Trade Topics

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 842, 26 April 1906, Page 20

Trade Topics

Mr. B. R. Sceates has purchased Mr. A. Underwood’s interest in the hotel at Warkworth. »

Empire Day, May 24th, is the date fixed for the unveiling of Sir John Logan Campbell’s statue at Cornwall Park entrance. * * <- *

It said that very shortly Mr. Joe Molloy, of the Albion Hotel, Hobson. Street, enters into possession of the Kentish Arms Hotel at Waiuku.

Rumour has it that Mr. Adkins will shortly join the ranks of Auckland hotelkeejpers, the Imperial Hotel, Fort Street, being mentioned as his first venture in the hotel business.

Mr. F. J. Little, late of Mangawhare, is in Auckland at present, and is looking for a fresh venture among city hotels, the Suffolk Hotel being mentioned as his probable new home.

Some _of the palatial lofty hotels for which America is peculiar and famous, suffered most severely from the earthquake shocks in Frisco. What the oscillation left undestroyed, ravaging fires completely ruined.

In the Onehunga Police Court last Thursday Mr. Herman Schmiedel, licensee of the Royal Oak Hotel, Onehunga, pleaded not guilty to a charge of failing to supply lodgng to Mr. T. G. Russell. After hearting the evidence, Mr. R. W. Dyer, S.M., reserved his decision.

The following visitors have been staying at the Waiwera Hotel during the past week :—Mr. Mill, Christchurch ; Mr. Geo. Snook, Constable Johnson, Warkworth; Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Pike, Misses Pike (2) and Goddard, Mrs. Dundas Robertson, England; Miss Wratten, Hamilton; Mr. and Mrs. F. A. Peters, Misses Peters, Sydney; Mr. and Mrs. Murchie, Mr. and Mrs. McCormick, Mr. and Mrs. T. Craig, Mr., Mrs. and Master Marsden. Mr. and Mrs. E. Russell, Mr. and Mrs. Dick, Mesdames Osborne, Hendy, Rees, Hayr, Mrs. and Miss Louis, Mrs. and Misses Jones, Mrs. and Miss Calkwell, Misses Murchie, Dicksey, Marsden, Russell, Morris, Fox, Messrs. A. P. Wilson, Denninsin, Williams, Charter, Connell, Siffis, Griffith, Cotter, J. Alexander, Highman, V. J. Larner, Stewart, Field, A. H. Bethume, W. E. Woodward, Mr. and Master Towle, Masters Larner (2) and Russell, Auckland ; Mr. W. R. Mowbray, Mr. and Mrs. Lyons, Parnell ; Mr. and Mrs. Spinley, Master Dormer, Misses Tanton, Devonport; Master Keith Caldwell, Remuera ; Mr. G. N. Maidment, New Plymouth ; Messrs Wilson and Montague, Dunedin.

Alfred Diamond and Harry Davis were each fined 20s and costs, 7s, in the Police Court last Friday on charges of being on the premises of the Hobson Hotel during proh : bited hours.

A Chinaman in Wellington answers to the name of “King Dick.” Probably he is related to the “Bun Tuck” family.

In the City of London Court recently Judge Rentoul, K.C., said: “If you go into Cheapside and buy goods without paying for them, and there are no terms of credit, you can be sued for them in ten minutes’ time, and you will have to pay the costs of the proceedings. It may be bad taste ; it is very sharp practice, but it is legal.”

It was claimed for the Palace Hotel, San Francisco, that it was the largest and most magnificent building ever erected for the accommodation of the public. The cost of the building was 3,000,000 dollars.

An offender charged with drunkenness at Timaru the other day explained that he had gone to the police station to make a complaint against the local police, and his visit resulted in his being run in for being drunk.

A prohibition order for 12 months has been issued from the local Court against James G. Moore.

According to a New South Wales Government return, there are 3958 liquorselling licenses in the State, comprising 3071 publican, 679 wine, and 208 spirit merchant.

