Mixing Champagne And Cocktails In Cabaret "Cuddle Cubicles"

NZ Truth, Issue 1079, 5 August 1926, Page 7

Mixing Champagne And Cocktails In Cabaret "Cuddle Cubicles"

Hectic Hours In Night Lif e of Smart Set

9U IUI M l l tl 11 1 ( I ( II (MIM I (I H I ( I H II I I lltlltllttttll H tltl M H(lt) 1 1 111 UIItHI tltltlHH (fill IKKtltttl 111 IIIIHH'HHIIW VENTURES AMONG > ;THL VIRTUOUS ! THE PUBLJC GUARDIAN Like a portrait of a line by Mr. Euclid, • She. exists m two dimensions — up . : and down. From an altitude comparable with . ' .-. Egmont's * She contemplates existence with a '■•'. frown. - A 'Paragon of all the text-book virtues, A model, she, of all a girl should be; From elastic -sided boots to hair astragglo, Self-evident, supernal Chastity! She's a . self-appointed guardian of morals,. And dynamic m the way she's down on Vice, „• And tremendously she postulates the '*-■. dictum s That no one good to look at can be nice. In the sewing-bee or where the' talk is frequent Behold her as she rises to remark— "Concerning Mrs. Tinks and William . Thompson, ' . It is reported that he -meets her after Dark. ' Her husband, so 'tis said, is unV^'^suspfcfirigV: '•';. y'\ \ : ".:"''' ''""; And, Mrs. Hogg, i think he should be Told. ... Not that I like, Miss Higgins, interfering, ■; . . ' But I guess I know My Duty, Mrs. Bowld. ..." , Cyclopaedic is her knowledge of the ■ Sinful, And limitless the measure of her - scorn . .' ." For the weaker blossoms trampled at the roadside— '■ Their state she sees as loathsome, 1 not forlorn. . . . But the Village calls her "Stickeybeak" and "Nosey," And laughs at her as only sinner: ;'cah; .'.''-[.': And women, as she passes, grin and /whisper: "She'd give her chance to Heavefor a Man. . . . " — C.H.O.

Orgy of Jazz and Fizz For Charity's Sake

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MANY privileges' are enjoyed by the social Hops and butterflies who spend' hectic hour§ at the Dixieland Cabaret. Apparently it matters hot how unseemly are their antics; how rowdy their behavior when, wallowing m liquor behind the security of a 7/6 admission ticket. In the words of Magistrate Hunt, however, "it doesn't 'say much for the' elite of Auckland." , rar hours hideous. Here is the impression of a police constable who visited . the cabaret the other night: "Many young ladies (this was the term used by the constable) ' oould. hardly carry themselves. They were holding their partners round the necks and were gone at , the knees." It Would appear that some of tha "young ladies" mix their ideas of the conventions with as much abandon as they mix their . drinks, and disport themselves m careless attitudes on divans and chairs m the cabaret "cuddle cubicles." Then, too, it does not say much for the elite of Auckland when the ' Dixieland management; has to im--1 pose a charge on all glasses used by the. patrons on account, it is 1 said, of extensive thefts having depleted the stock. ' 1 Yet; these are "the best people"; the so-called smart set of the northern city — the class specially catered for by ' the promoters of this Hall of Jazz. pHARITY BALL Vivid sidelights on the hectic night life of Auckland's elite are thrown by : the hearing of charges m the Magistrate's Court recently, when S.M. Hunt ! listened to, interesting details, of the visit paid to the cabaret by two constables and their lady friends on the occasion of a charity ba.ll at , Dr, Frederick John Rayftery self* • styled managing director of Dixje- : , land, and Frederick Williafri; Prouting, manager, were proceeded . against for. permitting liquor to be consumed m a restaurant — Dixie-, -land — at-. -a time when licensed premises were required to be closed.. They tendered a plea of not guilty and threw themselves on the capabilities of Lawyer Robert McVeagh, while Sererea : Bt CaJ well prosecuted. "■';"■ Constable Taylor attended the charity: ball at ' the Dixieland Cabaret on May 4 m company with a comrade, Constable Waters — and their lady friends, of course. And the two sleuths thoroughly enjoyed themselves! ■ Lawyer McVeagh, to be precise, remarked that it was the "Plunket . Nurse" night. In evidence Constable Taylor said : that when he entered the cabaret with his friends they sat • down at one of »„ the many tables m the extensive ballroom. . s There were not many people present " when he blew m with his party, but the orchestra. came along about 8.30 : p.m. . I By nine o'clock the many-color-ed butterflies — the so-called social . i moths— fluttered towards the dazzling lights with their gay and giddy gallants.

