TRADE TOPICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VII, Issue 354, 6 May 1897, Page 11

TRADE TOPICS.

Our Dunedin correspondent informs us that J. Laughlin sold out of his hotel on April 24 to J. Stenhouse, the former proprietor of the Pioneer Hotel, St. Kilda. Stenhouse is also a horse owner, among his string being Bedala and Gordon. A friendly contest took place at Croydon last Christmas (states the South African Licensed Victuallers’ Gazette} between beer-bibbers and teetotalers for the honour of supplying the inmates of the local workhouse with luxuries on Christmas Day. The guardians refused to give them beer. But the licensed victuallers of the borough offered to supply each of them with a pint of ale, while, as a counterpoise to this generosity, a wealthy citizen —a teetotaler—undertook, on condition that the guardians continue their prohibition of all intoxicants, to supply 2001 b of grapes for the workhouse for the festive season. Rev. H. P. Denison, a Kensington (London) parson, lately purchased a local pub, and has turned it into a church club. Premises comprise a skittle-alley, boxing-saloon, billiard-room, reading-room, and a concert-hall. Liquor is retailed to members. Mr Denison refuses to restrict the sale of beer and whiskey. He contends that if you teach a man to respect himself he is the more likely to take care not to forfeit the respect of others. “ If any man takes too much he can be kicked out,” says Mr Denison. To the sneers of the Pump Party and the scandalised members of his flock, this broad-minded parson replies : “ It is the business of Christianity to produce strong men ; not moral invalids.” According to the Rev. F. W. Isitt, the four influences working against Prohibition are the editorial, the episcopal, the clerical, and the devil. There is a nice array of opposing talent! Not content with general statements, Mr Isitt made a vigorous attack on Bishop Julius and Bishop Neville, who, he says, “ ought to be ashamed of themselves, for having put themselves in the position of enabling themselves to be quoted in advocacy of a deadly traffic.” Alas, poor Isitt! He* has exhausted all his powers in endeavouring to force Prohibition on people who don’t want it, and now having failed miserably, he relieves his overheated feeling in abuse of all who see eye to eye with him. — Spectator. It used to be the custom for parting friends to go down to the docks at Capetown (states the South African Licensed Victuallers' Gazette} and drink farewell and bon vorage on board ship with those who were leaving for a few months, perhaps for ever. But this did not suit some of the licensed victuallers in Capetown, who became jealous, and, dog-in-the-manger like, made representations to the authorities who caused an order to be issued that no liquor was to be sold on board ship whilst in dock, the ship bars not being licensed. All the same, passengers manage to get their liqnor and wet their friendship in their cabins. Now that a man connot get a drink in dock, the meddling teetotallers want to follow him all through his voyage. No doubt the Alliance would like to get a veto on liquoi’ being; allowed on board ship at all. “ The lady at the time was no longer a traveller according to English custom, and the defendants, as innkeepers, were justified in refusing her the hotel after reasonable notice.” This is an extract from the judgment delivered by the Master of the Rolls (Lords Justices Lopes and Chitty concurring), in the Court of Appeal, in the action of Miss Lamond against the proprietors of the Hotel Metropole, Brighton. We have already

drawn attention to the circumstances of the case, which, as the Master of Rolls said, would be one of infinite importance if decided according to the lady’s claim, it being that she should, be entitled to stay in the hotel “ till it was burned down.” Fortunately, however, the Appeal Court took the same view of the case as the. courts below, and it is now established (subject, of course, to appeals to the Judicial Committee and the House of Lords) that the English hotelkeeper has the same rights as any other householder to get rid of a permanent lodger by reasonable notice. — The Caterer. It was shown by the evidence taken before the English Royal Commission on Licensing Laws that it was due to the closing of public houses on Sunday in Wales that the disgraceful scenes of revelry and debauchery took place in a field outside Cardiff, where large crowds gathered, every Sunday afternoon, and, after a collection of money had been taken, barrels of beer were purchased and divided amongst those assembled. The police interfered at first, but the magistrate ruled that no offence had been committed, so the summons was dismissed, and the last accounts show that the drinking power of the revellers is now one hundred barrels strong. One of the latest witnesses before the English Commission on the Liqu >r Laws, a West Riding police superintendent, made a brilliant suggestion respecting the bona fide traveller. If that interesting entity could not be abolished altogether, he would make him, before undertaking his Sundav journey, present himself at a police-station, state hii destination, and get an official permit to obtain refreshment, which permit, moreover, should only be granted to apparently respectable people—altogether a suggestion that ought to have been made in Russia or some other tyrannyridden land. “ What a millionaire takes for lunch” might be a useful subject of inquiry for one of those new papers which seem to exist for the purpose of finding out everybody’s private business (states the Caterer). In the case of Mr Cecil Rhodes, however, they would be spared much trouble, seeing t' at the great African statesman has been enjoying his plate of sandwiches and long glass of stout very openly before the Parliamentary Committe, which is mainly investigating his own conduct. The self-possession of a man who can discuss sandwiches and stout and at the same time keep up a smart verbal duel with Mr Labouchere marks out the true character of Mr Rhodes, who, however was probably unaware that Sir Wilfred L iwson. (a teetoialler) was scowling from the back of the room upon the nourishing beverage.