Trade Topics

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIII, Issue 773, 29 December 1904, Page 23

Trade Topics

The Victorian Licensing Act contains a section similar to ours, but it is not often called into operation. It provides that if it is made to appear to justices that any person, by excessive drinking, wastes his estate or greatly injures his health or endangers the peace and happiness of his family, the justices may prohibit all licensees in the district from supplying him with liquor for twelve months. Alfred Krummel, secretary of the Rechabite Lodge at Warragul, recently applied to the local justices for such a prohibition in respect of Albert Kidd, a, labourer, who, it was sworn, had been twice convicted of being drunk arid disorderly within the last twelve months, and whom the local constable described as so affected by drink as seldom to have a clear mind. An order was made prohibiting) all licensees within the'shire !of Warragul from supplying Kidd with drink.

Kidd resenting this restriction, his counsel, on November 18, obtained from the Chief Justice an order nisi to review the decision. It was said that the complainant was a mere busybody, and that the only person qualified to take proceedings was . the licensing inspector, and it was contended that the evidence did not show the facts necessary to found such an order as that made. The Chief Justice : The defendant would probably consider anybody who interfered with his drinks a busybody—(laughter)—and it is difficult to see how the inspector could always have the necessary knowledge, for a man might wear the blue ribbon, or even be the leading fife in a temperance band. (Laughter.) However, the law on that point ought to be settled. The Act does not say who is to prosecute, and it might be that the justices could proceed on a view—as if they met the man every morning on their way to court, and were exhorted by him after the manner of his kind. Here it is not shown that he has wasted his estate, for it might be that his drinks were at somebndy else’s expense. (Laughter.) Nor is it shown that his health or the happiness of his family are disturbed, nor even that he possesses a family.

The provision that no liquor license or club certificate should be granted on any estate disposed of under the Closer Settlement Bill was-objected to in the Victorian Legislative Council by Mr Harwood on November 3, who, in moving that the clause be struck out, said it formed no part of the Government proposals, though’ the Assembly had agreed to it. The clause had nothing whatever to do with ; the real object of the bill. The experiment had been tried elsewhere and failed, as there were people who would have their liquor. The AttorneyGeneral considered that the clause would be a blessing. Only the sale, not the consumption of liquor would be prohibited. Mr Melville quoted Mildur aas an object lesson of prohibition, but Mr Evans referred him to a statement that £5OO had been made out of a transaction in empty liquor bottles at the temperance town. Mr Evans welcomed as the first step towards nationalisation of the liquor traffic the amendment circulated by Mr Ritchie, enabling the board, without any license, at the request of the the majority of settlers, to conduct the ■ sale of liquor, and place the profits to the credit of the closer settlement, fund. Mr Balfour warmly supported the clause. Portion of the clause prohibited licensed persons outside a settlement delivering liquor to settlers. This, on the amendment of Mr Baillieu, was eliminated, and the Attorney-General declared that a vital part of the clause had been lost. The clause as amended was agreed to. Mr Ritchie announced that he would drop his amendment, but it was moved by Mr Melville. The committee rejected it without discussion.

NEW SOUTH WALES WINES IN •JAPAN.

Mr F. Suttor, the commercial agent for New South Wales in the East writes :— “ Several cases of New South Wales wines have been sent to my office, and I have done my utmost to distribute to likely consumers. The Oriental Hotel Company, of Kobe, are greatly pleased with New South Wales light wines, such as hock, and it would be well for any of our New

South Wales winegrowers to write to the secretary of the company, with a view to business ; give c.i.f. quotations, and send sample case. It is the hotel companies that practically do the business, and it would also be advisable to write the manager of the Imperial Hotel, Tokio. Success can only attend efforts when the exact c.i.f. prices can be given, and, in this respect, other countries make a special effort to secure a footing, and do business. Wines for the Eastern market must be very carefully packed in the usual size cases, and thick straw wrappers. When unloading, the handling is usually very rough, in consequence of vessels unloading out in the stream into lighters. The cases have also to be very strong to withstand the frequent handling. I have already reported on this matter in connection with damaged cases arriving at my office, the most damaged ones being those with ribbed paper wrappers/’— (Exchange.)

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN LIQUOR TRADE DEFENCE UNION.

This organisation may now be considered a live institution in this ; State, and shows promise of good work, being done for the benefit of . the liquor interests generally. It is a great pity it did not come into existence earlier, as the . opponents of their cause have had a long start, and every opportunity with a free hand to establish themselves throughout the length and breadth of the land. The field has been comparatively clear for them since the year •1891, up till when there existed a somewhat similar organisation to the present union, which was established here in 1887 by the wholesale branch of the liquor interests under the title of the “Trade Defence Association.’’ During its lifetime it did good work politicalIv. securing the return of many liberal candidates to both Houses of the Legislature. The electoral rolls throughout the State were well looked after and revised. Thousands of voters’ names were placed on the rolls by the association, which at the time was a political power in the land. South Australia is indebted to it and the Licensed Victuallers’ Association, who worked with them, for the existence of the present Totalisator Act, which certainly would not have become law at the time but for the influence of these two organisations ; and although the Legislature of the day was ripe for closing hotels by local option without compensation, ths influence of the before-named societies was responsible for obtaining the fifteen years’ grace, which will so shortly expire. Unfortunately, some of the leading members of the wholesale trade became apathetic, allowing the association to die for the want of financial support, much to their discredit, which some of them mow no doubt recognise and repent. It is to be hoped that they may have learnt a lesson by the past, and that now they have again combined, they will not allow their newly-formed union to fail from a similar cause.—“C.J.,” in “A.B. Journal.”

