CHOPS & CHANGES

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume X, Issue 478, 21 September 1899, Page 19

CHOPS & CHANGES

Sunday trading between the hours of 1 and 2 p.m. is the desire of New South Wales hotelkeepers. They will probably get their desire.

Prohibited persons seem to be a bit of a nuisance down Napier way. The other day no less than five came before the local Stipendiary Magistrate.

Mr J. B. Langley’s attempt to catch the female vote in the Grafton Ward was not successful. “Beauty” studied the question and voted for Patterson.

At the inquest held on Mr Robert Marshall, late of the Towai Hotel, the medical evidence showed that the deceased died from heart disease, and the jury brought in a verdict to that effect. John Usher, senior partner in the firm of Andrew Usher and Co., the whisky distillers, of Edinburgh, has been offered, and has accepted, a Baronetcy.

Mr Julian has not been returned for the City Council. Mr William Richardson will reckon that much of the credit attached to the defeat is due to him,

Mr Arthur Myers returned from Sydney by the Zealandia. He is in good health and spirits, and has benefited considerably by his trip across the water.

The English Inebriates Act, which provides for the detention of habitual drunkards in reformatories, does not work so well as it ought to, on account of the lack of accommodation in many districts.

Some people believe that Beer and the Bible have had something to do with England’s progress. Byron evidently had some such idea, for aid he not write in “Don Juan ” — There’s naught no doubt so much the spirit calms As rum and true religion. The Society for the Protection of Women and Children would like Mr Richardson to be fined once more. I see he is busy collecting again, and that his meetings are conducted with the utmost “enthusiasm.”

Both the : Australasian and the Sydney Mail contain photos, of the Moss-Moss Davis wedding party. The happy pair look quite happy, and the cake, “all the way from Auckland,” was evidently approved of. When all the alterations and additions to the Commercial are completed, Host Alfred Kidd will be pleased, and I should say his customers will be delighted too. Prohibition will not be '■ carried just yet awhile. 1 caught sight of Mr Tommy Buxton in earnest confab with Mr Jack Mowbray the other day. I hope it means business, and that we shall soon see the late proprietor of the Criterion in harness again. It is rumoured that Mr Tommy Taylor intends to introduce into the House of Representatives a Bill providing old-age pensions for publicans who have held a license for twelve months or longer. He -evidently believes that the poor hotel-keeper has some worry and trouble.

The Prohibitionists scored at the Council election on Thursday. Mr R. Tudehope, Mr C. J. Parr, and Mr J. H. Hannan are keen on the blue ribbon, and will, with Mayor Goldie, make a very cheerful quartette when singing the praises of cold water.

Poor Mrs Winter, of the Junction Hotel, Epsom, suffers for doing what a lot of people before her have done. She provided the hungry and the thirsty at the Remuera Saleyards with solid and liquid refreshment, but she did so against the law, and has to pay the penalty. Others did it without let or hindrance, but that was in the “piping times of peace,” when Auckland lacked a Cullen and a Treanor, and knew not Richardson.

At a meeting of creditors in an assigned estate, recently held in Melbourne, the debtor was asked by one of the creditors “how long he had been unable to pay his way?” “About two years,” was the reply. “ Had you no scruples about opening fresh accounts during that time ?’ ’ was the next question. '“Scruples be d ” replied the debtor; “ your traveller kept barracking me so for orders that I gave him a line to get rid of him; if I had ordered to the extent he wanted I should have had my shelves crowded with your stuff.” There was peace in the camp afterwards.

The Council of Los Angeles, California, has, after a very hard fight, passed a liquor ordinance. It has been decided that the maximum number of saloons allowed within the corporate limits of the city shall be restricted to two hundred. A saloon district is established, which will serve to keep saloons out of the residence sections of the city. The time for the closing of saloons at night is extended one hour—from midnight to 1 a.m.—and the Sunday-closing feature of the old law is retained, except as to this extra hour. Restaurants are permitted to serve wines and liquors in ‘ ‘ original packages ’ ’ with meals, on payment of a license fee of 18 dole, per month in addition to the regular restaurant license. The rate for wholesale liquor license is fixed at 20 dole, per month, and that for retail licenses at 50 dols. per month. Power is given to the police board to establish and enforce rules regarding side entrances, character of meals in restaurants, the use of screens, etc. The police board is re--quired to revoke any license held by a person convicted of violating the law immediately upon the conviction, of such person, and the city clerk is not permitted to issue a new license except on a permit granted by the board. For violation of the ordinance s man may be fined 200 dollars, or may be sentenced to ninety days’ imprisonment, or he may be fined and imprisoned for the same •offence.

The other day when I came across a couple of young fellows in suspicious-looking blue trousers I thought they were embryo “ bobbies.” I recognised one as a prominent wrestler, and I guessed they were imported for the purpose of entrapping an unwary bookmaker or wrongdoing sly grog seller. Vulcan Lane proved a barren hunting-ground, but the recruits have run to earth a sly grog seller, judging from the Police Court reports. What I want to point out to the authorities is that the thing was too patent. Here were' too young fellows collarless and trying to look countrified, but the Government stamp was too plainly apparent to deceive any one with an ounce of observation about him. Miners up for a holiday in regulation pants will not go down in Vulcan Lane