Trade Topics

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 675, 12 February 1903, Page 20

Trade Topics

The Criterion Hotel, Ohinemuri, and the Duke of Marlborough, at Russell, are likely to change hands shortly. «■ * ' * We learn that Mr Donald McLeod haa purchased Mrs Hand’s interest in th® Settlers’ Hotel, Whangarei. The sale was. effected through Messrs Whitehead and Son. It is understood that Mr James Shaw, late of Paeroa, and more recently of the British Hotel, Auckland, will shortly assume the control of one of the Te Aroha hotels. « » # « Mr George Lorain is about to take over the Star and Garter Hotel, Coromandel, having bought out Mrs Stehr. Mr Whitehead, the well-known hotel broker, is at present at Coromandel arranging for th® transfer. * * # < We have it on the best authority that the Trade does not intend to take any active or concerted part in the forthcoming election of licensing committees. It its felt- that the matter is one that may bo left to the general good sense and love of fair play of the people, in this part of th© colony ati any rate, and, indeed, in all places, save where the prohibitionista have succeeded in carrying their point at the polls. ••. * • The case of Mr George Fisher, M.H.R., who was charged with that, being a prohibited person, he was found on licensed 1 premises, has been adjourned. The friends of the unfortunate gentleman represented that he had been injuriously affected by over-indulgence in drink, and said they were endeavouring to procure his admission to the Home for Inebriates at Waitati. The Magistrate commented strongly on the conduct of certain persons wh'o had supplied Mr Fisher with liquor since the prohibition order was granted. An old customer o£ a Scotch whisky store, while passing very early one morning, saw the office boy cleaning up the window of the aforesaid store. “Hech, Sandy,” quoth he, “ye may;tell your people to send me three gal- i lons more from my usual vat, a’wm athunking ’tis your vat ’ K.” ■‘■‘lm afreed, sar, we canna, fur we’ve just cleaned out vat K, by the master’s orders. and we’ve found a deed cat. “ Hech, joost the saame whisky, lad, wull do. A’win a-thunking that deed cat’s the reason why a’ve so often seen a fur upon me tongue of late.” •X- . -■» * * It is not every hotel proprietor that can afford to -have his place decorated like a palace —but it is at least within the power of all to keep their places clean from cellar to garret. Fine fixtures come high ; cleanliness is cheap ; but of "the two, the latter is decidedly the more essential in the hotel business. Whether your establishment is* a fine big hotel in a large town, or a small one on a small town, you should see to it that everything about your place is clean and spick and span. - . * ■■■♦,. . • * .■■::•'♦ . The following is from a copy of the “ Times ”of the year 1802 “ One of the Dover innkeepers, who lately, complained to a French gentleman that his house was greatly infested with rats, and that he would willingly give a considerable sum. to get rid of them, was, on the following morning (and after the Frenchman had received his bill) accosted by him, “ Sir, . I shall tell you vich way you shall get rid ; of de rat.” “ I will be obliged very much to you, if you can,” replied the landlord. “Veil, den, only charge de rat. as you., charge me, aha I vill be d—d .if de ra -t - ever come to vour house again.”

A prohibition order has been issued at the Papakura S.M. Court against <ohn Janies Brooks. • • • * At Jlasterton, Michael Fahey was charged with drunkenness and entering licensed premises whilst a prohibition order was in force against him. A fine of 40s, with the alternative of fourteen days' imprisonment, was imposed. Mr Edwin Miller, who was formerly State coachman to Queen Victoria, was awarded £6140 compensation recently in respect of the Crooked Billet Publichouse, Portugal-street, acquired by the London County Council for the Strand improvement. He claimed £10,147. It is a favourite jibe of the prohibitionart that the Trade is sordid. If anything ©an be more “ sordid ” than the following matrimonial advertisement in the Rangitikei “ Advocate," we should like to be informed of it : —“ A young man who has just started dairying, wishes to meet a widow, with four to six children, with a View to above,. Age no great consideration, but children must be able to milk." The following notice respecting the new Tasmanian Licensing Act has been issued io the police in that State :—“ The Ministerial head of the department, the Hon. the Attorney-General, directs it to be conveyed to the officers and men of the police force, that it is his desire that the provisions of the above-mentioned Act shall be strictly enforced. All holders of licenses under the Act must be at once warned that the law relating to closing on Sundays, and at 11.30 p.m. on week days, must be rigidly observed, and that proceedings will be taken, without discrimination, to punish every person who commits any breach of the Act." A ready wit and healthy thirst often go together, the second being in a sense fos-ter-parent to the first. “ Woomera," in the “ Australasian,” relates that two city merchants had stepped down to the hotel on Christmas Eve to wish each other good luck over a small bottle of Goulet. There was a knock at the door, and he who acted as host called out, “ Come in.” His Own storeman appeared with a message. <r Oh, ‘is that you, Christie ? Come in ? Now, what will you take to drink ?" Christie took the quickest glance possible at the empty champagne bottle, and with a rmile almost equ'ally fleeting, said, “ Thank you, sir, I’m not particular. Just whatever you may happen to be taking yourself." Long before Turks indulged in the 'luxury of tobacco smoking they were accustomed to mine meerschaum, which they fashioned into various articles either for Use or ornament. Some of the mines are reputed, to have been opened ten centuries, and some of them even twenty centuries ago. There are four principal districts in Turkey where the meerschaum deposits are worked, and some nine thousand miners, chiefly Kurds or Persians, find employ - ■ meat in this industry. The deposits are worked in' a very primitive fashion. * * ’ < •* The following story, illustrating the astuteness of a brewer at Wiesbaden, is now going the rounds : —“ A short time ago he began to extend his premises, but. although he put many hands on the work the foundation did not seem to make much progress. All at once, however, everything changed. From early morning until late at night the workmen ware occupied in digging. Nothing could damp their ardour, neither rain nor storm. The cause of such devotion to work was afterwards explained by the brewer. He had during the night put an old vase into the ground at a place where it would be found by the workmen. Inside was a parchment with the following inscription : —‘ Here lyeth deep down great treasure which belongs to the finder. Remember the poor.’ The now disgusted diggers will be more likely to remember the brewer.”