Mr. R. L. Somers, of the Hot Springs Hotel, Te Aroha, is. a candidate for the Mayoralty of that town. * •> * * ■

A startling measure, and one which will pass most of us untouched, is being introduced in the shape of a Bill in the United States Congress. The introducing member proposes that under this Bill fortunes are to be limited to £2,000,000; when this amount is exceeded he proposes that the State , should confiscate the rest.

In Dtinedin last w.eek a man named Francis Jas. McCaffery, alias A. Morris, was fined £5 and . costs or 14 days 4 ' imprisonment for dispersing printed pap'ers purporting to be legal documents, (heir object being to enforce, the recovery of bad debts.

During the hearing of a charge of having defused to quit the Falls Hotel, Henderson, brought against a man named Edmund Burke, Sergeant Hendry said that the licensee, Mr. Brown, deserved great praise for the manner in which he acted. He could easily have got rid of his rowdy customers by serving them with drink, which he refused to do.

“Tap the Admiral” is to suck liquor from the cask by a straw. Hotten says it was first done with the rum cask in which the body of Admiral Lord Nelson was brought to England, and when the cask arrived the Admiral was found “high and dry.”

Mr. J. C. Dunn, of the Swan Hotel, Mechanics Bay, secured the rights of the publican’s booths at the three days’ meeting of the Auckland Trotting Club. '** . * *

There .was a decrease of in the drtnk bill of Canada last year, while 401,000 more pounds of tobacco, 4,522,000 more cigarettes, and 5,739,000 more cigars were sold.

Mr. .Abbott, jun., who for some time ran the refreshment rooms at the Mercer Railway Station, and who subsequently was hotelkeeping at Mecury Bay, is stated to have purchased Mr. C. T. Davies’ interest in the Waipa Hotel, Ngaruawahia. A PROHIBITED ROWDY.

In the local Police Court last Friday, before Mr. R. W. Dyer, S.M., Edmund Burke, a middle-aged man, was accused of having in September last entered the Falls Hotel and demanded drink while a prohibition order was in force against him ; also with having assaulted the licensee and refusing to quit when requested to do so. Henry Brown, the licensee of the Falls Hotel, said the accused and two other men arrived at his place and called for drink. He knew that accused was

prohibited, however, and requested them to leave. They refused to go, and became very unruly, but after some trouble he turned them out. They returned about a quarter of an hour later, and again demanded drink. They began to throw brickbats at the door, and subsequently had a fight among themselves. Witness again endeavoured to get the men off his place, in the course of which accused struck him. The accused admitted having been on the premises, but declared he was perfectly sober, and had been struck first by the licensee with a stick. He intended to leave New Zealand as soon as possible and break off from his old associations. Sergeant Hendry said that Mr. Brown, the licensee of the Falls Hotel., deserved high commendation for the way he had acted. He might easily have got rid’of the men quietly by committing a breach of the Act. His Worship decided that Burke was a thorough bad lot, as there was a list of previous offences against him. For the assault he gave accused two months, while for refusing to quit a fine of £2' was inflicted, in default a month, and for being on licensed premises he was convicted and discharged.

AN IMPORTANT POINT.

A point which is of considerable 'interest and importance to hotelkeepers was raised in the Onehunga Police Court last Thursday, when Mr. Herman Schmiedel, .licensee of the Royal Oak Hotel, was .charged with refusing to supply.... lodgings, to Thomas John Russell on March 26th, 196'6. Mr. J. C. ’Martin appeared for defendant, who 1 pleaded not guilty. Plaintiff and Constable McClune gave evidence for the prosecution, while for the defence the licensee and his wife gave evidence. Mr. Martin, in addressing the Bench, said they did not deny that application was made for lodging, but the applicant did not state he was a traveller, nor did he tender money in payment of such lodging. The latter was important, and he proceeded to quote authorities from Englishj law as far back as Henry 111., there being no colonial law bearing on such a case. Mr. Dyer reserved his decision until next Court day, May 17th,

THE EARTHQUAKE.

