TRADE TOPICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VI, Issue 302, 7 May 1896, Page 11

TRADE TOPICS.

We hear that the police made a special examination of the Napier hotels after hours on Saturday night week, with what result the secrecy that doth begird a policeman lately, prevents us from ascertaining.—Napier exchange. Diner (to waiter) : “ Waiter, I don’t think much of this chop.” Whiter : “ I can t understand it. You’re the third gentleman as ’>ive complained about that chop. I suppose I shall have to give it to one of our reg’lar customers.”

Judge : “ What’s the charge ? ” Policeman : “ Intoxicated, your honour.” Judge (to prisoner): “What’s your name ? ” Prisoner : “ John Gunn.” Judge : “ Well, Gunn, I’ll discharge you this time, but you musn’t get loaded again.” W. Perrin, licensee of the Exchange Hotel, Napier, was on Monday convicted on two charges, one with serving customers after eleven o’clock at night, and the other with having a barmaid in the bar after that hour. He was fined 50s on each charge, and the license was endorsed. Charles Dickens did not pen the following for the especial information of the temperance apostles, but if he had he could not have better hit the mark :—“ If temperance societies would suggest an antidote against, hunger, filth, and foul air, or could establish dispensaries for the gratuitous distribution of bottles of Lethe-water, gin palaces would be numbered among the things that were.”

At a meeting of the Liberty and Property Defence League, held at the Westminster Palace Hotel, London, Lord Wemyss gave an interesting address, in the course of which he said that certain bishops had lately waited upon Lord Salisbury regarding liquor legislation. If legislation were needed in that direction, then the bishops were a failure, because their appealing to the law proved that their moral influence to teach the people what was right was of no use. The Rev. William Gillies, writing to the Timaru Herald concerning the whisky at the Hon. W. Hall-Jones’ banquet, says : —“ When I became aware that whisky was being supplied, I challenged the caterer.” Mr Gillies further says : —“ I have brought pressure to bear upon licensees, trying to secure a better observation of the Act, and when a committee composed largely of teetotallers takes to breaking the Act, I am not going to shut my eyes and pretend not to see it.”

Mr E. South, formerly of the Railway Hotel, Marton, has managed somehow to pull himself away from the “ boys ” in the Rangitikei, and is now mine host of the Taranaki Hotel, New Plymouth, one of the favourite old hostelries of the town. Its close proximity to the railway station makes it a handy place to put up at. Sometimes the sports do congregate at the Taranaki, and when arguments are on I think the new proprietor will be able to hold his own, particularly on Rangitikei, Wanganui, and Manawatu racing

Apropos of drink reform, Judge Murray, passing severe sentences on two men convicted of brutal "assault at a drinking club, said these clubs required most stringent legislation, and much more strict control than the police were at present allowed to exercise. They held out temptations to working men to spend money and gamble, and they took the worst form of the old-fashioned uncontrolled public-houses. The Judge referred to the larrikin pushes which infest the city as “ congregations of human jackals, which wanted wiping off the face of the earth. Mr Louis Doyle, the popular manager of the Star Hotel, Albert Street, Auckland, has reason to be pleased with the increased patronage that has been accorded to this well-known house since he has assumed control. Mr Doyle is wellknown to most of our readers on the East and West Coasts, having represented the proprietors of the Domain Brewery for two years prior to undertaking the management of the Star. His genial disposition and the happy knack he has of making people comfortable, are no doubt responsible for the success he has achieved in his new role.

Messrs Dwan Bros., the well-known Wellington hotel brokers, report having sold Mr Michael Higgins’ interest in the Clyde Quay Hotel, Wellington, to Mr A. Merlet, well-known in Wellington ; Mrs McKenzie’s interest in t he Royal Hotel, Masterton, to Mr J. O’Meara, of Masterton ; Mr W. H. McClelland’s interest in the Foresters’ Arms Hotel, Ghuznee Street, Wellington, to Mr H. Worger, late of Queen’s Hotel, Wellington ; the Railway Hotel, Johnsonville, for Mr H. C. Green, to Mr B. Walker, of Wellington; Mr Robert Reid’s interest in the Britannia Hotel, Willis Street, Wellington, to Mr Chas. McCarthy, late of the Rutland Hotel, Wanganui.

At the anniversary dinner of the South London Licensed Victuallers and Beersellers’ Trade Protection Association in London, on February 26, the following letter from Dean Hole, of Rochester, was read : —“ Though lam unable to add to my long list of arrangements for February, I much appreciate the compliment of your invitation, and would have gladly testified my sympathy with your Associotion, and my antipathy to tvrrany and cant. The Christianity and common sense, which alone can teach true temperance, seem to be more and more ignored by teetotallers, who would incarcerate mankind in Pump Court, and turn all the birds of the air into waterwagtails.”

Messrs. Hadfield and Co. are comparatively recent arrivals in Palmerston North, but they have stayed right there, and a bright idea has dawned on them. They recognise that a large proportion of the residents and settlers in the Manawatu district like a “ drop o’ good beer,” and this they are now offering in bulk to the public from the Burton Brewery, of which they are now proprietors, after having made large additi ns to the plant, which also enables them to turn out a first-class article in bottled ale and stout. Mr Hadfield is a specialist in the brewing line, and has graduated in some of the best breweries, which enables him to turn out such tip-top brews.

