CHOPS & CHANGES

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, 2 August 1900, Page 19

CHOPS & CHANGES

Mr Pellow, at present at the Te Ante Hotel, will shortly take possession of the Commercial Hotel at Waipawa. The difference between character and reputation is the difference between what people know about a man and what they don’t know. The only man who never knows the want of MTiything is the one who has learned to do with•ut it. A social was given to Mr and Mrs Enwright and family, before they left the hotel at Kohu Kohu. Alcohol was first distilled by the Arabians, and when we talk about coffee and alcohol we are using Arabic words. The Dundee Town Council have most virtously decided not to allow whisky advertisements on their new electric cars. Another prohibition order was recently made in the Christchurch police court, and the name of the prohibited person not made public. There was a good deal of “ staggering humanity ” in the Old Country when Mafeking was relieved. Mr Peter Scrimegour, for many years at Waipukurau, has arranged to take over the Te Aute Hotel, with the refreshment booths at the railway station. Considerable amusement was afforded onlookers at Tauranga on Thursday last, in seeing a cow, the property of the proprietor of the Star Hotel, when it could not get in at the yard gate, deliberately go through the side door of the hotel, pushing the swing doors of the lobby open in the most unconcerned manner. “ Are you in the habit of questioning drunken men?” asked Mr Banme when cross-examining Sergeant Forbes at the Police Court, during the hearing of the recent charges against the licensee •f the Royal Mail Hotel. “Yes,” was the reply. “ And you trust their answers ?” “Well,” said the sergeant, “my experience is that I have often got more truth from a drunken man than from a sober man.” “ The idea of doing away entirely with drink is a high ideal,” said the Rev J. Paterson, during the New Zealand Alliance’s interview with the Premier at Wellington. “It would be a grand thing if it couhj be carried out, but Ido not think that will be done for a long time to come. By providing checks and keeping the traffic within certain bounds, much can, however, be done for the welfare of the community.’ ’ The average adult male New Zealander spends £4 17b on Customs duties. Spirits looms large with £1 17s 6d, tobacco runs upto £1 4s 2d, and the general necessaries of existence come a bad third with 17s Id. Outside the latter certain specific luxuries, such as cigars 7s Id, ale 3s 9d, sugar 4s, and tea 2s, make up the total. The Government take five times as much revenue out of tobacco as they do out of sugar. A few days before Pretoria fell to Lord Bobs * worthy son of the Land-o-cakes was stuggling up the wharf with a heavy cargo aboard, and there was a strong list to the starboard side. “ Halloa, Jock I” cheerfully hailed a passing mate, “yerowre early on the celebration; Pretoria’s no’ took.” Jock steadied himself a bit and focussed his glazing eye on the speaker, “ It disna maitter a blank tae me,” and jingling a routh a coins in his pouch, he added—“ I’ve as muckle tae keep me gaun till it is took.” An appropriate feast for the entertainment of Kruger has been suggested as follows:—The menu might be French, prepared by a competent Kitchener, and might include a little Bull-er beet, washed down with White wine. The Kake, which served Kimberly so well might be equally useful on this occasion. So that his dyna-might agree with him, a Canon might be present to oner grace. As appropriate to the occasion, Lady Smith should be there, and the whole affair might be managed by a Chamberlain, and need not cost many Bobs. The Rhodes to such a feast would be crowded. Last week the Dunedin Star professed to have received an advance copy of a supposed new Licensing Bill. It stated that the Bill will provide that the poll on licensing issues shall take place once in every nine years. A colonial op'ion poll will be substituted for local option polls, the issues submitted being simply “ contimance ” or “no license.” If in any district half the number of voters do not go to the poll, the Totes given in that district will not be counted in the general colonial totals. If, when the totals are made up, it is found that the vote for “ continuance ” exceeds two-thirds of those who voted, * “ continuance ” will be declared to have been carried throughout the colony ; while if the vote. for “no license ” comprise three fifths of the total votes, the issue will be carried ano “no licenses ” of any description shall be granted throughout the colony. Should the colony be in a state of “ no license ” when the poll is taken, a three-fifths vote will be necessary in order to earry restoration of licenses ; and if resto at ion be carried, it will be incumbent upon the Licensing Committees to gra t licenses to a number not less than fifty per cent of what existed before the carrying of prohibition, and not more than the previously existing number. Eleven o’clock is to be the closing hour in cities and boroughs. It is expected that provision will be made for the freeing of •* tied ” houses, and for five ye ra’ lease of premiles where the licensee is not the owner. I am informed that the Dunedin Star has in this matter fallen into an error, and that the above is merely a draft based upon a number of suggestions, and is drawn up by an unauthorised person.