The magnitude of the earthquake disaster in San Francisco was, and still is, almost the sole topic of conversation since the fatal news arrived. Never before has this generation of Aucklanders been so closely in touch, as it were, with such an appaling visitation. Words completely fail to convey -the heartfelt sympaty expressed on every hand for those who had relatives. in the. dire disaster. The first cheering news to arrive from the scene being'that'the. relatives of Mrs. -Leo Mvers, a lady highly respected by all members of the Trade,, were safe and sound. Mav still further re-assuring news arrive dailv is the anxious wish of all Aucklanders. - •

NO DEPOSIT.

Prior to the late licensing committee elections some astute candidates, in, view of defeat possibilities, ascertained that the deposit of £ 10. usually lodged by candidates n connection with important, elections, was not an absolute necessity. This non-payment of deposit led to further trouble down South, and at Blenheim last Thursday morning Mr. Scott Smith, S.M., delivered his reserved judgment in the case in which a petition was lodged against the return of four reform members of the Wairau Licensing Committee on the ground of non-payment of the deposit required by section 98 of the Electoral Act of 1905. The Magistrate ruled that the section did rot apply to licensing elections. He added: “Even assuming that the Electoral Act of 1905 did apply to elections of licensing committees, the fact that the returning officer, blundered in not retaining the deposits was not such an irregularity as would in my opinion enable me to declare the election void.” The petition was therefore disnfesed without costs. • ■

ALLEGED ’CUTENESS.

"There is a story current of a Taranaki native-who “let in” the local brewers and spirit .merchants for a considerable sum. He had bought considerable quantities ■of beer -and spirits,- but refused to pay the bills. When the tradesmen sought to recover they found they could not - succeed, because the ’cute young Maori had previously taken out a prohibition order against himself, and it is illegal for any person to supply liquor to a prohibited person.’ We imagine there is such an offence as -obtaining good_s under false pretences in the above, also another offence made out in the obtaining liquor while prohibited. Either of these would serve to fill the bill, so far as the allegedly ’cute voting Maori is concerned.

CLUB CHARTERS AGAIN.

Colonel Pitt, before leaving Christchurch for Wellington recently, said that as to the granting of charters being regarded as a concession to “trade,” he did not think that the “trade” cared much about it; if it -did, it was opposed to club charters. “You may be sure,” he added, “that the Government would be exceedingly- careful in regard to the granting of any new club charters. It will not grant them unless there are special circumstances to justify such a course. It certainly will not be sufficient for a number of people to band themselves together and sav they would like to have a -charter. In any case, no charter will be granted to apy club that has not passed a rule providing all members must be over 21 years.” The hon. gentleman, from the hbove remarks, has apparently sized up the situation so far as the “trade are concerned very correctly. Far from the latter body regarding The granting of charters as a concession, many of its members regard the increasing charters as a gross injustice, and a serious menace to the licensed trade.'

TUMBLERS.

We are so well used to the name of tumblers for our ordinary drinking glasses that it never strikes us that it does not suit them. With their smooth bottoms they are not all inclined to tumble, but stand as ; firmly as one could wish. Such was not always the case. In the days of our ancestors, before the Norman Conquest, all the drinking cups were made round at the bottom, so that it was an impossibility’ for them to ‘stand upright. We should think this a great drawback at the present day, but evidently the An-glo-Saxons had no objection to emptying their glasses at one draught. In thlis, as in other instances, the name remains the same when the original meaning has quite disapppeared.

THE DIFFERENCE.

Mr. Quidsby, with newly-acquired wealth, found that the chef always sent up the menu written in his own language, French, to which the master of the household was a stranger. , “I should like to know what I am eating for once, M. Alfonse,” said Mr. Quidsby to ’his chef on one occasion. me have the menu in English today.’ “Oui, monsieur,” was the reply, “it ees ver’ difficile, but I veel do it so if you veet gif me ze dictionairre. ” A small but select party came to dinner that evening, and were met with the following bill of fare:—

Soups at the tail of the calf. Salmon in curl papers. Chest of mutton to the little peas. Potatoes jumped. Duck savage at sharp sauce. Charlotte at the apples. Turkey at the devil. Fruits variegated.

