HOW THE LICENSING ACT IS EVADED IN ENGLAND.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 346, 11 April 1874, Page 3

HOW THE LICENSING ACT IS EVADED IN ENGLAND.

Mr. Bruce's new Act in England enforced the closing of public houses on Sundays, and how it was sot at defiance is amusingly told by Mr. James Greenwood (the Amateur Casual) in the columns of the London " Telegraph." He describes that in a shabby little Whitechapel back street he found a shop :—: — " It had a Btripod pole jntting out above the doorAvay, and a AvindoAv-board on which Avas innocently inscribed, ' Shaving, Id ; hair cut, 2d.' It had also, seemingly, an attractive kitchen-garden behind, for nearly every one answered in the affirmative the barber's question : " Would you like to see the scarlet runners ?" The barber and his two assistant's polished off their customers at the rate of three in ten minutes, and as soon as the man was shaved and had paid his penny the barber said to him, " Would you like to go through and see the scarlet runners this morning ?" To Avhich singular question the man promptly, as though he had expected it, replied, ' Well, I don't care if I do." Then tho barber remarked to tho lath cring-boy, whose business it Aras to keep a couple of customers constantly ready napkincd and soaped, ready for the razor, " Joe, show him through." Whereupon Joe accompanied the shaven one to the back door of the house and unlocked it, and so the customer vanished. In one instance a man vrhom nobody seemed to know was shaved. Mini (.lie l/arbor touK liio pcimj- ond oai\l, '• Thanky," and nothing else , on which the customer remarked, in an injured tone, "Can't I see the beans ?" " What beans ?" says the barber innocently. " Oh, it's all right," remarked another customer ; " its all right, Mr Popshort; I'll go bail for him." "That'll ! do, then," rejoined the barber, motioning Joe ; " but how Avas Ito know ?" Mr. Greenwood had been furnished with a kind of Open Sesame in the question of '* Has Old Bailey been here this morning ?" the reply to which was an invitation to see the runners. Mr. Greenwood accepted it, and he continues : — " Joe let me out into the yard, where a few strings of the celebrated vegetable were trained to grow against the palings. But they were nothing to look at, and they were never meant to be looked at. At the end of the yard there was a door ajar ; having the clue I pushed it open, and found myself in a wood-chopper's shed. Passing through this I came to a low wall, with a chair close to it to make it easier to climb over ; and, having performed this feat, there I was within a f eAv yards of another back door, very near which was a young man cleading pewter pots. 'Straight through,' said the young man, and in a twinkling I found myself in the tap room of the Hare and Weazel, Avhere were assembled at least five-and-tAventy young men and old, who, judging from their clean-shaven visages, had one and all beon invited by Mr. Popshort to view his scarlet-runners."

A correspondent of a contemporary writes that an enterprising young friend of his is about to institute an entirely novel system of collecting accounts. He iB to have a large van, painted in the most gorgeous and unmistakeable colors, and his name and occupation standing out in the boldest of all reliefs. In the centre of the van, in the most conspicuous position, is to be a large receiving bag, and around this a choice band of wired and stringed instruments is to be located. The van when fully equipped, is to start, and the band is to be motionless until it has reached the debtor's house, and application made for payment. Should tho application be unsuccessful, the band is to strike up certain appropriate and popular airs, such, as " Hard Times Come Again no More," "Oh WiHy, we have Missed You," and so on, until thennfortunate domicile is the observed of all observers. If the poor fellow implores his .tormentor to desist and promises to pay before a certain date, he is informed that he had better keep to his word, as on the next visit there would be an entire change of programme. Tho van then proceeds on its Avay to the next victim. The land sales, writes the " Times " Christchurch correspondent, are continuing to present enormous proportions, over £20,000 worth having been disposed of the other day at one sitting of the Board. The worst feature in this business is that as a rule the land is b'ougbt in very large blocks,, and falls into the hands of capitalists and specidators. Of course the money is paid down on the nail, but how much better for the country to see the land bought up in smaller blocks and for bonafide settlement.

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