TRADE TOPICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XI, Issue 528, 6 September 1900, Page 18

TRADE TOPICS.

The debate on the question of liquor traffic in the King Country was adjourned on a vote of 31 to 30. ; .

Medical experts claim that the best cure for boils is ibrewers’ yeast dissolved in a glass of water or beer, the latter for preference.

The whole of the Burgundy district produces about fifty-five million gallons yearly. Altogether the vineyards of France may be said to produce at least 670 million gallons of wine.

TThpa were introduced into England in 1492, but Henry VIII prohibited their use. Edward VI took an opposite view, and gave hop-growers several privileges;

Forty-four French breweries have united to jointly work a model brewery at the Paris Exposition, and to sell the beer {produced there, at 48 bars arranged by them.

The imports of Australian wines into the United Kingdom for the six months ended June 80, 1900, are 425,916 gallons, as against 329,839 gallons in the corresponding period of last year, an Decrease of 96,077 gallons. The taxes on the liquor trade realise £12,884,000, or 18 per cent of the whole revenue in Germany; 19 per cent, or £22,000,000 in France ; and 28 per cent, or £28,700,000 in the United States.

In the United Kingdom the beer duty for the year 1899 amounted to £12,085,822. This was an increase of £259,693 over the Amount received, bv the Government during the previous year.

Until about 1750, the popular drink in Scotland was alo, mostly home brewed, called “ Twopenny,” from its costing 2d per Scotch pint (half a gallon). This was before the days of malt taxes. When legislation made ale dear, spirit drinking began, and the trade of smuggling brandy took its rise.

The Winchester Bushel, so called from the standards being kept at Winchester until Norman times, holds 215.0.42 cubic inches, and is used in Canada and the United States to this day. The Imperial Bushel, used in the United Kingdom, holds 2218.19 cubic inches. The word comes to us from the French for “ box.”

In London the Duke of Wellington, gives his name to 23 places of refreshment, against 19 Lord Nelsons. The Church is only represented by two bishops. There are 50 Prince of Wales, to 33 Dukes of York, whilst the Lord Palmerstons number seven, Lord Liverpool, Lord John Russell, Lord Beaconsfield, and Mr Gladstone can only boast one house each.

The wine industry of the Cape has existed for nearly two centuries and a half, and production is now at the rate of four and a half million gallons per annum. There has always been a considerable export trade in Cape wines; but recently the main market beyond the boundaries of the colony has been found in the Transvaal.

Magistrate : “ What is the charge against thi s man, officer?'* Policeman: ‘'Openin’ a pub at three o’clock in the marnin’, yer worship.’ Magistrate: “ Where is his public-house ?” Policeman: “He ain’t got none, yer worship. It was the Green Pig he was opening with a jimmy.”

The free lunch • system of the United States is a thoroughly American institution, but, transplanted to Australia, it flourishes at least as luxuriantly as its parent in the Great Republic. There a person purchasing a glass of beer at an inn or restaurant may supplement it free |of charge with a out fromja joint, or a choice of dishes.

At the Paeroa Police Court Charles Whitworth was charged with obtaining £5 under false pretences from Mrs Draffin, of the Hauraki Hotel, Waitekauri. Accused was fined £2 and costs, and was also ordered to pay back the amount. The accused, who was staying at the hotel, obtained the money as a loan until he received some money from Christchurch, which, he said, was coming to him. The Shoreditch County Court has added some new nicknames to my experience. “ Mother-in-law” for “ old and bitter,” I had heard of, also “father-in-law” for “ stout and mild.” But a barman informed the Court that in Spitalfields Market ale is known as “ champagne,” “guage,” and “city bitters,” Scotch Whisky as “kilts,” and Irishas “Liffey.’

Sandy: I’m tellt ye hev a new nebbur, Donal’.” Donald: “Aye.” Sandy: “An’ what like is he?” Donald: “Weel, he’s a curious laddie. I went to hev a bit talk wi’ him th’ ither evenin’ an’ he offered me a glass o whuskey, d’e see ? Weel, he was pooring it oot an’ I said to him ‘ Stop !’—an’ he stoppit! That’s the soort o’ mon he is.”

In Germany the consumption of beer per head in 1885 was 19 gallons, in 1888 21 gallons, a,nd in 1896 25 gallons. In England the consumption per head was 27 gallons in 1885, and 30 gallons five years afterwards. In the United States in 1888 the consumption was 10 gallons per head ; in 1890 11 gallons, in 1895 12 gallons, and in 1896 between 12 and 13 gallons, and owing, to ti e increase in population- the total consumption during the same period has nearly doubled.

The Egyptians had, from time almost immemorial, a distillation of brewage from barley, called by the Greeks barley wine, not inferior, they aay, in flavour, and superior in strength, to wine. The poor people of Egypt drank it instead of wine, a.nd were wont to intoxicate themselves with it. Aristotle entertained an extraordinary notion of this potation. Those intoxicated with it, he says, fall on the back part of their heads, whereas those drunk with wine fall on their faces.

Another morsel from the goldfields of Western Australia : “ Money please,” said the barman, as the Two beers were emptied, and the bummers were about to leave the bar. “ What, is Billy M’Never not to trusted with two paltry drinks ? Well, Ibe . Go and ask the boss about me.” Barman (to boss) : “Is Billy M’Never good for two drinks?” Boss: “Has he had them?” Barman: “He has.” Boss: “Then tell him ‘ yes,’ and d —-—him.”

“ I believe 1 saw you homing out of a rum shop this afternoon,” said the Rev Mr Wilgus. “ I guess you did,’.’ said the panshoner. “On business, I may hope ?” “No ; I will be candid with you. I went in to get a drink You see it was this way: I had a plugged quarter passed on me.” ‘’Yes?” “And there are only two places a man can get rid of a plugged quarter, a church and a saloon. And, of course, I didn t want to pass it on the contribution box “Ah!”

