ODDS AND ENDS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 92, 23 August 1923, Page 5

ODDS AND ENDS.

(By “Nemo”) How many punters are the poorer after the Grand National meeting in Christchurch? No doubt a p©an of praise arose from tho throats of the Bar-vons when General Advance won the Grand National hurdle race. The win must have upset a lot of doubles, and put a lot of money into the bookmakers’ pockets. “Lay’em,” don’t “back’em,” is no doubt the better way to make money at racing. -o-0~0-o-o-o» “In the Spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love,” So wrote the poet. But where do the thoughts of the middleaged and older men turn, especially if they are married? Mostly to the vegetable garden—that this is a fact is demonstrated every day during this period of the year. On the side walk, on the Sportsground’ ip. fact everywhere where men do congregate, one hoars talk of gardens.. To some men gardening is a pleasure; to others it is hard but necessary work. “Nemo” sympathises with the fellow who makes up his mind the night before that the next morning will see him early at work dn Hie cabbage patch, and when morning comes with rain pattering a welcome tattoo on the roof he wraps the blankets more closely around him with a piously ejaculated “Thank God, /it’s raining.” /

Most courteous and very diplomatically worded notes are still passing between Great Britain and France! over the Ruhr question, but the problem does not appear to be any nearer a solution. That the friendship of France and Great Britain so firmly established during the great war must not, on any account be broken, seems to form the basis on which these notes are written, and it is a question of how long this base can stand with difference of opinion so acute between the parties. France seems determined to maintain her hold, and Britain seems equally determined in her opinion that France’s attitude is delaying the realisation of peace in Europe. The peculiar part about the whole controversy is that both parties are after money, apd, it strikes “Nemo” France is playing four aces agapist Britain’s full hand.

It is said that “music hath charms to soothe the savage breast.” Thera are apparently not many savaga hearts to soothe in Stratford judging by the attendance at the Town Hall whenever there is an opportunity of hearing music worth while listening to. It is a lasting reproach to Stratford th^l : good Imly" draw a very poor audience (in numbers I mean). One would have expected that talent of the calibre possessed by the Amy Castles Company would have drawn a crowded house, but the opposite waa the case. Some persons are mean enough to say that the fact of holding the concert on a Saturday night was the cause of such a poor attendance, this particular night of the week being tacred to the cult of Bridge and '"' Pictures, . >.

Some members of the Egmont National Park Board, in an attempt to raise money for the purpose of expanding the resources of the Park, wash to obtain legislation authorising the raising of loans on the security of a nauonal asset. A timely protest by some of the local bodies concerned has had the effect of postponing consideration of the desired legislation until next session, in tho meantime an officer of the Lands Department is to visit .Taranaki, and it is to bo hoped that his enquiries will result in conserving to the public, without any fear of alienation, one of Now Zealand's most beautiful scenic reserves, , -0-0-0-o o-o-It was suite refreshing to hear, a few days ago, a discussion on the future prospects of our town which oiscmsod the fact that some of the ■departmental heads in Wellington held tee opinion that Stratford was destined to be a second Palmerston' North, and this was the excuse, if excuse were needed, for the erection of such large Government buddings, as the new Post Offices and Public Trust Office. It is good to know that those in power have such a high opinion of Stratford’s future, and if this opinion can bo interpreted to mean that the construction of the Stratford-Main Trunk railway is to be vigorously proceeded with fon the future, there is every reason to believe that tho opinion will some day, be realised. “Oh I let it bo soon."

Rates seems to bo the question that is troubling some of our townspeople at the present time. There are a lot of grumblers, but most people take the demands philosophically. Instead of grumbling and growling and - remarking on the disadvantages of owning property in Stratford, one 'would imagine that ratepayers would show their demands to strangers with pride, pointing out the evidence of practical loyalty, and boasting of the fact that they had enough confidence in the future of their own town to expend money in anticipation of approaching prosperity, happy in the knowledge that “God helps those who help themselves.”