RANDOM REMINDER

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32166, 9 December 1969, Page 26

RANDOM REMINDER

ENTRY FEE

It is not very many years, since the beer drinkers of the nation stood on sawdust covered floors to soak up brews which varied sharply in quality from place to place and often from day to day. It is not a matter of much regret that the sawdust has been replaced by carpet: but in times when it was, perhaps a little less easy to sell the stuff than it is today, there was the custom of the publican shouting for his customers and it is missed rather keenly by many. Now and again, however, one can strike it lucky. There is a town between the Waimakariri and the Conway -where the local lawyer and the doc-

tor are members of the golf club, butuhe publican’s nomination, at the time our contepondent was there, was tnder consideration. When Mir man arrived at the inn there were two customers in felt hats, discussing Vecent rains in voices one\associates readily with those who work sheep do* in gusty nor-west wi\ds. There was no question-, of eavesdropping; it whs made loud and dear thit the rain had been too latt and too little, but there had been just enough of\ it to produce sufficient ’ growth for the lambs to scour, and, probably, to prevent the application of drought relief concessions to the district Our correspondent during a slight pause in this

animated conversation, mentioned to the publiean that there was a considerable collar on his glks of beer. The publican tad him about the extra callage being charged dp bottles, of a recent vist of the licensing committed and its impositions, and about a distinctly rubbery cheque he had cashed recently. At this one of the fetthatted gentleman turned to the other and remarked that surely the publican would be acceptable to the golf dub, as, after all, he spoke the same language , as most of the members. \ It was the pleasure of tius profound thought yhich prompted the publlcan to fill up all the four glasses. We hope he got in\ell right