In the hall the constable noticed a kitchen, a, canteen, a lollie stall, and a soda fountain. Refreshments were served by brightly -attired waitresses, and there was a menu on the tables with various modern concoctions of aerated waters and ices. There was also a supper menu with several dainty dishes. Taylor explained the system m vogue at the cabaret by which visitors — or guests, as they were called during the hearing of the case — purchase a book of tickets, each ticket having a monetary value. • Anything bought for drinking, eating or smoking is paid for by ticket, and on some nights each dance is paid for by ticket— usually 3d. j-JAVE A SPOT? "Part of the cabaret," said the witness, "contains recesses or cubicles. We did not get one ofvthese that night, as they .were all booked -up. You pay extra for these. "Each cubicle contains tables ■ and chairs and some of them have settees.". . Part of the. interior of the cabaret, be explained, had the appearance of an ordinary restaurant. After the dancing had commenced champagne, wine and whisky was openly displayed on. most of the tables, particularly at the far end of the hall. The constable saw people drinking the liquor. When the waitresses came to Taylor's table and took the orders for refreshments they asked if "spot glasses" were required; . "Spot glasses" were supplied to all patrons who had liquor displayed. At the end of the hall the majority of the guests were "under the influence." ... S.M. Hunt: They had become a little hilarious, I suppose ?— Yes, sir; they were certainly very live.ly;- this was more noticeable about 11 o'clock. . , WANTED TO FIGHT "Many young ladies could hardly carry themselves," added Taylor. "They were holding their partners around the necks, arid— as the term gees — they were 'gone at the knees.' "They were behaving' m. a. disorderly manner, due' to the state of intoxication they were in."' Sergeant Calwell: Did you • notice anything else that led you to believe that there was liquor being consumed? — The smell of it was enough, but there were labels on the bottles, and m most cases the drink was left openly on the tables during dances. Bottles were opened m my presence. Was the drink supplied by the waiters or waitresses? — No, certainly riot. ' I saw one young man -emerge from one of the cubicles, take off his coat arid offer to fight. ./The constable declared .that there was no one keeping order; supervision •was very lax. Since that occasion he had gone out to the cabaret m the afternoon, and there was then no charge for admission^ He ordered and was served with a meal. ' . A BIG NIGHT Lawyer McVeagh: Was there a charge made the night you were there? — Yes, the charge was 7s 6d. The chief feature of this cabaret is dancing?— That is the principal attraction. But for the dancing the place would' not exist? — I would not like to say that. The night you were there how many people would be present? — I would not like to estimate. The place was filled. It was a big night.

The 5.M..: Was the 7s 6d for one ticket?— That was the price for a double ticket., Constable Waters corroborated his comrade as to the .charity ball and what they saw on that memorable occasion. . . ' Counsel: How far is Dixieland from the main road?— lt may be about a mile away. It is very handy to the beach and the domain. For the ordinary purposes of a restaurant would people go there? — Not frc.m Auckland, but it is very busy m the summer time. pOPULAR RESORT Constable Spellman gave details regarding the district of Point Chevalier. He said that m the summer it was the resort of large crowds of people. '■-■'._. One day last summer'it was estimated that there were 13,000 visitors. ■ ■■ ■ It was a growing residential district, and at present there were 50 houses m the course of construction. > , . ' 5 . ' . 1 nniiiinntiiiiiiiiiiniiitiiiiiMiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiininiiiiiiniiiniuumiiiMiiinii

I A NEW standard has fj f been set for Auck- 11/ |, land's elite. In order to be || I regarded as one of "the || | best people" m the Queen || 1 City it will be necessary || | to attend the Dixieland if I Cabaret— the fashionable f f I resort of the super-smart || I se t — and to indulge m the [| f riotous revels which took || I place on at least one occa- || f sion recently. If intitiiiiiinintiiiiiiitniiiitnmiiiMTimiiniitiniittnnntititnitimitituiimiiiiiiiiuimiHiiitiimtiitiHniit mrmmnuMmiiai'i'iii'muwuiumiiiiiiiitmiiwiiunauimimiiintnuuiitiniiutiiiMiinniiitimiuiii