In connection with the Government’s proposed action to quash an order made for the removal of Mrs Morrison’s license from Rotorua to Paeroa, the Government have been advised that as Mrs Morrison’s lease, which was granted by the Lands Department in July, 1895, provides for the removal of both license and premises, it would be futile to t-ake action to quash the order for removal. But it appears, however, that the removal contemplated was to another part of the township of Rotorua, and the power given in this connection was absolute, and without limitation. The whole matter has been referred to the Surveyor-General, as the Government were not aware, when notice was given of the objection to removal, that he had written to Mrs Morrison giving his consent to the removal.

A point of interest to the trade was raised in the Police Court at Invercargill on Monday, arising out of a charge against a prohibited person tor being found on licensed premises. Counsel took objection that the order had been taken out against his client without notice to him. This was admitted by the other side, but it was contended that the licensing laws allowed such orders to be issued on ex parte statements of the applicants and witnesses, and therein differed from the common law right of a man to have an opportunity to show cause why he should not be convicted. A long argument took place on the point, and Mr Poynton, S.M., decided that the order was not good. The simplest way out of the difficulty was to declare thai the man was not a prohibited person, and let his friends take fresh action in proper form.

An experiment in the direction of the naunicipalisation of hotels has just been established at Elan Village. The rules of management are decidedly stringent. Youths are not served, and the house is only opened from twelve o’clock until two, and from half-past five to nine in the evening; on Sundays it is closed all day, but it is open from Ito 9 p.m. on Saturday. The net profits for the first half-year were £l4O. The house is conducted on similar lines to those advocated by the Bishop of Chester. This experiment was made by Mr Lees, the secretary of the waterworks at Birmingham, who, in concluding his report, says that individually he is an abstainer, but he was perfectly certain that he was serving the interests of temperance better in providing wholesome liquor, under proper regulations, then attempting to prohibit the traffic altogether.

The reject of Christchurch, Mr T. E. Taylor, delivered one of his vehement vituperative speeches at the so-called Temperance Conference in Dunedin the other day (says “ Timotheus ” in North Otago Times'). I say so-called Temperance Conference advise ily, because the people who assemble and call themselves temperates. and assert that they represent the Temperance people of the colony, are not themselves temperate, and it is sheer audacity, of which the Prohibitionist has a never-failing supply, for these individuals to assert that they are the truly temperance people of the community. Prohibition is a sort of sponge in the hands of Mr Taylor and other oneidead individuals of his genus, with which they imagine they will eJean the slate of human iniquity. There is a sad dearth of both worldly philosophy and Divine teaching about this new religion—Prohibition.

A well-known and wealthy squatter is now in England enjoying the breezes of his native land. In Australia, relates “ Atticus” in the Leader, he was not much at looking upon the wine when it was red ; he preferred whisky. Having a bad attack of gout he called in a celebrated London physician, whose first care w r as to ascertain if the patient had been under medical treatment in Australia. “ Oh, yes, I went first to Dr. , of Collins-street, and he asked me how much whisky I drank. I told him about a bottle a day, and he then said I must reduce it, not drink more than half a bottle.” “ Well, what did you do, Mr Woolbags?” asked the London physician. “ I changed my doctor,” said the squatter. The fashionable medico took his fee and the hint.

A point of licensing law, not sufficiently known or understood, was recently raised at Thorncombe Petty Sessions, in the county of Dorset, England, when Mrs Edwards, of the Castle Inn, Hawkchurch, was summoned for permitting intoxicants to be consumed during prohibited hours, and several men were also summoned for being on the premises. One of the defendants, Woodley. was a traveller, and was entertaining several visitors who lived in the village, and another of the defendants was employed to assist Mrs Edwards, but he only drank ginger-beer. After a long legal argument between the defending solicitor and the Bench, the summonses were dismissed, it being held that Mrs Edwards was justified in serving Woodley, who in turn was justified in entertaining his friends. The defendant who only drank a non-intoxicant, ginger-beer, was also dismissed, as the offence contemplated by the statute was that of getting intoxicating liquors, so that if his decision is good law, it would seem that a licensed victualler may keep open his house at any time for the sale of anything except intoxicants, though any person found on any licensed premises except an inmate, servant, or lodger, or anyone. whose presence is not in contravention of the Licensing Acts, would be liable to a fine.

At the Guildhall, Nottingham, Henry Carlin, of the White Lion Inn, Bui well, wassummoned for suffering gaming, by means of puff and dart dominoes, and skittles, tor beer, on January 17 th last. On January 17th, P.s. Cant and P.O. Cole visited the White Lion Inn. There was a number of youths in the taproom playing puff and dart, dominoes, and skittles. One of the youths said, in the presence of the landlord. We are playing for a quart,” and the landlord said, 1 shall put the chopper through the skittle-board in the morning.” Mr Botterill, for the defence said no one regretted more than the defendant that gambling should have taken place on his premises. It was obviously impossible for the landlord to be all over the place at the same time. The games were innocent enough in themselves, and the men who went there had been silly enough to play for beer without the landlord knowing anything about it. The magistrates inflicted a fine of 40s.

The adoption of‘the Gothenburg system of controlling the sale of liquor, has been urged upon the Premier of New South Wales by a deputation of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church. Mr Reid, in replying, said the Gothenburg system was one which put the whole question on a footing more favourable to refpnn than any proposal made by the Prohibitionists. The prospect of getting a majority of Parliament to legislate for Prohibition was so remote that he heartily welcomed the action of the deputation, as it brought the matter within the reaeh of practical politics. Personally, he was opposed to local option, for he did not think any member ot the community had a right to prevent anyone else from drinking moderately ; but the proposal of the deputation with modification was quite feasible. He thought this was a matter which the Government should take up. He intended to introduce a Bill next session dealing with adulteration, including intoxicating liquor, but he thought it impossible to promise any general measure of temperance reform next session.