchestra- could bo asso-

ciated with the city organ. The Mayoi expressed his willingness to co-oper-

iJte in the schemo, angl said that he would obtain information as to the degree of success attained by the Wei lington Municipal Orchestra. If he learnt that the Wellington orchestra Had been successful, he would he pleased to convene a meeting of the character suggested. Commenting on the list of Coronation honours, the “Sydney Morning Herald” editorially remarks that the rather unusual dignity of a colonial baronetcy conferred on Sir Joseph V\ ai d is doubtless a recognition of the prominent part played by the New Zealand Premier in recent conferences, and of the alactrity of his colony in the matter of Imperial defence. But Sir Joseph is in any case one of the commanding figures of the colonial empire, and he has deserved Ids honour. Sir John Findlay ha; been the New Zealand Attorney-Gen-eral for the last four or five years and is a man of some mark in literature as well as politics. Sir .lame; Cm roil is a New Zealand veteran, who has survived from the later days of the iialhmce Administration, and made his mak as an able defender ol the interests of the* Maori race. Sever'd other New Zealanders of less prominence arc named in the list, and altogether that little colony seems to have been specially well rewarded for her persistency in keeping hcr-

A Tasmanian resident claims to have in vented a concrete machine that '.viil revolutionise house-building. He lias erected a 22-roomocl up-to-date hotel in Flinders Island, of reinforced concrete, at the rate of 500 lineal Ift courses a day, and only six men arc employed on the job. The whole of the concrete work, 23ft high, was completed in 23 days, the outer and inner wall being erected simultaneously. In addition another 22-roomed hotel has been erected in Linda, and only three men were employed on the job' Tim inventor (Mr. David Mor-

of Launceston) claims that he will revolutionise the building trade in- his economies of time and money. Air. ,1. T. Ward, Director of the Wanganui Observatory, states that the. iTim’s surface during last month was almost devoid of spots, denoting :i close approach to the time ot “minimum spot activity. Ho predicts an interesting spectacle on -July 3‘>, v. hen the planet Mercury will be in ci■ injunction wit a the blight star iv fpi lilts, Good views of tno pheno>r;Tm iiwv be had with small tolo-st-eueß or field glasses. _ The planet in conjunction with the nioon. on JnT 29, will also afford a brilliant appealancc and mav be well observed wit a tho same means. For inflnenra take M oods’ (iron’ Peppermint Cure; never fails. Is 0. and 2s Gd ■"

It was decided at lust night’s meeting of the Borough Council, on the motion of Cr. Ward, that tiic owner of a section in Broadway South, ou " nidi there is a big tree which overhangs the road, be given fourteen tuys nonce to remove the tree. A A\ airarapa lady recently discovered the whereabouts of her brother, whom she had not seen or heard of lor forty years. The discovery was made pe r medium of the Post" Office directory, whore the brother’s address was found to be in Auckland. The result was that a very happy reunion of brother and sister took place. When a case was called at the Auckland S.M. Court the other morning, the Magistrate asked, “What is the name?” Mr A. Hanna, who appeared, said that the defendant had a Russian name, which so far ho had not been able to got his tongue around. Mr Kettle took the summons in his hand, and slowly spelled out the name. Then he laid the document down, remarking, “I am not going to try it, for fear of dislocation.”

A correspondent writes to the Wellington “Post” complaining of the “tricks of the trade” brought into play by certain patent medicine firm m Australia, fie cites the case of a young lady-—lns sister—who receivd an unsolicited package from Sydney in the shape of a consignment of pills. The parcel came in a plain ■rapper, and the recipient readily paid the Customs duty, assuming that the sender was an aunt in Sydney. The was very annoyed when the pills were disclosed to view, especially when later the postal authorities informed her that correspondence with the firm in question was prohibited. )n principle she decided to ask for a refund of the duty, and this the Customs Department, after some trouble, agreed to repay. The young lady is at a loss to know how the medicine company obtained her address, and the correspondent states that bis jbject in. ventilating the matter is to put others on their guard. Although shot through the heart, Alike Lunger, of Butte, Montana, is now strong and well, and is working every day. Not only was his heart