• The cabaret had a manager anc sub-manager who lived on the premises. The witness estimated that Dr Rayner visited the place about three times a x week on an average; sometimes he would be there every day. Spellman had seen people com* ing from the cabaret under the influence of liquor during the last few months. Under cross-examination, he said that he had not been m the cabaret at night time. There was no charge during the day, and Dixieland was a very well-conducted restaurant. At night the charges varied from 2s 6d to £1 Is. JEMPLE OF JAZZ Sergeant Mclntyre gave evidence of an interview he had with Bayner. In the course of a conversation the defendant said he was managing director of yie company and that Sprouting was the manager. Dixieland is owned by a limited liability company with a number of shareholders. The witness .d.id not, however, make it clear that Rayner is "m" to the extent of 10,000 fully-paid shares. rimriiriimimnimitiMiiimniiiiwiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiMiuiiiiniinrititiiiMiiiiiuiimiinimiiiimimtmniin iiiiuinnniiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiaiMiiumiiiiit.iiiiiiiiiiiimiuiiutuiiiiiiiiiiiiilintiiiHitifliiiniiiiumH

Gay and Giddy Revels Get ;^- Doctor Into Trouble rnnMraHummniMimMiiHimnraimmiii^

I Legal argument centred around the - question of what is a restaurant. Counsel contended that the legisla- » tion was ' framed to deal with places - which served a full meal and where m the past it had been almost a custom to send for drink 'for consumption during: the meal. He contended that Dixieland could not be regarded as a resI taurant m the .generally-accepted— t meaning of the word, more especially where a" charge— and a subr stantial charge— was made for ad- . mission. 1 Food and refreshments were . not provided for the general public, at nights. Counsel urged that although the • place might be a restaurant m the afternoon, it was a dance cabaret at , night, and it was m regard to the " status of the evening that^ the . infor- , mation was laid. ; JHE SMART SET Frederick John Rayher.was called and informed the S.M. he was a doctor. , „ . Mr. Hunt: What are you. doctor" of? — Dentistry. . ; : Rayner said he, had been identified with Dixieland for eight' years. At the present timer he was chairman of directors; he was not managing director.' ' '■ ■•..• :.-:■..■ Mr. Hunt: A"*ho is?— There is-, no managing director. It is a limited liability company, a private company regulated by a board . of directors. The paid-up capital is £25,000; but there was further capital employed m the company. ' . How .would .you describe^, the class of people who visit the* cabaret?— ' They are the • elite .of Auckland; that is the class we cater for. . , j Rayner '.admitted that some of the patrons brought drink with. them to a degree. , . ...•;.'" 'He had never known of any excesses, however, and said that a manager, an assistant manager and _a. manageress were controlling the place the whole time. / " . . He fully appreciated that if the place had any malodorous . reputation „ it would be the end of it. . The S.M.:. What class of people bring liquor there? — The best class of people m Auckland.. "I had an inquest once, and the people who had been at the cabaret were ordinary apprentices," remarked , Mr. Hunt. ' ■ < CTOLEN GLASSES »J -. - The prices of admission, said witness, depended on the amount of money expended on the decorations. Up to £ 1 had been Nobody but those who paid for admission received refreshments; the dance was the whole thing. Regarding the "spot glasses" referred to, it was explained that glasses were supplied at a small charge because it had been found that so many had been stolen. . The S.M.: What! You say that the olite of Aucklfihd steal your glasses? — Brokeh or stolen. . Mr. Hunt:. That doesn't say much for the elite of Auckland! Witness: The charge is 6d per glass, and when the glass is returned the money is refunded. That,; I believe, is done by the Railway Department. The S.M.; Oh, yes, but the railways don't take an oath that they serve the elite of Auckland. (Writing): Yes, we charge the elite of Auckland. 6d for glasses. (Laughter.) Sergeant Calwell: Are there notices

