TRADE TOPICS

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume X, Issue 499, 15 February 1900, Page 18

TRADE TOPICS

Mr J. D. Morrison, of the Criterion Hotel, has been elected treasurer of the Auckland Licensed Victuallers’ Association, vice Mr Charles Stone, of the Robert Bums Hotel, who has resigned the office.

A very enjoyable picnic to Waitakerei was enjoyed on Sunday last, the party consisting of the

same, or nearly the same, members as those who went at Mr Walsh’s invitation a fortnight ago. The weather was of. the “ ordered beforehand type,” and the affair passed off most pleasantly. The usual prohibition meetings were held on Sunday. During the evening meeting Mr French purported to give some particulars of the recent- local option vote. He . stated that the liquor vote had increased 4187, and the local option vote 22,600. Referring to the coming election of the Licensing Committee, he urged the importance of ten o’clock closing.

The case of Bridget Evans, of Gleeson’s Hotel, was decided before the Stipendiary Magistrate (W. H. Brabant) on Saturday morning. Mrs Evans was charged, first, with selling liquor to William Curno, a person already in a state of intoxication, ■ and, second, with permitting drunkenness on her licensed premises. His Worship said that in regard to the first charge there was no evidence that liquor had been supplied, so it would be dismissed. In respect of the second charge, several English decisions were cited by both sides, but there could be no doubt he was bound by the case of Somerset v. Wade, and said that he could not convict unless he was satisfied, not only that the man was drunk, but that the person in charge knew that he was so. There could be no doubt that the man had had liquor that night—probably at some other house—and that he was drunk when found by the police, but that he was also suffering from illness ; and that he must conclude from the evidence, even if Curno was drunk, the permitting of drunkenness in this case only amounts to allowing him to remain in the house and putting him on a sofa instead of turning him out and sending for tha pbliqe.; He not. prepared to rhv that it was the duty of the licensee to turn him out as a drunken person, and the charge would therefore be dismissed.

A very pleasant valedictory gathering was held at the Criterion Hotel, Paeroa, last week, the occasion being Mr H, Lamb’s near departure for Wanganui. The Rev. W. H. Wilson presided, and in the course of the evening presented Mr Lamb, on behalf of his many friends in Paeroa, with a handsome dressing case. The members of the brass band, of which Mr Lamb was bandmaster, presented him with a pair of silver-mounted pipes. Mr Lamb takes a position in the Wanganui Post and Telegraph Office.

The new retail tariff which came into operation on Monday morning last is as follows: — Draught beer in pint pots, mugs, or long glasses, 4d; in half pint pots or glasses holding not more than a half pint, 3d; pint in a bottle, 4d; pint and a half in bottle, 6d; quart in bottle, 8d ; all bottled beer and stout, if opened and served, per pint, 6d; all spirits, per glass, 6d. If served with Puriri or Kamo water or corked soda, charge for every split bottle of either opened, extra 3d. For every half-pint or pint bottle of either, 6d. All the members of the Trade in Auckland City have agreed to this tariff, which will be rigourously adhered to for twelve months.

The following story of a loyal bartender who believed in the for titer in re style of argument is worthy of reproduction: • —Amid the horrors of war, and the misery and destruction it is causing, there are incidents which cause amusement. A week or two ago, such an incident occurred in a certain country town in Cape Colony. In it was a man named De Wet, who was not only a strong supporter of Oom Paul, but had the opinion that he could use his fists better than any Rooinek in the place. Such being the case, he took a delight in annoying every Englishman up to the fighting point. In one of the hotels was a new barman, and one day De Wet began saying some nasty things to him about the English. The barman took it very quietly till De Wet challenged him to come out and fight him. In a very short time De Wet was so sadly knocked about, and had seen so many imaginary stars, that he caved in and said he had had enough. Then the barman told him that unless he (De Wet) sang •* Rule Britannia” he would give him ever so much more. De Wet’objected, but a swinging blow from the barman’s fist turned him into a loyal Dutchman and knocked

the desired music out of him, and the poor man was not allowed to escape till he had made an attempt to sing “God Save the Queen.” His music lesson then ceased, and now he is like many more of his friends, loyal, at least outwardly, when a barman or other Englishman is present.