.rail punctured by the lead, but twenty-nine ounces of blood were lumped from his thoracic cavity. It vas while hunting near Elk Park that

monger accidentally discharged the ;uu ho carried, and poured the full barge into his left breast. He was taken to the hospital, where Physician Jail H. Horst gave him immedate attentou. The wound was cleansed and the patient was not allowed to change u’s position for fear that a sudden jar might cause the heart valves to break and result in his bleeding to .loath. The heart could be heard pumping iii the clotted blood, and Dr. Horst decided to remove the fluid with m asperator. Ounce after ounce lowed out until twenty-nine of them ad been extracted, and then the icart sounded clear and strong in the Too cavity. Danger is an Austrian, thirty-five years of age. He possesses a splendid physique, which helped im greatly in recovering from llio wound.

Mrs S. A. Rhodes, who left New Zealand in March for London, writng to a Wellington friend, says:—“l ave just returned from an audience

with Her Majesty the Queen, by coma'and. It was a most unexpected fonour, and I enjoyed it greatly, bemuse Her Majesety was most kind

ind gracious to me. jWe were quite .loro, and had a most delightful chat of ,at least half-an-hour. Her Majesty noticed the order of St. John if Jerusalem which I wore, and she m.ked all about our work in connection with the organisation of St. John. I told her about the ambulance and mrsing work in Wellington, and she how mo on to explain various little mints of interest, which indicated a keen grasp of the subject. Her Majesty asked mo several questions about sew Zealand, and referred to her isit there just ten years ago. She ms a wonderful memory, and while :q were engaged in conversation, nade me sit by her in a comfortable irmchaif. Her Majesty spoke most dndly of her Excellency Lady Islington, who is associated in our work as )olioness, and I should like .you to ■.ell all our workers and members- of he nursing guild that the Queen is c-ally interested in our work. I left lor Majesty with regret, for I found ter practical, wise, and good, and /cry womanly and sweet.” The Melbourne Coroner, Dr. Cole, when returning a verdict of suicide •ist week in the inquest on the death jf the ex-jockey Hudson Howie, renarked that it was the second case ;f decapitation in such a manner within a few days, and he thought it not mlikely that some degree of imitation ■ad taken place. Imitation in the .miner of self-destructon was not ■onfiued to Australia, and he had been •onsidering a suggestion in the Press hat the publication of such cases was Aw cause of such imitaton. Instances ,ad come before him often where the

uggestion of imitation was markedly loticoahle. Especially had this been ;o in the case of lysol-poisoning. Ho eiuerabered some years ago a man tanging himself from a tree at Sandingham, and a few days later an exactly similar case happened at the Teasury Gardens. if his memory •vas correct, the second man hud had a his pocket a newspaper report of :he first ease. The question that ibtruded itself for consideraton was '. bother or not the publication of such natters served a- useful purpose, or, 'ur flier, whether the benefits gained ,-ere not clouded by the sinister suggestion contained in the report. _ It ■ad often occurred to him that imitation did happen, and he thought that f it wore certain the led :o repetition, the benefits thus given o the community were not sufficient r> justify the continuance of the practice of publication.

A deputation representing the Port Jhaliners No-license League was introduced to Sir James Carroll at Dunedin last Monday by Mr J. F. Arnold, M.P. (in ills unavoidable ab■;&ncc of Mr It. H. Clark, M.P.) to

;sk for an amendment of the Electoral Act. The ilev. Mr Reid was solo spokesman, and ho said that there ,vas an anomaly in the Act, in that .vliilc it required a twelve months’ residence in the Dominion as a qualification for voters, yet those engaged m a ship owned or registered in New Zealand, which happened to be in >ort during election time, were per-

mitted to vote. He quoted the case >f the New Zealand Shipping Company’s Opawa, laid up at Port Chalmers last election, the crew of which churned the right to vote. r J hose men, ho contended, had no great interest in the political or social life of Now Zealand, nor in any reform under discussion here. They signed on in London, and were discharged there, and their homes were in England. Although they might have been twelve months in the company’s employment licy should not he given the privi,cge of citizenship here. The deputation wanted the scope of the secion limited to those seamen who had Jieir homes in New Zealand. Mr void contended that No-license was mrely a local matter, its operation r ing confined to one Parliamentary listriet; The acting-piimo Minister •mini sod to place the matter before ais colleagues.

