STRATFORD.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 14133, 12 February 1910, Page 7

STRATFORD.

(From Our Resident Agent.) Feb. 11.—The school excursion of 1910 is an event of the past, and for, I think, the eighth time in succession Dame Fortune has smiled benignly upon the children and their friends disporting upon the Moturoa beach. Yesterday’s weather was absolutely perfect. A shower in the early morning had laid the dust of the railway track. The heat of the day was sufficient to make clothes a superfluity to the paddlers and swimmers, but was tempered by a delightful breeze that filled the sails of the fishing boats. The two special trains were not inconveniently crowded, and ran fairly to time on both the outward and homeward journey. _No accident of any .seriousness marred the enjoyment of any family party or group of friends. The opinions expressed by some observers that there were fewer people than on last year’s trip proved to ho mistaken, as the number of tickets issued showed a slight increase. The cheque handed to the Stratford station master to-day by the shcool committee’s secretary was £123, as against £122 15s last year. The success of Mr. Cargill, a newcomer to the district, in securing the Education Board seat against throe well-known and respected old-timers, came as a surprise, but at any rate proves that the average school committeeman is not of the narrow parishpump type of voter he is sometimes made out to be. Mr. Cargill owes his election to the record of good service for education genorallv that he acquired on the Wanganui boardMr. \V. H. Young well deserved his victory in the Borough Council election on .Wednesday, for ho worked for it. In justice to his opponent, Air. C. D. Sole, it must, however, he stated that, his spare time during the day was ■ entirely taken up with preparations' forth© school excursion, the responsibility for which largely falls on his shoulder’s as chairman of the committee. That he was so dangerous a runuer-up under the circumstances proves that his good qualities are recognised by the burgesses.

At to-day s meeting of the Domain Board the annual balance sheet was presented. The income consisted mainly of about £7O, derived from letting tho grazing of the reserve, supplemented by some £ls from the Borough Council for use of a gravel pit. With the aid of a' balance of £3O brought forward from 1908, the hoard had been able, in addition to the usual maintenance wor, to spend £SO in levelling and grassing another five acres of playing field for hockey or football. The‘new work for the current year will bo on a reduced scale unless some unexpected source of income is discovered. It will probably be in the direction of developing the scenic attraction? of King Edward Park by tho formation of riverside paths, and maybe the erection of footbridges over the Patea River and Konini (more correctly Paetahi) Stream. A report is current that the Railway Department has plans prepared for a now station at what is known as tho police paddock, a quarter mile south of the present station. .. If true, it probably affects the goods traffic only. It would bo highly inconvenient to have the passenger station removed.