Some steps should be • taken by the licensed victuallers as a body to protect themselves against unscrupulous servants who leave without notice during the busiest portion of the season. A servant who does this to one employer will do it to another, and some arrangement should be made by which an employee acting in this way should be boycotted from obtaining further employment. A case in point occurred in Auckland only last week. A prominent hotelkeeper had a sudden access of guests, and while attending to other duties his cook coolly left him at about three o’clock in the afternoon, without giving the slightest notice. The consequent inconvenience was naturally very annoying.

A certain clergyman in Greymouth, with a peculiar name and a rabid prohibitionist, has contracted a mania for putting down smoking. At any rate, he is determined that no public officer is to be allowed the pleasure of a “ whiff ” if he can help it. A short time back it eppears that a constable was on the Wallsend Station early in the morning awaiting the departure of the train for Greymouth, and as it was a wet day and only five people about, the constable was indulging in the noxious weed. The non-smok-ing cleric noticed the officer, and, with disgust pictured on his countenance, turned and walked away. On arrival of the train in town the matter was at once reported to headquarters. Comment on such a nasty sneaky action is superfluous, and only goes to show the capacity fcr mischief of the average prohibitionist if he gets half a chance.

Apropos of putting the Trade under municipal management, the National Guardian, a Glasgow Trade paper speaks as follows: —There is a general desire in the liquor trade to welcome any reasonable measure of temperance reform ; and there can be no doubt that the legitimate wants of the public are much better supplied by establishments conducted on sound business principles than they would be in establishments conducted on a so-called philanthropic basis. Local management would almost inevitably be both costly and inefficient. Moreover, under the existing law the authorities insist upon public-houses being conducted in an orderly and decorous fashion. If the public-house were directly or indirectly municipal property there is a danger that everything else might be subordinated to adding to the profits in order that the rates might be relieved, and that in consequence the strict supervision that now exists might be relaxed.

In connection with the recent sly-grog selling cases in Dunedin, the Crown Counsel delivered himself of a few remarks that are worthy of republishing. The cases were all dismissed, and Mr Fraser said that he never pretended that policemen were infallible witnesses, but the witnesses who were called to defend people charged with sly-grbg selling seemed to make it a matter of mutual congratulation to commit perjury, and it would be quite a relief to find some witness who would give them a glimmer of truth. One of the witnesses subsequently examined apparently tried to accommodate the learned counsel by admitting that he knew what a flask of whisky was—that it was a glass bottle of a special shape with whisky in it—and he went so far as to admit that he had at some time seen such a thing, but never at Otakia, the place where sly-grog selling was alleged to have taken place; and in other respects his evidence was dead against the case for the prosecution. In reply to Mr Hanlon’s remark that he would have asked for costs had he not known that he would not get them until the law was altered, the Bench expressed the opinion that there had been very strong lying in the case. It is pleasing to reflect that nothing of the kind related above could possibly happen in an Auckland Court; but if the perjury was so apparent why didn’t the authorities take action ? Surely, they had their remedy in laying an information.

Passing through Hawera the other day, our travelling representative was struck with the many evidences of prosperity and well-being which came under his notice. Among building improvements, Mr Reuben Ogden is to the fore with his new hotel—the Royal. Not only have considerable additions and alterations been made to the exterior of the building, but inside the house has been entirely renovated and refurnished. A large billiard saloon and superior billiard-table, nicely furnished sitting-rooms, and good cuisine tend to make the Royal a pleasant place to stay at. For those who have horses there is good ana ample stabling, including ten loose-boxes. An excellent garden forms another feature worthy of mention in connection with this hotel.

Nobody thinks of condemning the tea trade because some people drinK more tea than is good for them. lam willing to admit that the evils arising from over indulgence in tea are not so serious usually as those arising from over indulgence in alcohol; but the difference is one of degree rather than of principle. All kinds of excesses are objectionable, but we cannot prescribe what each man shall eat or drink by Act of Parliament.

The Clifton House, Hawera, is now in the occupation of Mrs Nicholson, who has made it one of the most popular establishments in the busy town of Hawera. The dining and reception rooms are elegantly furnished, while the twenty bed-rooms are all delightfully fresh and cool looking. A thing worth knowing is that the stabling is excellent; the stalls are well fitted, and there are also several capacious looseboxes.

I’d rather have my beer at 3d a pint, but still if it is 4d all over the town I shall have to pay the extra penny with the rest. Only instead of having four pints I shall have to confine myself to three pints a day.