TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume IV, Issue 223, 1 September 1936, Page 4

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Seasonal Occupations. The Taranaki Local Bodies' Association decided yesterday to write the Minister of Labour asking that there bo no "stand down" period for* seasonal occupations for unemployed men. Stratford Hairdressers' Hours. As a result of the reduction in employees' hours coming into force today, hairdressing saloons at Stratford 1 will no longer observe the late night on Wednesdays. Otherwise the hours will remain unaltered.

Expulsion from Church. • The church should expel some people from its ranks, said the Rev. John Paterson at the Stratford Presbyterian Church last night. If this was' done people would know that religion' was not cheaply earned. The church should not "crawl" to people to belong to it.

Stratford Vital Statistics. Vital .statistics of the Stratford district show an increase in the number of marriages and deaths and a decrease in the number of biruis. The figures supplied by the registrar, with those for the last year in parentheses, are: Births 12 (20), marriages 9 (4), and deaths 9 (3).

Pine Trees Dying. Some concern is being felt by settlers in the Glen Orua district owing" to pinus insignis plantations dying out. Trees of all ages are affected, and the cause is not known Some' are inclined to the belief that 'the gales earlier in the year are the' cause, but others are of opinion that/ a disease has attacked the trees.

Trade Buoyant. Continued -trade buoyancy in Taranaki was reflected in the returns of taxes collected through the Customs office at New Plymouth last month with an increase of £4172 over August, 1935. The figures for the year have shown at times spectacular increases on the monthly returns of last year, and during August substantial rises were recorded in overy section with the exception of excise duty, in which a small decrease was registered.

Egmont Roads Negotiations. The Taranaki Local Bodies' Association received advice yesterday from, the Egmont National Park Board negotiations with the Government concerning the control of the park roads had ot yet resulted in any agreement which could be put forward as a proposition for consideration by the association at its meeting. Further negotiations were to be continued at Welligton during the' week, when it was hoped an agreement with the Government would result at some proposal that could be made to the local bodies.