During the hearing of the recent sly grogselling cases in the S.M. Court, Wellington, it was thought necessary to give one constable a taste of the contents of a bottle. A second constable drew the cork like a past-master of the bar, poured out half-a-glassful of the contents, and handed it to the constable witness. The latter promptly drank it—and the smile that irradiated, his countenance proclaimed clearer than oral evidence that the witness had just partaken of “ the elixir of life.” Mr Wilford was jocularly nvited to imbibe, but he declined, as it was “ so early in the morning.”

From a Home market report I make the following extracts: —“The effect of the war in South Africa, and the absence of so many troops, with the stoppage, to a great extent, of the season* s festivities, has affected the wine trade for many months, and complaints of dullness of business are general. The China troubles will not tend to improve matters.” “Australian wines continue to make steady progress, the. six months’ returns showing an increase in consumption of 96,077 gallons, as compared with last year. If the growers will continue to ship souud wines, properly prepared, and of sufficient age, the rate of progress will soon be accelerated.”

In the H use last week one of the Maori members, Mr Hone Heke, said that sly grog-selling was prevelent throughout the whole of the King Country, and the prohibition cause in that district had been a complete failure. Though the old state of things when casks of beer and casks of spirits were consumed on certain occasions no linger existed, in the matter of indiscriminate drinking the King Country was in a worse condition than any other district in the colony. The remedy for this, in his opinion, was to grant licenses in several of the principal centres. People who had visited the district complained of the drinking and disturbance in boaading houses, which were not subjected to any control.

During a discussion in the House on the question of incouraging the manufacture of New Zealand wines, Mr R. Thompson, the member for Marsden, made the astonishing, and certainly rash statement, that one-half the wine soldin the Auckland province, had never seen the grape, and he added the fact that it was made in large quantities in the drug stores. Some one must be having a big pull at the worthy member’s leg, he cannot seriously believe what he states, or if he does it would be interesting to find out the ingredients of Mr Thompson’s drug store wine. Considering that there is a heavy duty on all drugs, it is hard to see where the advantage of using drugs instead of grapes comes in. Statements like these, when made to the evident detriment of a certain industry in any one particular province, should be so explicit, and so well supported by evidence of fact, that no doubt is left as to their truthfulness or intention.

A licencing court sat on a certain date in acertain village. Several cases had been dealt with,, when application for a provisional certificate wasV definitely refused, the next case disposed of and.< the next again called, when the bench declared; the Court adjourned for 60 minutes. On resum-J ing the bench ordered the rehearing K’s application, which was granted with bunches of smiles. The audience smiled too, and queries went around: “What did the bench have for> lunch ?” “ Whom did the bench lunch with?” and “ Did the bench sleep the prescribed six. months ?”

“ Wine that maketh glad the heart of man ” J ought to be drunk more largely, judging from the following which I clip from the latest circular of Messrs Southard and Co, the well-known wine merchants:—“ If we judge by extremes, we find<\ that drunkenness caused by beer .makes a man drowsy, heavy, and stupid: that caused by wine ■ makes him gay, hilarious, and noisy; that' ■ caused by spirits makes him cross, quarrelsome, and eventually leads to crime ; and this proves our contention that whilst wine in moderation is wholesome, spirits have the reverse effect.” DoMessrs Southard and Co speak from practical experience, I wonder ? The very finest wines, no < doubt, have very little effect upon the system, but pure beer is vastly to be preferred to the cheap wines which are on the market. The J firm’s analysis of drunkenness, however, is- ’a interesting to record.

Formerly the extraction of spirits from empty casks—known as “ grogging,” was estimated to be a loss of duty to the Excise of a quarter of amillion sterling per annum. Duty was paid only 1 upon the spirit in the casks, and hence it was that | an Act was passed making the process of “grogg- | ing” illegal. There have been several proaecu- | tions of late for carrying on this practice in many | provincial towns, one last week only at the Orms- ! kirk Petty Sessions, when Henry Moon, licensee of the Coach and Horses Inn, Maghull, was J summoned for having on his premises two casks of spirits from the wood of which spirits were being extracted. One (a hogshead) contained about /jj 2f gallons of spirit, which on analysis was found ; to be 43.3 under proof. Another contained If gallons and wias 64 7 under proof. The defence was that the casks having been exposed to the weather from December to May, the joints had re-opened, and in this way rain had entered the' casks. The prosecution contended that water hadt a been put in within a very short period. How* ever, the Bench decided to dismiss the summons- JS on a question of fact.——London L V.G-.

A fire broke out in the Kohukohu Hotel at half-past six a.m , last Thursday morning, and. although a great deal of assistance was at hand, nothing could save the building, the fire having too great a hold when discovered. The property was owned and the ground floor occupied by Mr D. B. Wallace, who will be a heavy loser by the fire. Fortunately a large number of natives happened to be in the township, and with the assistance of the hands from the mill, which the manager kindly stopped, and the captain and crew of the barque Limari, a portion of the stock was saved, together with the adjacent buildings, which were in great danger for some time. The building was insured in the Commercial Union for £500; the store and stock in the Guardian. • for £500; and the hotel stock in the Norwich Union for about £3OO. Inspector Cullen received, a telegram later in the day from Constable Hollis giving some particulars concerning the fire. The damage to the hotel and store buildings is estimated at £lOOO. and the estimated damage to Mr Wallace’s stock in the store £l2OO. The licensee of the hotel, Mr Tretheway, estimates the damage to his stock and furniture at £4OO, covered by insurance.