Trade Topics

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XII, Issue 708, 1 October 1903, Page 22

Trade Topics

The Clutha “ Free Press ” states that the “ cutter-running ” system, as it is called; otherwise the importation of grog in quantity, is very common in Tapanui, where young men and youths are the chief participants in the scenes of debauchery that the unrestricted drinking of the liquor gives rise to.

The French Chartreux monks, who have bought the castle of the Comtes du Vai de Beaulieu at| Cambron-Casteau, Belgium, will, it is said, install their distilling apparatus in two other properties which they are on the point of acquiring in the same district.

A salutory fine was imposed at Gisborne, last week, by Mr Barton, S.M., in a case of procuring liquor for a prohibited person. The accused was George Edward Maxfield, for whom Mr L. Rees appeared. The evidence showed that drink had been obtained, and that accused and two young men (one a prohibited person) had shared it. His Worship said defendant had aggravated his guilt by denying it ; he must have been aware of the previous warning given. A fine of £lO, with costs Its, would be imposed ; or six weeks’ imprisonment, in default of payment within 14 days.

Over an hour was taken up at the Dunedin Police Court a few days ago in determining a case of drunkenness. Mr Hanlon appeared for the offender, who pleaded not guilty to being found drunk in the bar of the Law Courts Hotel. The case was. a serious one for the licensee. In all five officers of the law gave evidence in sup port of the charge. The two arresting constables were the first witnesses . called. They told the Court ■ that they entered the bar and found the man drunk sitting on a form with a mug of beer in his hand. Inspector O’Brien said that when the man was brought to the police station he was drunk. In answer to the magistrate he said that it was highly probable that the man would have been a nuisance in the street had he not been arrested. He considered that the constables would have been failing in their duty had they not apprehended accused. A detective and a third constable gave corroborative evidence, one policeman expressed the opinion that the man was very drunk, and the other four officers agreed that he was drunk, one, in addition, considering that be was incapable. The magistrate, after hearing Mr Hanlon, and without callingon him for evidence for the defence, dismissed the ease. He said he thought the arresting constables had exceeded their duty in arresting the man without first seeing whether he could go home. It was cleraly laid down, he'said, that a person must not merely be the worse of drink, but that he must be in such a state that he was not able to take care of himself. Accused never had a chance to show whether he was in that position or not. It was the duty of a policeman, he added, to try to assist a man without arresting him. ’rhe advice of the magistrate at Dunedin might well be repeated from the Auckland bench.

During recent discussions in New Zealand and Russia on the abolition of barmaids (remarks the ‘‘Dunedin Star”) legislators do not appear to have contemplated the possibility of the barmaid abolishing herself. Yet this is by no means an impossible contingency. “ F’r instance,” as Mr Dooley might say, a case of something like self-effacement happened in Dunedin recently, and one which, if followed, would speedily cut off the chief source of supply for Mr Hone Heke and Mr Parata’s eloquence. A man passed a half-crown over the 'counter, and received one shilling and two drinks in exchange. He asked for his other sixpence, but was informed that he had only handed the young lady a two-shilling piece. ’Phen for a few moments, and much to the amusement of the bystanders, there was a running fire of affirmatives and denials, while the despised shilling was shot backwards and forwards across the counter by the finger-tips of the disputants. Eventually, as beseems members of a democratic community, the Court of Arbitration was appealed to, and the landlady appointed judge. She promptly gave the award to the customer, and by way of solatium declined payment for the liquid refreshment already partaken of. Then came the climax The indignant Hebe —we think this is the correct term —with her nose “ tip tilted like the petal of a flower,” threw up the reins of government, left the bar, and fled the premises. Perhaps the true solution of the barmaid problem mav be found in this story. * * • •» The Falkirk (N. 8. Town Council have had enough of hotel keeping on their own account. Whether tried in England, Scotland, or Ireland the municipalisation of licensed houses has invariably proved a costly and unsatisfactory experiment. When the Crown Hotel. Falkirk, came into the market some two or three years ago the Town Council decided to purchase it. They engaged a very experien-

ced manager, in tl e person of Mr Robert Sneddon, who' was well acquainted with the requirements of the. district, and he has proved himself very popular, so popular in fact that the Town Council have come to th* conclusion that they could find no better owner than Mr Sneddon, who has been only too pleased to have an opportunity of purchasing this old-established house.

The final reading of the Scotch Licensing Bill in the House of Lords brought, out a pronouncement on the recent action of the Glasgow magistrates l . The feature of the debate was Lord Kinnaird’s proposal to enable licensing authorities to make by-laws for regulating or preventing the employment of barmaids. This met with strong opposition from Lord Balfour, who declared the proposal would constitute an unwarrantable interference with the freedom of people to manage their business in a legitimate way. The Glasgow magistrates, in dealing with this matter, had landed themselves into an illegal 'condition. There were licensed establishments in Glasgow and elsewhere where serving behind the bar was a perfectly proper employment for women. Lord Kinnaird was content with this explanation, and he withdrew his proposal.

Apparently there are some English Licensing Benches who do not mean to stay their hands* —Balfour or no Balfour. The following is issued from one Bench in Derbyshire—“ Uttoxeter, Juty 31, 1903. Dear Sir, —The licensing justices of the. division of Sudbury, in the county of Derby, at their ineeting held on. the 23rd day of February last, had under consideration the number of licensed houses throughout the division. It appeared to them that the numbers in Hilton, Hatton and Marston Montgomery were in excess of the reasonable requirements of those districts. They therefore suggest that prior to the licensing session next year, when the matter will be taken fully into consideration, the owners should be prepared with a scheme for the closing of some of their houses. The justices also desire to be furnished by the Ist November next with a ground plan of all the licensed houses in the division, and par ticulars of sleeping, stabling, and yard accommodation. Will you kindly give these matters your careful consideration with regard to the licensed houses owned by you, and send me the plan asked for by the date named.''

Sir Wilfrid Lawson is a “ jokist ” of the very first water, and sometimes his jokes are of the unconscious order. Only in that way (saysi a contributor to the London " L.V. Gazette ") can I account for his bringing in a Bill within ten days of the end of the Parliamentary session, when it could have not the ghost of a chance of being read for even a second time. And the purport of that Bill adds to t'l.e humour of the situation. It is to the effect that if a drunken man commits a crime, the licensed victualler who supplied hi... s' rll bear the penalty. Perhaps when printed, the Bill will show where Sir V. draws the line. Should Mr Brunk commit a murder, should the publican- 'be hung ?-r And if Mr D. went, into a dozen different housee, emerging from the last in a state to become drunk in the fresh air, should each of the twelve publicans be. one-twelfth hung ? And suppose he had his beer in by cask ? Lesser crimes would no doubt have lesser penalties : but the virtues of vicatious atonement would be the same, and it is hard to see where the operation should stop.