THE PUBLIC HOUSE

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 810, 14 September 1905, Page 23

THE PUBLIC HOUSE

Now that the talk and noise of prohibition is rampant throughout the land, and all sensible and moderate people are feeling sick to death of the nauseating methods and arguments of the anti-li-quor fanatics, it is a genuine relief to go back through the pages of some of Dickens’ works and live in the hearty atmosphere of the days of our forefathers again. In those days Inns and Hostelries, and the Jolly Hosts who presided over them, were looked upon in their true lights, not as a deadly evil to be swept away at ail costs, but as the pleasant and welcome patrons of every traveller' who journeyed abroad. What genuine traveller plodding wearily on his way in storm or sunshine but has hailed with joy the sight of the uomely Inn peeping through the gaps in the trees, or showing up like a veritable ark of refuge at the end of a long stretch of heavy road ? In a strange country, or even a day’s journey from home, the one place where a traveller may be sure of a hearty welcome, though he may be unknown to anyone, is at an hotel. What greater comfort can there be, or more harmless pleasure, when there after a tiring day, than sitting before the cheerful blaze of a fire and sipping good Ale or Wine, whilst the storm howls without and the good house trembles before its fury ? Yet these pleasures are nowadays condemned by a miserable crowd of fanatics, by whom anything but cold water or tea is designated poison, and whose boasted godliness and methods of living are enough to make then’ forefathers (if they ever had any) come to life again and strangle them. What even this country would be without its hotels passes comprehension. Imagine if you can the weary traveller by road or rail crawding into an accommodation house, or shelter, where all the old customs are missing. No cheery host to greet him on the threshold, no hurrying of porters to relieve him of his burdens, no refreshing glass of liquor to take the stiffness from his limbs, instead a half-hearted greeting and the task of carrying his own baggage to a severely furnished room, finishing up .with a pull at the water bottle. All honour, then, to the man who presides over bar and parlour, whose first thought is for the comfort and welfare of his guests, who dispenses good liquor and who is content to live and let live without thirsting to ruin othei' people as his avowed enemies are doing at the present time.

We all know that drink is an evil when carried to excess, and no man knows it better than the publican; but in all reason we would have the prohibitionist remember that there are far greater evils than drink to be contended with, evils that the blotting out of the public-house would rather aggravate than relieve. The moderate use of wine and other liquors conveys a blessing—not a curse—upon humanity, and the man who knows not the pleasure contained in a good glass is missing one of the best things of life and is a fool unto himself.

The hotels of Napier were closed on Thursday last during the funeral of the late Dean Hovell.

Our Taranaki correspondent writes (September 11): —Mr. G. Tisch, who was mine host of the Terminus Hotel for many years, but is now living retired, is a candidate for the Taranaki seat at next election. Last Tuesday Mr. Tisch delivered an address in the Theatre Royal at New Plymouth, and created a most favourable impression.

- Licensed victuallers are evidently in for troublous times (writes our Sydney correspondent). The Government appear to be leaning to the teetotal faddists, led on by the Rev. Boyce, and in the new Licensing Bill local option without compensation is provided for, and from the composition of the House it is my opinion that it is likely to be carried. Meanwhile large posters in the city invite signatures to a petition urging Parliament not to pass the Government proposition.

The spacious billiard room of the Club Hotel, Palmerston North, has just been completely renovated, and patrons of the game will find that everything possible has been done to cater for their comfort. Mr. Harry Evans, lately returned from the Old Country, will act as marker.

The local Pump Party is very hopeful of carrying “no license” at the next poll in November (writes our Christchurch correspondent). Blessed is the man who expecteth nothing, for he shall not be disappointed.” I am afraid the Pump Party is going to be disappointed very badly. Same time, it must be admitted the liquor people are very anxious. We run a lot of hotels to the square mile in this flat city, and the question is: If “no license” should happen to be carried here, what is to become of all these places? Temperance boarding-houses? Pooh I the supply would far exceed the demand. Even your rabid prohibitionist rarely (or never) puts up at a “temperance” boardinghouse if he can help it. He knows too much.

A Wanganui exchange remarks that as a proof of the sobriety of the people of that town, not a solitary person had been charged with drunkenness for the space of a fortnight. Yet the cry is still “ down with the publicans.”

There was imported into New Zealanl last year 34,3381 b of unmanufactured tobacco, valued at £1632, on which £2617 duty was paid; 2,004,2411 b of manufactured tobacco, of a value of £167,424, on which the duty amounted to £338,509 13s Id; 71,4141 b of cigars, valued at £26,652, the duty being £23,920; 242,7731 b of cigarettes, of the value of £60,936, on which the duty was £85,643 16s 9d; and 18911 b of snuff, valued at £245, on which £5Bl 17s 6d had to he paid.

In Parliament recently the Premiei' informed Mr. Harding that it was not intended to bring down a Licensing Act Amendment Act this session. The statement was made in answer to a question as to whether the Government would introduce a Bill to define the position f the distributing local body in connection with the expenses of licensing elections. # Mrs. Kennedy’s hotel, Inglewood, seems to be much in favour for social functions. On the evening of August 30 a meeting of South African contingenters was held there to consider the question of holding a reunion of the men who had represented that district in the late war. A case was decided in Sydney recently which, although in itself of no particular importance, illustrates how thoroughly the principle of law runs through our legal system, which presumes innocence until guilt is proved. A man was proceeded against for having allegedly sold liquor on his premises on a Sunday. The constable’s evidence was that he had seen four men leave the defendant’s hotel, and shortly afterwards a boy, who,, had a bottle of beer in his possession. He stopped the boy and took him back to the hotel, and he there admitted in the presence of the defendant that the latter had supplied him with the beer. The defendant denied the statement. The boy subsequently pleaded guilty to being found leaving the hotel with beer in his possession, but was not called in support of the summons. The magistrate fined the defendant, who appealed. His Honor, Mr. Justice Pring, said: — “ There was no evidence of delivery, and according to the Crown’s contention, it came to this, that if there was a case of suspicion against any person fie might be charged with the offence, and if he did not choose to go into the box and dispel the suspicion in the mind of the magistrate, he must be convicted. That was a complete reversal of the elementary principle of law, that no man was to be condemned unless he was proved to be guilty.” The appeal was allowed with costs.

An inn, said to be more than 500 years old, is being demolished at Little Ealing, and during the operations the workmen are said to have discovered a secret chamber, lavishly furnished in oak. The house was formerly kept by Dick Turpin’s grandmother, and the idea is that the notorious highwayman was in the habit of concealing himself in the secret chamber when closely pressed bv his pursuers.

Residents in the King Country should be having a particularly dry time just now, as the Railway Department absolutely refuse to carry alcoholic liquors of any kind, and the boats on the Wanganui River dare not infringe the law for fear of losing their packet license, says the “ Waikato Argus.” The police, with two witnesses, are said to be empowered to search any likely-looking passengers’ luggage or goods, and therefore the introduction of liquor is fraught with considerable danger. Nevertheless there is liquor to be obtained, or at least something similar in its effects, for at Taumarunui on Saturday two men were arrested for drunkenness, one of whom had got that far that he had to be taken to the police station in a wheelbarrow.

The report of the quarterly meeting of the Auckland Licensing Committee unfortunately came to hand too late for publication in this issue, so will appear next week.