Mr. Newton King has received the fallowing'cable from his Sydney agents re hides“ Lights eighth better.” To-day the annual conference of the New Zealand Dental Association commenced in Wellington. Hitherto this- conference has been held at the beginning of January, but at the last conference, it was decided that the date be altered to midwinter from midsummer for a variety of reasons. A Mastertou lady, writing to a friend in Palmerston, says:—“There is a good deal of excitement over the licensing question. I understand there is no probability of the bars ever being opened again in Mastcrton, and it is generally thought that South Waii'arapa will be ‘dry’ also after next election.”,

There have been three fairly large fires in Stratford recently, but though two took place some time ago, the ruins of tiie buildings have not _yet been removed, the ruins, as Cr. King said at last night’s meeting of the Borough Council, constituting an eyesore. The premises in Juliet Street, ho said, would very probably not be re-built, and the ruins might remain there for six months. On Ids motion, it was decided that the Town Clerk notify owners of such sections of the necessity for clearing away ruins. When a fire- breaks out considerable time may bo lost in some cases in getting to one of the fire bells. Cr. Morison mentioned the matter at last night’s meeting of the Borough Council, and suggested that to ensure more prompt alarms a couple of electric bells communicating with the fire brigade station . should bo installed. He further suggested that one might bo placed a.t the Post Office, and the other at some convenient point on the south side of the river. It was decided to ask the Fire Brigade Committee to report on the matter.

The matter of the re-organisation of the band was brought up at lastnight’s meeting of the Borough Council by Cr. Wal’d, who said ho understood there were a number of musical enthusiasts in the town wdio were desirous that a meeting should bo called for the purpose of putting the band on a proper basis. He moved that the. Mayor and Crs . Morison and Bond be a Band Committee, and that they be requested to call a meeting as indicated. Cr. Morison said the lack of a band was very marked on Coronation Day. He thought there was hardly another town of the same size in the North Island whore so much musical talent was available. Cr. Ward’s motion w T as carried.

The folloAving letter, by “Lover of Sunshine,” appeared in yesterday's “Patea Press” —“1 would like, with your permission, to call the attention of all athletic bodies to the benefits to be derived from the proposed ‘.Daylight Saving’ schemes, iwhich are at present interesting prominent men in all parts of the world. Wo, in New Zealand have our champion in Mr. Sidey, but although, eventually, liis efforts will bear fruit, it will not he during the coming summer, and therefore I would suggest that the cricket, tennis, bowling, and other clubs take the matter up and put the scheme intp force in Patea this year. It should -be a very simple matter for offices, shops, etc., to start one hour earlier during the long days of summer, and reap the benefits to health by ceasing work an hour soonorin the afternoon. It has been done in one small town in the South Island, I believe, so .why should not Patea, for once, at any rate, help to lead the way in a coining reform.” The public reading room came ir. for considerable discussion at lasi night’s meeting of the Borough Council. Cr. Lawson said several people had complained to him of the manner in which the papers were kept, ii being a common thing for parts of the same paper to be in different park of the room. Further, school children seemed to make a dining-room of it, and what they did not vish tr eat they threw on the verandah below. It was decided that children undei fourteen be not allowed in the room unless attended by parents. Cr. Morison said another light should be kept going while the reading-room wa,open, as at present, when the roadinirroom. was lighted up, only the words “Free Public” were visible. The jocular suggestion was made that perhaps people might mistake the place for a “Free Public House;” and ii was finally decided that the Library Committee go into the question of more adequately indicating the whereabouts of tbeyeading-rcom and report to next meeting.

“Some time ago we had quite a number of forms here, hut for some reason or other they have been taken away,” said Cr. Ward at last night’s meeting of the Borough Council, referring to tho matter of seating accomodation at the Borough Council chamber. If, he said, a public meet ihg was held in the.chamber, it was very hard to get decent accommoda tion for those who attended. He moved that forms be procured from the Town Hall. The Town Clerk said there were not enough there. Cr. Ward: “Where have tho old one; gone?” The Mayor: “They didn’t belong to us.” Cr. Ward: “You cannot say that if forty or fifty people attend a public meeting they can be •accommodated on this old form we have here with a box to hold it up at one end.” Cr. Paget thought that as the chamber was frequently used for public receptions something better than plain forms should he pm vided. Tho chamber would very seldom need to be cleared, and a sulficiency of forms with backs should be provided. On the motion of Cv. Ward the matter was referred to the Town Hall to report.

