NEWS OF THE DAY

Stratford Evening Post, Volume I, Issue 81, 14 March 1931, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Music in the Park The Stratford Boys' Band will play at the band rotunda in Victoria Park oh - Sunday evening, commencing at 8.15. Football Season The annual meeting of the Stratford Football Club will be held on Monday night.

The Medical Profession It is understood that a medical man will shortly take up his residence with his family in Stratford, and commence the practice of his profession. Earthquake Relief Subscriptions Additional subscriptions to the Earthquake Relief Fund at Stratford are: Makahu Sports Club, £5 ss; Denbigh, Road School, £3 15s; grand total, £1,429 14s 9d. Nice Rainbow Trout. A Rainbow trout weighing 3slbs. was caught in the Patea river a short distance downstream from Stratford on Thursday by Mr. C. Atkinson. It is stated to be the largest rainbow trout to have been taken from the Patea. Oil in Southland The contractors entrusted with the work of boring for oil at Kuana for the Southland Oil Company, Ltd., have made satisfactory progress with the erection of the plant, buildings, etc., and the actual boring has been expeditiously put in hand, with the result that the bore on Friday was down to a depth of approximately 209 ft. No great difficulty has so afr been encountered, and it is fully anticipated that within the next ten days the plant will be working at its normal capacity. The Blackberry Season Several parties have already been observed gathering blackberries in and around Stratford, although it is rather early yet to obtain the ripe fruit in any quantity. In favourable situations the fruit has ripened, otherwise the berries are still red and have not taken on the hue of maturity. The much-to-be-desired specific for the eradication of the blackberry has yet to be discovered, and as was the case in other years, it is not necessary to go far afield to find well-laden plants in ever-spreading clumps. In a few days' time there will be ample ripe fruit for making the jam and wine to be obtained from the blackberry, and excursions have already been arranged by housewives to gather the season's supplies.

Fire Brigades Competition, Fire Brigademen and the general public will be interested in the competition for the Crabtree Shield among Taranaki brigades, which will be held at Taumata Park, Eltham, on Easter Monday. The competition is for brigadesmen who have up to five years' service, and with the sheild goes a cash prize of £2 2s. The teams will be threej-man (wet) and each year the challenge for the trophy is to be held on the ground of the holder. This being the first year of competition the event will take place at the home town of the donor, Mr. E. CrabEree. There will also be several sweepstake competitions for brigadesmen, these being four-man motor, five-man carry gear, three-man (wet), two-man dry coupling.

Mortgages on Farms "It is all very well to say that there are few cases of mortgagees taking harsh measures regarding their mortgages on farms," said a local farmer to the Stratford "Post" today. "However, I know of several cases in which steps have been threatened. To quote but one instance, there is a man, regarded as a good farmer, whose interest has been overdue only two or three days and he has been informed that if he did not find the amount oy to-day the bailiff would be put in. As a matter of fact, mortgagees are lenient where there is not much in the way' of assets supporting their mortgages, but in many cases where the equity is good, and it would pay to resell the place, the treatment given is very much lacking in the milk of human kindness," he said.

Value of Goal-kicking The importance of good goal-kick-ing in a Rugby football match was emphasised by Dr. G. H. Thomson at the annual meeting of the Star Club on Thursday evening, when he said that many matches were decided on. the ability of some men to kick accurately. He illustrated his point from the records of the British team in New Zealand last season, by pointing out that the two men with the highest aggregate of points scored were men who had played in by no means all the games, but they scored their points by their boot. He thought every team should possess two or three sure goal-kickers, and he urged players to practice the art. Mr. F. C. Ferry supported the suggestion, and said that a. medal had been offered for competitive goalkicking.

Posting of Correspondence Speaking to the Stratford "Post" to-day on the matter of the increased postal charges and the effect upon the public as well as upon the work of the Post Office, Mr. J. H. Fletcher, Postmaster, stated that when the new rates first operateG at the beginning of the month, many people were not conversant with the position. The country people, particularly, were the worst offenders really, he said, but now that it was understood more widely there was a decreasing number who faTleaT to put on the proper postage stamps. "Throughout the Dominion," he added, "the department took no action at all on the first Monday on which the new rates were in operation, but we are tightening up the regulations now, of course, and the surcharges will have to be paid by the addressees. As to the value of business, it is much the same and is getting bac\ to that of pre-increase times, despite the fact that some firms are delivering town correspondence by members of their own staff." The publicity given to t,he matter by the Press of the Dominion had been responsible to a. large extent lor educating the people to their rosponsibditioß, added Mr. FletcUer.