SUPPER FOR A BALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15554, 11 March 1914, Page 7

SUPPER FOR A BALL.

THE FOOD CRITICISED.

DEFENCE OFFICER SUED.

CATERERS' CLAIM DISPUTED.

The character of the catering and service at a ball at Dargaville on June 4, 1913, were in question in a case which occupied Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., for some hours at the Magistrate's Court yesterday.

The plaintiffs were the Walter Buchanan Cake Co.. Ltd.. Auckland, who claimed from Lieutenant H. Cliffe, Dar- | gaville (an officer of the Defence Forces), the sum of £12. being the balance of an account owing for the supper provided at the ball in question. Mr. E. J. PrenI dereast represented the plaintiffs, and Mr. i W. P. Endean Appeared for the defendant. The evidence for the defence had been taken <:;> commission at Dargaville. It was to the effect that the catering, in point both of quantity and quality of the provision?, was very unsatisfactory. The . -ball, which was held in honour of the I King's birthday, was intended by the pro- j moters to be a function worthy of the occasion; the supper to be " the best ever laid" before guest* at a ball on the Wairoa. The committee accepted the tender of the Walter Buchanan Cake Company to provide supper for the guests —the minimum number to be 200—at a charge of 4s per head. The defendant alleged that the plaintiffs did not carry out their contract. Complaints in Detail. The food was described, in the evidence, as being quite insufficient for the requirements of the guests., of whom there were about 260 present. People at the second sitting were stated to have besieged Lieutenant Cliffe with complaints about the quality of the food, and his own experience was that the tea and coffee were almost stone cold, the pastries stale, the oyster patties tainted, and that the radishes in the lettuce salad— which, at the second sitting, there were only some small remains—were un skinned. The soup was thin, and tasted like bad pipi water, and all that wa6 left on, the table after supper consisted of four glasses of jelly, about six plates of stale pastry, and* a number of oyster patties that were unfit to eat. There were no sandwiches, trifles, or fruit salads left. The table service was described as shocking—only one waitress to 44 people at the table where he (Mr. Cliffe) sat. The supper, in defendant's opinion, was not worth 2s a head, let alone 4s. Statements Denied. The evidence for the plaintiffs was taken yesterday. Robert Barker, professional caterer in the employ of the plaintiff company, said he was instructed to supervise the arrangements for th« ball at Dargaville for the Defence Forces. They made pro- ■ vision for 300 guests, the number guar-' , anteed being 200. Accommodation was provided for two sittings—l3o guests at each sitting, and there would be 260 people at the first two sittings, and about 30 at a third sitting. During the evening Mr. Cliffe told him he was quite i satisfied with everything, and gave him ass tip. He denied that there were any ! complaints about the quantity or quality 1 of the food. There was quite sufficient 1 food for the whole of the guests. [ Cross-examined regarding Mr. Cliffe's , alleged statement that there was only the : remains of one little salad on the table j when he (Mr. Cliffe) went in for supper, ' witness said there might have been 6ome ■ dishes partially emptied' and not taken ! away, but full ones would be afterwards placed on the table. There was plenty of 1 ham and tongue. Mr. Cliffe's statement 1 that there were no sandwiches on the- [ table when he went to supper was incor- ' rect, there bein<r a considerable ouantity | left on the tables till early morning. Oyster Patties. > ) Mr. Endean: Do you dispute the statement that the oysier patties were tainted? I Mr. Prendergast: How' does he know" i He didn't sample them: (Laughter.) ■> Isn't it a fact that von only catered " for 200, and trusted to luck?— Well, there > is some trusting to luck in catering— (laughter)—but on this occasion we • catered for 300. i Do you mean to suggest that these 1 —among whom were a doctor, an • accountant, a land agent, and a farmer, • would periure themselves for the sake of 1 a paltry £12? > Witness : Well, there are two or three -' statement* there that are lies. t t . The Claret Gap. t ) Questioned as to the composition of i the claret cup, witness sard be thought t the proportions were about 12 bottles of . lemonade to one of claret. He thought j the quality was quite satisfactory.i Do you know that a doctor One of the } guests— that some of the food was ) unfit for human consumption ? 1 Witness :If so, the statement is incor--3 rect. 3 Mr. Prendereast: If the doctor thought 3 some of the food unfit for rurrrfin consumption, he should have told the head waiter not to put any more of it on the table. Mr. Endean : He is not a medical officer of health, i Mr. Prwdergast: No, but he is a ' doctor, and one of the committee who are ■ liable for this amount of £12. , Mr. Endean : Anyhow the doctor said , the supper left a nasty taste in the mouth - of the public. (Laughter.) Musicians' and Waitresses' Views. r One.of the (musicians: at the ball, who t had supper at the third sitting, said that the members of the band all had plenty ■ to eat. the quality of the food being quite . | as 2-ood as usually experienced at similar functions. ' Several of the waitresses employed denied that the food supplied was insufficient [ in quantity or inferior in quality, or that the attendance on the guests at supper > was inadequate. One witness said that the tea and coffee might possiblv have - been a little cold at the first 'sitting, . owing to the fact that the sitting had ' been fixed for a special time, but subsequently postponed, owing to the insertion ' of two extra dances on the programme. After having heard the evidence, His Worship reserved judgment.