The London “Daily Mail” states; “Mr J. D. Henry, the petroleum rx pert, who has just returned from a round-the-world tour of the colonial oilfields,, informed our representative that the prospects of petroleum pro duction in the Antipodes—and more especially in New Zealand—were most promising. Mr Henry’s views on the subject of colonial oil are distinctly interesting. He maintains—and we think very rightly—that if it is the duty of foreign Governments to encourage the discovery and exploitation of the petroleum deposits in their own countries, it is not quite the duty of the British to do this work for the foreigner j rather is it their duty to develop the oil resources of their own Empire regardless of outside opinion. If wo do this we shall build up a fietroleum industry which will, in the imit of eight years, be second only to that of America, and ultimately the greatest of the kind in the world. Wc do not intend to enter into the controversy which is now raging around the Maikop oilfield, but in Mr Henry’s opinion colonial oil was damaged and pushed back by the Maikon oil boom. Wo have always maintained that there are bitter disappointments in store for the shareholders in a number of the Maikop companies which were floated at the height of the boom last year. Wo are entirely in agreement with Mr Henry when lie states that there arc Imperial and financial reasons why the undeniable immense oil resources of the Empire should be developed in order that the British Nnyv shall not be dependent on foreign oilfields for its fuel oil.”

At Hawcra on Saturday Messrs Hunter and Robertson were appoihted delegates to attend a meeting to be held" in Dunedin in August for the purpose of considering the formation ui a Clydesdale Horse Society in New Zealand.

C;r Morison asked at • last night’s meeting of tlio Borough Council that something bo done to improve the state of downpipes in Broadway, and it was decided to instruct the Inspector to have abated any nuisance caused by defective down pi pas.

The Abattoir Committee reported as fellows regarding the use of unlot paddocks by the, slaughterman: -Wo iiavt enquired into tnis mater,- and have come to the conclusio j that the slaughterman used the pa touch with Hr, Hembigway’s permu-'ini. Wo 1-10. of opinion that tiierc is sufficient grazing at the abattoir for one horse, and would recommend that the slaughterman bo instructed not to use any paddock which might be unlet. The Abattoir manager reported:— During the past month the following stock were slaughtered;—(s6 cows, 29 heifers, 8 oxen, 211 sheep, 44 pigs. Sixty-one tripes and 2 heads and feet were prepared. The following fees were collected and paid to the Town Clerk: Slaughtering fees for the month £53 Os Od, paddock rents three months in advance £l2 10s, sale of hlood and offal three months in advance, total £7O Os 9d. The following stock were condemned because of disease: Three cows wholly and 5 partially, 1 heifer wholly, 1 calf partially, \ sheep wholly, 2 pigs wholly, and 4 partially. The abattoir drains, tehees, machinery, plant, and buildings are in good order. It has been suggested by a member of the Abattoir Committee that the accommodation paddocks be improved with a view to producing more feed. 1 am entirely in accord with the suggestion, and have brought the matter before die other memoers of the committee, it ivould appear tiiat in older to give effect to me desired improvements tlie paddocks should bo stumped and tilled! Top-dressing might, perhaps, bo useful. The project is well worthy of consideration. 1 have pleasure in reporting that during the month the slaughterman carried out his duties in a capable and satisfactory manner.— Or. Da get moved the adoption of the report, hie said that he had suggested the improvements to the paddocks to the manager. He thought tenders might be called for stumping the paddocks one at a time, and then graziers could bo offered the right to take off a crop of turnips. Ho moved that the Abattoir Committee go into the matter.—The Mayor said no had visited the paddocks with Cr. Sangster, and lie thought something would need to be done to the paddocks, as there was no grass on them. —The motion was carried.

