ESTABLISHED FEATURE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 31 January 1939, Page 9

ESTABLISHED FEATURE

NO ACTION YET IN DUNEDIN DUNEDIN, 30th January. Though no meeting has actually been heid to consider the matter of shouting and the provision of counter lunches in hotels in Dunedin, there is reason for believing that the question has been receiving the consideration of at least some licensees for a considerable time. What action will be taken, if any, it is not possible as yet to say, though it does not seem likely that there will be absoluteunanimity if a decision is made to abolish these time-honoured extras, which a gieat many bar patrons have come to regard as their right. One hotelitceper who was approached to-day indicated that he would have nothing to do with the proposal to curtail shouting and counter lunches, but it is believed that considerations of kitchen a hour and the hotel staffs as a whole have prompted the desire of licensees to endeavour to reduce expenses in this way. The main obstacle in the way of a move in that direction will be the fact that shouting and counter lunches, though they could possibly be very well done without, have become established features of most public bars and any attempt to curtail or abolish them might antagonise a section of patrons. The whole question has yet to be considered by the Dunedin branch of the Licensed Victuallers’ Association, and from what could be gatherel to-day there does not seem to be any immediate prospect of these services being done away with.