about drinking: being prohibited? — I don't know if there are now. We had difficulty m keeping them up. If anybody comes to the place the worse for liquor .they are not admitted. But any person who went there dressed decently would get m? — Yes, so long as they were decent. -.-. Mr. McVeagh further submitted that it had not been proved that' Rayner ■v\as m the cabaret on the evening m question or that he ' had a conscious knowledge of the drinking; these, he contended, were essential elements ' m a prosecution. ■ . Mr. Hunt said that if he had any doubt on the matter he would have reserved his decision, but/ he did not feel that this was necessary. • The main question was whether Dixieland was a restaurant or. not. It was open every afternoon for the sale of refreshments and :' anybody could go m. In the evening admission was charged. , . , • '. • . , Anybody with half-a-crown^ on a half-crown night could get into ' Dixieland; • ■ It was stated that the .principal object of the place .was for dancing, but anybody could go m there for supper or refreshments. -. ; - Mr. McVeagh rikd referred to the mischief --v^hich the Act 'was. designed to deal with, but the S.M. contended that the mischief was then far simpler compared with the mischief of z-ecent times." ' ..'" ; '. • - . ».V. •.V "This is one of : the most, mischievous occupations or, businesses- one could possibly have m a comparatively small place like this. ■ ' ' '.'I am of opinion that it should; be stopped, and if I am wrong m myopinion I have very little 4 0U bt that legislation will be passed to make this sort of' thing Jllegal. "I -am going to convict and dmp'ose the maximum penalty, under ;the Act, for I consider the case very bad. Each of the ' defendants ; will* be ,, fined, £ 20. "And I say this: That until, this decision, is upset, anybody, 'who takes liquor into- this place an.d. is brought up here will be fined the maximum allowed by law— £s." Security of appea.l was fixed at £10 10s in 'each case. 4 * CANCEL LICENSE Arising but of the revelations m the hearing of the -case, public attention has been focussed on Dixieland.: Some of the City Fathers have become perturbed for the moral welfare of the elite of Auckland, ' perhaps. . ' ' . < Councillor F. W. Brinsden has tabled the following notice of motion, to be discussed at the. meeting of the Council this week:- !.' "That Dixieland, Ltd., being the licensee of a tea-roota and cabaret known as Dixieland, at Point Chevalier,' under the license issued by the Auckland City Council. for the period October 29, 1925, to October 28, 1926," be called upon,, in 'view _ of the recent Court proceeding's and conviction recorded against the management, to show cause why the said license should not be cancelled or suspended under the provisions of Section : 312 (1) of the Municipal Corporations Act, 11)20. which provides: — ".'Upon being satisfied that any licensed building has become insecure, or is being used m a disorder^ manner so as to be .obtioxious to the neighboring inhabitants or to the public, or that, it it being used for other purposes than those stated m the license, the Council may cancel or suspend such license, either wholly or for such period as it thinks- fit, and shall forthwith give notice to the licensee of such cancellation or suspension.' "

VENTURED AMONG THE. VIRTUOUS THE WAISTCOAT He is on the Borough Council and the Road Board And Vice-president of Fifty-seven clubs; Of such notability and grave importance That his wife must glow with pleasure as she scrubs. In a waistcoat:, not an ordinary waistcoat ■ ■ * i ■ Such as you or I or/ Henry Ford might wear, . But' a waistcoat light and bright and much bebuttoned; A waistcoat with a Privy Council Flaire. Of his other garments one is scarcely oonscious; His vest the situation dominates And the heavy chain of gold that curves across it The substance of his person indicates. Not,a function, be it festive or funerealj But he hastens to the spot and grabs * " the floor. | Not a movement' nor a meeting nor a • marriage But his waistcoat pushes to the fore; In ev'rything: untiring and undaunted, Like a Trojan yards of eloquence unreejs; So x occupied with deep communal matters He's hardly ever horne — except for meals . ... His farm of course m consequence .'■ must suffer, But unselfish to the last he ne'er complains And nobly leaves the milking to his missis To discuss the burning question of the Drains. But remarkably the village calls him loafer His aim m life, they say, is just to shirk; That his teeth beneath his whiskers , greenly glitter; , That he'd rather^die than wash, and .. wash than work. '•■<? — C.H.O.