The Borough Inspector reported:— “I impounded 36 head of cattle from Juno y fell to July 6th. I secured due conviction for driving loose horses. I warned two men for driving across fodtpaths, one man for taking sand off the road, and two men for riding bicycles on footpaths.—The Mayor said a resident had waited on him and had complained that the Inspector had called at his house and forbidden him to bury ashes in his garden as manure.—Cr. Paget moved that the Inspector be asked to report.—Cr. Ward thought the Town Clerk could deal with such a small matter.—lt was finally decided that the Inspector be askeel to report. Dealing with Storm Water. Cr. McAllister drew attention to tho culvert at the corner of Broadway and Seyton Street. Ho said there was too much water going through it. He moved that the Works Committee go into the question of diverting the storm water coming down Seyton Street.—Cr. Healy said the whole of the culverts in the Borough should be seen to. There was one on. the Opunake Road, and that morning there was almost enough water running right over the road to float a boat in.—Crs. King and Sangster supported the motion, favouring seeing to the whole of the culverts.—Cr. McAllister agreed to alter his motion to include all culverts.—Cr. Paget said something should bo done regarding the drainage of water from Portia Street to Miranda Street, and thence by tunnel under Broadway. The provision made for this storm water was inadequate. Water gathered off a largo area of land.—Cr. Ward mentioned two culverts in Pembroke Road, and one in Seyton Street, which need improvement.—The motion was carried. -

Remission Refused. Mr. T. H. Penn applied for a remission of the charge for the Town Hall in connection with the recent Hospital ball.—The Mayor, said the usual thing was to remit this charge. —Cr. Paget said it was wrong to remit fees, because it was robbing the Town Hall account. The Town Hall should not he used for charitable purposes by the Borough. If the Borough desired to be charitable to the Stratford and AVhaiigamomona Counties, let them make a plain grant from the .funds. —Cr. King opposed the remission of the fee. None of the other local bodies were called upon to contribute.—Cr. Sangster moved that the remission lie granted.—Cr. McAllister seconded.—Cr. Ward opposed the motion.—The motion was lost. The Road Rclier.

The Superintendent of the State Guaranteed Advances Office wrote under date Juno 20th:—“I have to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the lot 11 iilst., containing a preliminary application for a loan of £'!XJO to provide a steam roller to ho used in connection with the construction of streets in your Borough, and, in reply, to request you to supply further evidence that a steam roller can he deemed to be a public work within the definition of the Interpretation Act, 1908, as it is considered doubtful that such is the case.” Under date June 30th he again wrote acknowledging receipt of references to various Acts, and asking if the Council would agree to pay a guinea, the cost of legal advice tendered to ins Department by the Crown Law Office. —The Clerk reported that under instructions from the Mayor ho had replied agreeing to pay the guinea. Since then no further communication had been received. Plaguo Prevention.

The District Health Officer wrote under date June 29th:—1 have the honour to enclose a copy of the regulations for the prevention or chocking of the spread of plague by the extinnination of rats, which are the active disseminators of this dangerous infectious disease. I recommend that immediate effect ho given to those regulations, and every effort made to curry them out in their entirety with-

in the district you control ,special attention being given to grain stores, butchers’ shops, restaurants, and other places where articles of food are kept, as well as private houses and places of business generally. For ordinary households the use of their natural enemy, the cat, has been found a most effective aid in reducing the number of the rodents. Pois-

oning and trapping must he practised on an extensive scale, and all rats so disposed of should bo immediately buried, or, preferably, burnt.—'flic -Town Clerk said the matter had received attention. Nfghtsci! Contract. The Mayor moved that the Clerk get the names of persons who were reported to he burying nightsoil and refusing to pay for its removal, and to notify them of the requirements ol the by-laws.—-Cr. Paget said the present arrangement was very unsatisfactory. The contract should bo one directly between the Council and tiie contractor, and the payment for the service should be between the occupier and the Council.—Cr. Ward thought the matter of breaches of the by-law should have been reported to the Inspector, who should investigate and report to the Council. He moved as an amendment that the Inspector enquire into the cases and report.— The motion was carried.—Cr. Ward then moved that a committee consisting of the Mayor and Cr. Paget, and the mover, report to the next meeting of the Council on the question of extending the pan area.—This was carried. Genera!. The Town Clerk stated, in reply to Cr. Paget, that a separate account was being kept of all expenditure in connection with the loan proposals. A request by Mr. Davis for some gravelling to give him access to his mops;ty in Olivia Street was referred to the Works Committee.

