STRATFORD.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 737, 18 May 1887, Page 3

STRATFORD.

fFBOM OUB OWN COBBESPONDBNT.J May 16.— The Town Board met on Wednesday. The business was confined to passing two email accounts. Voucher for the payment of £17 was received from Government in payment of rates on Grown lands. This amount reduces the Board's overdrafts £29, so that there is a near prospect of wiping off this incubus altogether. The Board will then be in a position to undertake improvements to -the roads on a scale commensurate with the growing importance of the place. In spite of bad times Stratford shows unmistakable signs of becoming in a very few years (he principal inland town of Taranaki. One great ground for confidence in the future of the place is that each .step in advance is well ti aintained, there has as yet been no retrogression. Two years ago it was thought that two scores were all that the district could support; we now have three that apparently find plenty of support, and there is talk of another. A wheelwright and coachbuilder's shop for Mr. Leech is going np on the Public Works Reserve near the bridge; a new shop fur Mr. Gooch, shoemaker, is nearly completed; Mr. Northcote has lately made extensive improvements to his place. These new buildings, together with the levelling and widening of the road have n?a<?e a great alteration in the aspeot of town. The alterations to Messrs. Curtis Bros.' store are now ont of the builders' bands, and have completely transformed the interior of the place. Instead of the Btnall and ofte.i inconveniently crowded shop with which we are familiar, we now enter a large and handsomely fitted hall, 60ft. by 30ft., which gives ample accommodation for the firm's large and increasing trade. Messrs. Cuitis's establishment is now as large and complete as any on the coast, and would be no discredit to any town in . the colony. 1 can only express the hope that they will be compelled before long to call in the architect to plan further additions. A public meeting is called for 'Wednesday night to discuss ('the approaching Bale of the Toko block sad the settlement of the East Road generally." X see that the sale has been postponed, but it will certainly do no harm to talk the matter over all the same. It is thought that an effort shoald be made to induce the Government to acquire this land for settlement on the deferred payment system. .1 hope to see the meeting well attended, as it is a matter which vitally concerns the immediate and future interests of everyone who has any stake in the progress of Stratford. The Library Committee have received another batch of books -from Wellington and have a further order in course of construction. Subscriptions come in very slowk, however, a great want of interest in this and other local matters being characteristic of the times just now. As illustrating thiß last remark, at the meeting of householders the other day for the purpose of electing the School Oomco'ttee there were only just sufficient Bettlera p esent to make up the Committee. Tb'a undoubtedly looks like apathy, but it nlso indicates that parents are perfectly satisfied with the way school matters are conr' noted here. Feed is unusually plentiful for the time of year, frosts "having as yet been few and slight. lam afraid the rank growth of grass on many farms pointß to want of means to buy stock, which have certainly not been at prohibitive prices lately. Fired by the example of our neighbours at Ngaire an effort will shortly be made to show that the drama is not quite defunct it Stratford. The past dairying season has been a very unsatisfactory one for most of us, djkl ever} thing points to the fact that bid all private dairies can no longer hold their own. The question is, what ib to be done ? The adoption o£ the hand power separators would no doubt greatly improve both the quality and quantity of our butter, but it would still fall short of what appears to be the great desideratum, viz., uniformity of colour, taste and texture. There only remains then the factory system, and there ia now a capital opening for one at Stratford. We have a good length o£ metulled roads, and fanners would be satiefied with a low , price for milk. I have, however, very little faith in Co-operation. In the firHt place we have most of us far too little papiui to do Rustic© to gu.r land without

investing in, joint stock enterprises ; then comes the mattter of wages," which "afe'in' this country altogether out of proportion to the value of produce. Of course it may turn out that there is no alternative between the co-operative factory and giving up dairying altogether, but I hope to see private enterprise come to the rescue.