STEALERS OF SPOONS

Cromwell Argus, Volume L, Issue 2649, 24 November 1919, Page 3

STEALERS OF SPOONS

MELBOURNE CATERERS' COMI'LALVf. The proprietors of tho fashionable restaurants in Melbourne are the prey oi' i numerous class who dub themselves euphemistically "souvenir hunters," but who are simply pilferers of a somewhat contemptible kind. They carry off spoons and forks, sugar tongs, fish knives, and indeed any kind of handv silverware.

One restaurant manager lias eomi plained that ill tliis way he lias lost 1 70 dozen oyster forks in a little over a year. The people simply slip from one to six into their pockets or muffs and take them away. A supper party was detected the other day. Two women —fashionable ladies thov would call themselves —were invited Into the office and made to disgorge mx spoons each. They were much annoyed because the mannger refused to agree with them that it was n ''joke." It is believed that most of the stolen property finds its way to the fashionable week-end camps. A considerable amount of it is marked, and the restaurant people are now trying to arrange with the police for a quiet raid on certain camping localities. There are obvious difficulties in the way. but the proposal at least will scare the delinquents. Other tilings besides cutlery disappear. Good serviettes, small sugar bowls, and cream jugs, and indeed anything that can be got into a pocket or a hag disappear. Fashionablydressed women have actually been seen emptying the contents of sugar bowls into bags to take away—and this was before the days of tho seamen's strike and the sugar famine. Another common practice in these restaurants is for the patrons to erase the pencilled total on the bill, and substitute a smaller sum. Managers now have to watch the bills closely for this and take all sorts of precautions, like changing the pencils frequently to prevent it.