Stratford News

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 319, 8 July 1912, Page 3

Stratford News

From or.'.' Resident Reporter. A CORRECTION. The information that Dr. Carbrry intends taking his holiday trip this month is not confirmed; in fact, it is incorrect. Dr. Carberv cannot see his way clear to take his trip for some considerable time yet. THE POLITICAL SITUATION. There's a "told-you-so" note in the conversations concerning the political situation. It was the principal topic of conversation in the street oil Saturday, and speculation (in more ways than one) was rife as to the possibilities politically in the next few months. The general opinion seemed to be that the only hope of stability lay in forming a coalition ministry. THE OPUNAKE RAILWAY Tim report of the Opunake Railway Commission was rendered of secondary import in street talk by the announcement of the defeat of the Government, hut still it was discussed in some circles. "It might, have been better, and it might have been worse," was the comment of a prominent member of the Railway League, and this seemed to be the general opinion. The Commission must have been favorably impressed by the solid nature of the evidence produced at Stratford and New Plymouth. One man said, "I'm not too well pleased with the report, except by comparison. We have not got all we asked for, but our pertinacious little neighbor is worse off than we are. for the Commission cruelly suggests the sale or leasing, of, the ElthamOpunake railway reserve. It's a black day for Eltham. It loses its Premier and its terminus in a day. "Still, the railway is not built vet, and all sorts of things may happen between now and the opening of the-first section of the line. Meanwhile, Stratford will see what can be done in the matter of hurrying on the construction of the Stratford.Manaia line. Will "Mr. Hine be Minister of Railways?

THE lIUXORY TRAIN-TRAVELLER,

Why should there not be a rcfresli--1 ment room at the Stratford railway station? It would pay handsomely.-The trains reach here at convenient hours for cups of tea. The north and south morning trains cross here just before a quarter to nine, and the second 'train from north at 10.3 gets here at a convenient hour for another tipple. Thers is another passenger train' through Stratford at a little before one o'clock, "when refreshments would be welcomed, and three o'clock sees' th£ crossing of north and south trains again. At? night fhe trains cross at just about 6.40, and the' Te Wera train leaves at' 7 q'clocli. Under existing arrangements the steamer passengers'-cinnot, get a cup of tea until the express reaches Haw em at' 9.23, which is . too long to wait. There are tea-rooms on the Pa tea and ila.w'era platforms, eighteen Wiles apart. 'We are a similar distance from Hawera. so it cannot be urged, with any precedent anyhow, that the-Stratford station is too close to Hawera. for the establishment of refreshment rooms here, particularly as there is no s\ich-convenience for the traveller north of Stratford., The fact •that the Te Wera trains junctions here (must also be considered. These remarks are penned as the result of having seen so many folks rushing from trains "into Stratford to buy' b'uns and pie's with which to refresh'tliri inner'man-;' ■whilst' it is no uncommon thing to hear loud grumblings from hungry people. Folk from Whangamomona, Te Wera, Toko and other places down the line would welcome the innovation, for their train arrives here in the" mrtrilingg in ample time to allow of a cuj) of'tea being ; obtained by those people who'intend going on by main line trains. When the Ministerial party was ''pi<t tiack" ■ recently—or, rather, when they 1 from the Land of Mud—breakfast .was.! brought to them from the County Hotel.' But we are not all Ministers of the Crown with private secretaries"to see to our comforts. If the dining-car cannot be again placed on the ntail trains to ] New Plymouth, then the travelling public are surely entitled to this refresh- ! ment room, and there is every possibility that it would pay handsomely. J '

STRAY PARAGRAPHS. '• ■ ■ > Friday night was boisterous. 1 The wind pla V'-d "old-Harry" \Vith_ th£ electric lighting system, 'ami parts of the town were again in darkness, whilst one wire broke and several, came down'.- If such a thing happened under municipal control, presumably the Miycfr.'wohld have to bear the brunt of it. The present management of the company is no.w paying for errors committed in .the dim dark past, but the manager.'Mr; AY., /F. Newton, and the staff are working like Trojans to make the service beyon'd reproach. ' •