STRATFORD.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LX, Issue 143786, 9 May 1912, Page 2

STRATFORD.

(By Our Resident Agent.) May B.—Mr. Hathaway, Stratford county chairman, was yesterday appointed to represent this hospital district at the forthcoming Dominion conference on the Local Government BilL Members of local bodies have very little good to say of the Bill; in fact,_ most of them condemn it utterly as an insidious attempt to saddle localities with the cost of national services whilst giving supreme control into the hands'of a nominee hoard in Wellington. The Hospital Board yesterday made the annual levies on local bodies. This year the levy for ordinary purposes is 7 57-64 d in the £IOO of capital rateable value, being a trifle higher than last yeah. There is also, a levv of 8 11-20 d for the new isolation wards, which will be ready for occupation in about two months from now.

Mayor Kirkwood has formulated his loan proposals. “The demnition total,” as Mr. Mantelini would say, is £15,000, and it comprises £6500 for extension of the sewerage system, £2500 for water supply extension and filtration, £4OOO for street improvement, and £2OOO for house connections with the sewers, the last item being recoverable from the house-owners. The proposals as a whole may commend themselves to the ratepayers, but there will be much bickering over details. Sunday’s tragedy in Page Street caused a little commotion in the immediate neighbourhood, but cannot be said to have made much of a sensation in the town. Nowadays, these events are taken very philosophically and are soon forgotten, and their effect on Others whoso habit® are tending towards a similar end is very temporary. Some hard frosts these last few nights are cutting the grass down, and the factory cheques are withering. There have been rumours of libel actions pending in connection with statements made at or before the Mayoral election, but apologies have been made and much foolish waste of time avoided.