Trade Topics

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XV, Issue 869, 1 November 1906, Page 20

Trade Topics

Fines of were imposed upon eleven publicans at ..Perth recen.ly foi having In' their possession ‘goods bottles containing brandy—rto which false descriptions were applied. The cases werft in character to those in which Wellington licensees., were before the Court.little time since, in which draught ’ whisky ’ was sofa from bottles on which the original ' labels had not been defaced. ,-•• •• 1 " * • i ■ 1 * Messrs Foclce, wholesale wine and spirit, -merchants, w’ere among the ones who had .their premises and stock destroyed by. fire.in Wellington last week. ' '' A ' - . :Vt •' / :V ’ ■ * “One of the worst effects of drink,” says Opinion,’’, “is that it produces the temperance orator.” ; wherS < pne opy the greatest tobacco businesses'in the ’ world is established, has 600 girls who' have pledged themselves to have .-.nothing to do with boys who smoke. •> — ' * .r : * The irisurhnces oh the Commercial Hotel, Wellington, which" was destroyed by fire last week, 1 " on the building, and on furniture and stock.'' ' ’ «• s '•;< ■ ■■. ■■ ■ ■ M * A sum of about will cover the damage,s[usefl by. an fire in Gow’s Hotel, Wellington, which ocgrZiurred qn'l thelmotmipg qf ’the recent big ipre. ; r ' I; j' - ■' The hotel recently burned down in Wellington and known as the Commercial Hotel stood on the site where, originally, the old “Crown and Anchor” hotel stood. This was pulled down about A thirty ? eight ! years ; . ago, ~and the late building was erected , by Mr, Moody (who also built tHe "KilSirhie and Island Bay Hotels). It was first known as the Star and later as the Ranfurly Hotel, being changed to the ■ Commercial some three or four years ag0.......... ♦ • * 1 ■< 1 »■ In another column will be found a comlete list of the places of meeting and the .dates of the next quarterly licensing meetings for the Auckland ' district. A young man named Henry Evans was • sentenced to ten months’ imprisonment -■ last Monday in 'the local court for slygrog selling. > **•• * ' • Another sloy-grog seller named William Finlay was sentenced to one months’ hard labour last Monday. Charges of illegally selling beer against Sarah Jane Brown are to be heard in the local court to-morrow. * * ♦ ■» It transpired in the evidence, in' a case of sly-grog selling which was heard in the local court last week that the seller was ; pressed by. .the buyer, with a plea “to safe a life” strange that a steward in Wellington was convicted of sly grogselling a few months back, and exactly the same plea was used. Evidently the sly grog-seller has not become familiar wiih the stock phrases of the plain clothes policeman.

r. The police are gradually unearthing some of the sources of supply which go to make after hour and Sunday drunkenness. The licensed victuallers sincerely wish them every success in their efforts to get rid of these pests to the trade.

Tenders are called for additions and al erations tb the Te Awamutu Hotel, at Te Awamutu.

An old man who became very annoyed at having been refused a second drink at the Suffolk Hotel, and used bad language, Was charged at the local Police Court last Saturday with this offence, and also with having refused to quit the hotel

when requested to do so by the licensee. He was convicted, ordered 10 come up for sentence if called on, and told to go Back to Whangarei where he had come from.

A completely equipped post office, with telegraph, telephone, savings bank, and mo'ney order departments, has been opened at the Exhibition. The institution should prove a grea convenience. The office is situated in the main hall, and is 24ft square, and fitted up with a telephone bureau, screened desks for writing telegrams, and all the other appurtenances of a well found postal establishment.

Mr Dyer, S.M., and Sub-Inspector Gordon were at’Warkworth last week in connection with - sly-grog prosecutions, against persons at Wellsford.

The Post Office auihorities notify that

on and after November 1 next the rate of > postage on letters from New Zealand to the United States of America will be id per Joz, instead of The rate from the United States to New Zealand will remain five cents per |oz.

Last Friday, Nicholas Blue, a -fireman belonging’to the s.s.' Auchenerg, pleaded guilty to breaking a plate glass window’ at the Metropolitan Hotel. Defendant went into the hotel for a glass of beer, and after he had drunk it, he deliberately threw the tumbler through the window’. He was fined and costs, and ordered .0 pay the cost of the broken window.

The ..province of Quebec, Canada, has a new license law’ respecting non-resi-dent commercial travellers employed by persons having no place of business in Canada. Under this law a commercial traveller doing business in that province must pay from 100 dollars to 400 dollars per annum license. The tax is not a popular one, even in Canada, but there is no immediate prospect of its abrogation. .

It has been cabled from Berlin that the vintage in the Rhine vineyards is the worst for many years past. The damage due to the vine parasite is estimated at half-a-million sterling. Curious to relate it. was .recently reported from France that the wine season in that country this year is the best for many years past.

In the local Police Court last week, during the hearing of charges of being idle and disorderly preferred against a man, Sergt. Hendry stated that a favourite trick of the accused’s was to fall down in a fit outside of an hotel and wriggle there till someone brought him a glass of whisky. Then he recovered. If there were two whiskies, he had tw’o fits.

Mr John Flett, who for many years kept the Rob Roy Hotel at Parawai, Thames, and subsequently at Waihi, died at his residence in Ponsonby, last week, at the age of 71. Mt Flett retired from the hotelkeeping business about two and a-half years ago.