The statement of finance presented showed that the debit balance at June Bth was £3288 11s Bd, which, witn expenditure to July Bth, was increased to £3626 18s lOd. The receipts during the month were £568 .Is Bd, having a debit balance at July 3th of £3058 17s 2d.—Received. Mr J. R. Mackay, secretary of the Racing Club, wrote stating that he had been requested by his committee to ask the Council if it could not see its way to proceed with the work of filling in the hollow’ in Pembroke Road near its junction witli Ariel Street.—On the motion cf the Mayor, it w'as decided that the work be held over pending a decision on the loan proposals. The secretary of the Stratford Farmers’ Co-operative Association wrote, asking for'the Council’s lowest quotation for the supply of water after the present contract expires.—The Mayor and Crs. King and Ward were appointed a committee to go into the matter and report to next meeting. The clerk brought up the case of

a resident who persisted in grazing cattle on the streets. The cattle were impounded, and fines were imposed, but this had no effect.—Cr. Paget moved that the matter be referred to the Borough solicitor with a view to proceedings by way of injunction.—There was no seconder to this motion, and Cr. King moved as an amendment that the inspector be asked to press for a heavy penalty next time he summoned the resident to Court. —The amendment was carried.

W. G. Bassett, Wanganui, in enclosing a cheque for rates, complained than tho Council should spend seine of the rates on the land from which it is collected.—On the motion of Cr. Fagot it was decided to reply to Mr Sassstt that if he would specify some v/ork lie desired done and would forward legal information as to how tire Council could be enabled to do it the Council would meet him in tho matter. Mr Bert Roylo, manager for J. C. Williamson, wrote complaining of the inadequate way in which bill-posting was carried out in connection with the visit of the Royal Hawaiian?-. He also asked that more scats be provided in the pit at tho Town Hall.--The Clerk said Mr Wickham had explained that Mr Roylo had arrived after a few days’ heavy rain, when the posters had been washed off.—lt was decided to refer the matters to tho Town Hall Committee to report to next meeting. The Secretary of the Auckland lire Underwriters’ Association acknowledged receipt of a letter from tho Council, stating that tho Council found it advisable to have a i an to watch buildings which have been burnt, in order to check fresh _ outbreaks, and expressing the opinion that the fire insurance companies should pay such a man. he Association did not agree with this yiew. If the lire was properly evunpuished by the fire brigade they saw no necessity to have a man to watch the ruins. —The Mayor said the i**ply was a ridiculous • one, as fires could not be extinguished right away.—Hie letter was “received.’ The secretary of die Hospital Board (Mr T. H. Penn) wrote stating that the Government Health Inspector had reported on an insanitary stable in the Borough. The Inspector recommended that■ concrete floors be put in. Cr. Paget said ho did not agree with the Inspector about concrete floors. The sweetest stable floor lie knew of was a- beaten clay floor.—J lie Mayor said lie did not see why thi ■ stable should bo fixed up any more than any other.—On the motion of Cr. Paget, he, the Mayor and Cr. Healy were oppointed to see to the carrying out oi the 'work. In reference to the building on section 795, Broadway, the Kawora agent of the Public Trust Office, wrote that he agreed with the Conned that it should be pulled down, but did rot know how it could be done. Would the Council agree to the timber being sold for removal ?—The Town Clerk reported that, with the Mayor’s sanction, lie had given permission for the sale of the house for removal. It was promised that the building would be removed within fourteen days from the 4th inst.

The Town Clerk reported as follows ■regarding drain-pipes :—-The _ prices quoted for first-class pipes the size required by the Council are as follows:—Wellington is Id on trucks less 2b per cent, discount, Auckland Is Id f.0.b., less 10 per cent, discount, Stratford Is 9d less 10 per cent, dicount. The cost per pipe landed in Stratford from Wellington is about Lid The price in Auckland is over lid, ulus freight and charges to Stratford. In the circumstances the pipes were ordered from Wellington, and have arrived in good condition. 1 trust the Council will approve my action. —The Clerk’s action was confirmed. The Overseer was instructed to attend to drainage in Broadway South near the County office, and to stormwater crossing Warwick Hoad east.