STRATFORD DISTRICT PAGE

Taranaki Daily News, 29 November 1926, Page 10

STRATFORD DISTRICT PAGE

(FROM OUR RESIDENT REPORTERS)

Telephone Nos. 152 Office 218 Private

I Telephone Nos. 152 Office 218 Private

DRUNK IN CHARGE OF A CAR. NO LICENSE PRODUCED. ■ FARM LABOURER FINED. At 6.45 on Friday evening complaint was made to Constable Shields that a drunken man was driving a car in Broadway. The constable then saw n high-powered. English car being driven very slowly for about a chain and a half on its correct side of the street. He accosted the man behind the wheel and discovered that he was drunk. He asked the driver to produce his license, but was answered, that as the man did not drive a car he did not possess one. The constable, in order to be certain that the man was drunk and to give him a chance to pull himself together, told him to gw across the road to the fish shop and have a meal. The man staggered across the road and went into the entrance of the railway station, where the constable overtook and arrested him. As a result, Michael Joseph O’Grady was charged at the Court on Saturday with being found intoxicated while in charge of a car and with driving c. motor-car without a license. Messrs. S. B. Hunter and K. Ross, J.P.’s, fined accused £2, in default seven days’ imprisonment. Seven days were allowed in which to find the money. Sergeant Reid, who prosecuted, said O’Grady had been brought to the police station by the constable on Friday night. Accused was obviously drunk and gave his name as Burke. It was subsequently found that his name was O’Grady, that he was a farm labourer employed at Te Popo, and that he had been in the Dominion since March. Mr. A, Coleman, for the defence, pleaded not guilty. He said they had no intention of challenging the constable’s evidence, as the facts, as the police understood them, were admitted, but lie submitted that there was quite a good case for the defence. Accused’s story was that he came into Stratford about 2 o’clock on Friday afternoon with the intention of going on. to New Plymouth. He did not usually drink, but had in Stratford four or five pints of beer, and this was therefore sufficient to affect his actions. In Stratford he met an acquaintance who had come from Patea by car and was going on to New Plymouth. Accused asked for a lift and was told to sit in the car while the driver transacted some business. While he was thus waiting in th seat alongside the driver’s, the car. which was near the middle of the road slightly turned towards the curb, began to move forward. Thinking that it would crash into the gutter, accused moved over into the driver’s seat and steered the car parallel to the kerb, where it stopped of its own violition, having travelled a distance of what accused thought about 15 yards. Accused was not sure whether the engine was running or not, and as he did not understand cars, he did not know whether it was in gear or not. He put his foot on the self-starter, though at another stage in his evidence he called it the accelerator, but whether his purpose was to move the car slowly or to stop it lie did not know. After being sent across the road by the constable he thought he would go to New Plymouth by train, but before lie could get to the station lie was arrested. The defence maintained that he was not in charge of the car, but the Bench held that lie was in the car alone. The Bench pointed out the gravity of the offence. It was unfortunate to see a young man in this position, but very serious accidents might, and sometimes