Mrs Gilmer, wife of Mr Samuel Gilmer, proprietor of the Royal Oak Hotel, Wellington, who had been ailing for some time past, died in Wellington last week..

The particulars of an important proclamation regarding the supplying of Maoris .with liquor is published in another column. '.

In the Dunedin Police Court last week the licensee of the Universal' Hotel was fined £$ and costs and the license was endorsed, on a charge of permitting; drunkenness on his licensed premises.

In the local Police Court last week-,] Harry Evans was charged with two offences of sly grog-selling. The casdl were adjourned for a week, tor Gordon stating that other cases would' be preferred. 4

Mr Bush, S.M., at the Thames, has' s given judgment that in his opinion hotel;

back-yards could not be held to be licen-j sed' premises. J

Considerable improvements will be effected by the Touris. Department during the next couple of months at Orakai Korako, which will all tend to bring this beautilul spot in closer touch so far as touris.s are concerned.

In the Whangarei Police Court recently, George William Boag was proceeded against on three charges of theft, which were heard together. Accused, who was employed at the Commercial Hotel, left there with the intention of journeying to Auckland on Friday. Several articles including clothing, blankets, towels, e c., were missed and Boag was arrested just as the Kanieri was leaving the wharf. J. Bray, licensee of the hotel, addressed the Bench, on accused’s behalf. As no previous convictions were known, a lenient view’ was taken by the justices, and a fine of £1 was inflicted.

Some little time back it was reported that Mr J. M. Shaw, of the Grand Hotel, Te Aroha, was retiring from that house. We now’ learn with pleasure that such is not the case, and there is every probability of Mr and Mrs Shaw remaining in this hotel. They have recently had completed a perfect electric lighting plant which is a great addition to the comforts of an already extremely comfortable hotel.

The Mayor (Mr A. M. Myers), left here last Sunday for Christchurch to attend he opening ceremony of the New Zealand Exhibition.

The Gisborne Licensing Committee recently refused to grant publicans licenses for either the show or the races.

It is to be hoped that Mr H. H. Dyer, who is selling out of the Newton Hotel, and Mr C. T. Davies, who sells out of the Waipa Hotel, will soon be in the hotel business again. Both gentlemen are exceedingly popular with all classes of hotel patrons, and the sort that are a credit to the trade.

Mr and Mrs Edward Hallett, who are taking over the Waipa Hotel a; Ngaruawahia, are reported to have bought the freehold of that licensed property. We venture to predict that theirs will be a successful venture, as they are well known and very popular all through the Waikato, their long experience of hotelkeeping being a guarantee that the house will be run on the right lines.

It is reported that Mr H. H. Dyer of the New’ton Hotel, Newton, has sold his interest in that house to Mr W. J. Priest, late of the Tuakau Hotel.

Mr Edward Hallett, who it will be remembered, kept the Railway Hotel at Mercer for some years, has taken over the Waipa .Hotel at Ngaruawafiia from Mr C. T. Davi’es.

Mr Edward Quinn, w’ho was for some time in the Ponsonby Club Hotel, is now in the hotel at Tuakau, he having purchased Mr ,W. J. Priest’s interest in the Tuakau Hotel.

On visiting Paeroa after the lapse of a few; months one cannot but be impressed with the fact that the business of the town is gradually drifting towards the Railway Station. This is the more noticeable in the case of the hotels. Time was when the Criterion did the bulk of the trade, but though a conveniently and comfortably. arranged place it does not now do the business it once did. On the other hand the Paeroa Hotel which- at ope time 'was scarcely patronised by anyone, now •accommodates the greater portion, of the travelling public who have .pccasjon to visit 1 Paeroa. This hotel is alongside the Railway station, and is an 'exceedingly qomiortable place. Perhaps the main factors which have tended tq. popularise the place is the way .jt, is conducted, for the proprietor, Mr Moriarty, : .is popular with all alike, while '-Mt;s Moriarty makes an ideal hostess. . So the place always has a busy appearance, and visitors go away satisfied with their stay at this hotel.

Another instance of the business of a town drifting tow’ards the railway is at Frankton Junction. This will be more and more noticeable as the Main Trunk line nears completion. There is every probability that in a few years Frankton Junction will be the centre of the town, with Hamilton as a suburb. As a residential site, Hamilton, of course, far surpasses the former place, being splendidly situated on the banks of that beautiful river, the Waikato. The hotel accommodation at Frankton Junction is confined to one house, which is under the proprietorship of Mr Holland, who makes a most capable host.

The Thames has certainly a more hopeful appearance than it had a year or so ago. It is now extremely difficult to find an empty cottage, whereas a while since there were scores to be had almost rent free. This improvement is partly due to the revival in the mining industry and partly to the enterprise of Messrs A. and G. Price, who are engaging extra consequent on their securing a large order for locomotives from the N.Z. Government. Amongst the hotels on the Thames, one of the most conveniently arranged is the Royal, which is now under the proprietorship of Mr Cullen. This hotel is close to the railway station and wharf, and is a most comfortable place at which to put up.

The travelling public are well provided for on the Rotorua Express in the way of an up-to-date dining car, the catering being done in first class style, the attendants are civil and obliging, and the charge is moderate. But on the Auckland lines—not so much on the Express trains—there are many complaints as to the state of the lavatories, which are usually in a very much neglected condition, the floors frequently being flooded with water. But "absolutely the worst fault one has to find with them is the utter absence of any ventilation whatsoever, the so-called ventilators being blocked up, presumably having been placed there solely for ornamental purposes.