INTERESTING LETTER FROM BREWER TO CUSTOMER.

The following is a copy of a letter that has been handed to the “ A.B. Journal ” for publication. It is dated September

14, 1904, and is addressed by a firm of Victorian country brewers to their customers :— Dear Sir, —On the 7th May you had six barrels of ale from this brewery, for which you have paid, but you have not returned the empty casks to us. Will you be kind enough to ask the carrier to take them to the Railway Station, aad forward them to us. We would very much like to do further business with you, and make the following proposal—that is, to allow you a commission for selling beer to yourself • for instance, we paid £1 10s commission for selling them six barrels to you, 5s per barrel, and if you order ale direct from us by letter we will allow you 5s per barrel on every barrel so ordered, so that if you sent us a letter or wire for six barrels of ale, when sending us a cheque afterwards by post you would deduct £1 10s, and send us a chelque for £lO 10s. Hoping this will lead to further business.—Yours truly, .

J. L. SULLIVAN AS A SALOON KEEPER.

The American correspondent of the Melbourne “ Sporting and Dramatic News ” writes :— John L. Sullivan, though running a saloon in St. Louis, does not own the “ joint.” The counter in the Sullivan bar stretches half-way through the place, and at the far end sits John L with h's massive stomach in his lap and his hands on his knees. He is placed in this portion so a patron cannot slip in and see the big fellow without at least buying a beer. The visitor must run the gauntlet of the baleful glare from the eyes of a half-dozen as tough looking barkeepers as one could dig out of an ashpit in a week. The casual patron is handed a cabbagey cigar, and the man behind the counter gives him such a cruel unkind glance that he just hates to ask for his change. Recently a wellknown sport dropped into the “ joint.” The place was crowded. The ex-champion was permitting the people who bought beer to shake his hand. It was not the clasp of friendship he gave them. He just allowed them to take hold of one of the hands he had laid out on his knees. When he gets tired of having one hand squeezed he gives them the other and looks bored. There were hundreds of them on this particular occasion, and Sullivan was getting weary. The scowl deepened on his face. Incidentally, to

use his own expression, he was “ full of suds.” A wee bit of a man with a cigarette cough and second-hand raiment edged up and held out his hand, gasping timidly : “ I know something about fighting, myself, Mr Sullivan. I once ” That was as far as he got, for Sullivan suddenly roared like a mad bull : “ Cut that out, you blankety blank blank. You’ve shook my hand seven times to-night and spent about 15 cents. Git out, you cheap skate.” Sullivan has not quit the booze, and everybody knows it will be but a short time until the “ fireworks ” come. He is as big as two ordinary men and he looks as if he could hold a couple of barrels of beer or a cask or two of whisky. When he speaks everybody- trembles, and when he calls the bartenders forsake all others and cleave only to him. A big, tall man with a purple neck entered and elbowed his way through the crowd. He paused long enough to buy a glass of beer and then pushed on. “Where’s Sullivan ?” he asked a one-

eyed man, and the latter jerked his thumb over in the direction of the Boston boy.

The stranger went boldly up to the end of the counter and stood in front of the conqueror of Paddy Ryan and a few dozen others. He mumbled something inarticulately, and his courage deserted him. Sullivan eyed him contemptuously for a moment and then blurted out : “Well, what in h—l do you want ?” Too far gone to speak, the man just stood still for a second or two. Then he turned and wandered aimlessly out into the night again. Nobody laughed, for this is a common occurrence. Tn fact, there were few who did not keep one eye on Sullivan and the other on the door, so as to be ready to run, in case he became suddenly obstreperous. Only the proprietor himself dares call the exchampion John. The others all say Mr Sullivan, and say it with the accent on the Mister. He has them bluffed. “Mr Sullivan,” said a mild-eyed dude, extending his hand, “I think you are one of the greatest men in the world.”

“The h—l you do,” said Sullivan, “ Well, that ain’t! goin’ to hurt you none.”

Then he scowled and looked as if he were thinking of something afar off. His admirer tip-toed out of the place and has not been seen in the locality since. Thus it is all the time. Often John L. goes to sleep in his chair, and, with hia head lolling back, his mouth wide open and his chest rising and falling like the waves on a storm-tossed coast, he is truly a distressing sight. On such occasions everybody keeps as still as mice and the people tip-toe about and speak in whispers. But the job is a profitable one and Hohn L. is making money. The man who has engaged him is also reaping a harvest, for there have been countless thousands to see the old fighter, and they keep coming in as the days go by. There will be something doing in a financial way until John kills the goose that lays the golden egg by cleaning out th» place.

Mr Cohen, in argument the other day -as to the existence of the bona-fide traveller, says the “Wanganui Herald”:— “ The licensing laws as they now exist, with their most recent amendment, have bewildered the legislators who made them, amazed the public who are, inflicted with them, embarrassed the police who have to enforce them, amazed the Magistrates who have to construe them, and gladdened the hearts of the lawyers, whose pockets are enriched by them.