Mr. and Mrs. Quidsby agreed afterwards that they had never presided over a more hilarious dinner-party.

THE QUESTION OF PROHIBITION.

The Imperial Parliament, which has of late years adopted much of the legislation passed in our colonies, would do well, in view of Sir Campbell Bannerman’s decision to introduce into the House of Commons next year a comprehensive measure of licensing reform, to note the working of prohibition in New Zealand. Even the champions of what is called “No-license in the colony are now free to admit that prohibition does not prohibit, and that sly grog-selling is on the increase, notwiththe extraordinary precautions taken by ’ the authorities to keep intoxicating liquor out of the “no-license districts, and the heavy fines inflicted when sales are discovered to have taken place. What prohibition has done in New ZeaInd has been to drive the hotelkeeper out o f his business and set up in his place unlicensed vendors, to the detriment of the public benefit. It is reported that

one of the leading brewery firms in England are just now. executing. the. largest order that they have ever had for twogallon jars for the brewers of New Zealand, so that they may supply people in prohibition districts with beer!; —“The London L.V. Gazette.”

ABOUT “TIPS.”

In the course of an article on the tipping system in “Chambers* Journal,” Mr. Windham remarks that tipping is a worse infliction than the income tax, for you do at least know how much you have got to pay in the latter case, whereas it is always a matter of annoying uncertainty when to tip, whom to tip and how much to tip. Some people have been known in their embarrassment to slip half-a-sovereign into the lordly hotel-mana-ger’s palm, while Mr. Windham tells of a young lady who on leaving one of London’s most fashionable hotels, sought out the head-waiter, and with many blushes, pressed sixpence upon him. To the credit of the head-waiter, it is said he took it with the air of accepting a five-pound note. That reminds me of the story of a verv wealthy Scot, who at the end of an Atlantic voyage, presented his cabin-ste-ward with a “saxpence.” The man thanked him sarcastically and handed back the coin, which the Scot calmly accepted and replaced in his purse. “Weel,” he said “I daursay your richt, I admire your independence.” At hotels the scale of tips varies with the “tone” of the house, the length of stay, and the cost of the rooms engaged. Striking an average, Mr. Windham regards the following tips at the end of a week’s residence as ample: head-waiter,

five shillings; waiter, half-a-crown; chambermaid, and hall-porter, two shillings; luggage porter/ ‘ eighteenp£nc&; lift-man, is. “They will all probably look as though they wanted more,” he says, “but they will at least have the grace to say ‘thank you.’” The tipping habit has grown in restaurants as elsewhere, and the more expensive places levy a serious tax upon the customer’s pocket. It is not the waiter only who expects a tip. “The magnificent individual who, in a uniform suggesting a blend of a fieldmarshal and vice-admiral, stands at the door and says ‘Cab, sir?’ expects sixpence at least for his onerous labours.” The cloak-room attendant, the cigar-at-tendant, the small boy who brushes imaginary crumbs off your coat, all have itching palms, and only a very hardy spirit can resist their differential menace. I envy, but have not the courage to emulate the man who, when the cloak-room waiter remarked meaningly that his service was not charged for in the bill, replied,

“Well, I’m glad to hear it. It’s the only thing in this place that’s cheap.” Only a well-to-do man can afford to be a guest ait a large country house and retain his self-respect. Even on a modest week-end visit, the butler expects a halfsovereign tip, and footmen, coachmen, and housemaids have , all to.be reckoned fW;ith, to say nothing of gamekeepers and chauffeurs; According to Mr., Windham, a couple of pounds for a day’s shooting is quite an ordinary fee for a gamekeeper to pocket. One individual, however, on a certain occasion returned this sum to the donor with the chilling remark that he only accepted “paper,” The g.uest very properly reported the matter to his host, with the result that a piece of paper was instantly handed to the keeper. It took the form, however, not of a £5 note, but of a month’s notice.