did, result from the actions of drunken men in charge of cars. Accused was fined as stated and was debarred for six months from obtaining a license. The sergeant protested against time being allowed accused to find the money, as such men often deeamped without paying and caused considerable trouble to the police. After considerable argument the sentence was left as imposed, accused stating that he could probably obtain the money on that day. He was ordered not to leave the town until the fine was paid. DAIRY PRODUCE OUTPUT. TH E USE OF PASTEURISERS. With the excellent grade of 94, the directors of the Stratford Co.-op. Dairy Company are so pl.ased with the results of using a pasteuriser in their main factory at Stratford that they have placed an order for the delivery of a 2500-gallon pasteuriser for installation at the company’s Toko branch. During the autumn it is the directors’ present intention to enlarge the factories at Douglas and Huinga so as to permit of pasteurisers being also installed i'te’e Strangely enough, the use of the pasteuriser at the Stratford factory lias not resulted in any material increase in fuel biljs. At the commencement of the current season, the directors anticipated a 10 per cent, increase in coal consumption but, so far, this estimate has been found to be greatly in excess of the actual amount used. During the quarter extending from August 1 to October 31, the Stratford Company’s production figures have shown a remarkable increase over those recorded for the corresponding period ot last season, indicating that the herds from which the supply is drawn have wintered well and are milking to full capacity on the succulent growth of spring crops and new grass. The output for the 1925 period wan ■4886 boxes of butter and 3871 crates of cheese, against which this season’s first quarter’s make represents an increase of 319 boxes of butter and 536 crates of cheese, the respective quantities being 5205 boxes of butter and 4434 crates of cheese. DWELLING-HOUSE DESTROYED. A few minutes before 2 a.m. on Saturday the Fire Brigade was summoned to a big blaze in Celia Street, where a seven-roomed house, the property of Mr. S. W. Lovegrove, a painter and paperhanger, of New Plymouth, was completely destroyed. The house was vacated by the last tenant (Mrs. Richardson junr.) on Saturday last. The origin of the fire is a mystery Everything seemed to be in order at I o’clock when a resident passed, but less than an hour later the alarm was given by Mr. T. Long. The building was an old wooden one and the flames had a strong hold when discovered. The 'gusty wind and small amount of water available hampered the efforts of the brigade, and it was impossible to save the house. Insurance figures are not available. CINDERELLA PANTOMIME. On Thursday, December 2 the public of Stratford will have an opportunity of seeing at the Stratford Town Hall as original, beautiful and ambitious an entertainment by children as could be staged anywhere. Supported by her sixty pupils, Miss Elwyn Riley will present a Cinderella pan-

tomime, something entirely new to Stratford and which took New Plymouth by storm. The Cinderella pantomime as produced by Miss Riley is a brilliant pageantry of rhythm and colour, with bright dialogue, solo and chorus singing that would do credit to amateurs of much more advanced years. Two features are particularly impressive, the splendour and variety of the costuming, upon which the artificial lighting apparatus has a brilliant effect, and the grace and originality of the numerous dances, betokening extensive and careful preparation that only an unusually gifted tutor could give. The story of Cinderella, so well known to children and grown ups alike, loses nothing by its adaptation to suit the purposes of the production, and is enhanced by the interpretation of it by children who put their whole hearts into their tasks with the joy and innocence of youthful abandon. Outstanding amongst a series of dances of uniformly high merit is the Egyptian dance performed by Miss Riley henself, a dance that is as completely typical as it is difficult and picturesque. GENERAL ITEMS. As a sequel to some remarks made by councillors at last Saturday’s meeting of the Stratford County Council relative to the number of motorists who continued driving their cars without having drivers’ licenses in their possession, the county inspector was noticed at a station on the East Road checking the licenses of each car driver who passed. Being a Saturday, a large number of ears were on the road. No doubt? more will be heard of the matter. A team from the Stratford Technical High School visited Hawera on Thursday to participate in the secondary school cow-judging competition at the Egmont A. and P. Show. That the Stratford children have been well coached in the salient points of a good dairy animal, and that the children themselves are keen judges of the characteristics likely to be conducive of high production, sound constitution and proper conformation was shown by the fact that the Stratford scholars gained first, second and third places out of about sixteen entries. The winners were: Iris Tart ant 1, Clarence Walker 2, Ivy Holley 3. The Church of England bazaar came to a successful conclusion on Saturday night. Though the weather was not all that could be desired, good business was done. At night an enjoyable musical programme was rendered. A night of jollity is promised all who attend the big dance by Boulton's orchestra. Six instruments will harmonise to provide the music, while an excellent supper by the Stratford Marble Bar will be furnished. ’Buses will leave Stratford and Eltham, and the wellknown excellence of the Toko dance hall should attract motorists from all directions. PERSONAL ITEMS. At the conclusion of the performance at the King’s Theatre on Saturday night tile staff took the opportunity of showing tfieir appreciation of Mr. J. Olliver, who has been on the staff for the last 12 months and who is shortly leaving. On behalf' -of the staff, the manager, Mr. Luke Ik Wilson, presented Mr. Olliver with a handsome set of pipes and a fine tobacco pouch. Mr. Olliver suitably replied. It was a very pleasant function and the musical and elocutionary items contributed by Messrs. B. A insen, Boumberg, Femmell, Olliver and L. B. Wilson did much to make the evening enjoyable.