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New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XV, Issue 894, 25 April 1907, Page 20

Messrs Orme, Kegwin and Co., were fined £5 and costs in Sydney for selling brandy not of the quality demanded. The brandy was sold as Nuveau, but the Government Analyst stated' that it was not fit for human consump-ion. * * * . * Tenders have been called for roofing the Swan Hotel, Mechanics’ Bay, with iron. „ „ * * * * Mr S. Morrison, of the Railway Hotel, Drury, has sold his interest in that hotel to Mr Job Lilley. * * * * At the June meeting of the City Licensing Committee, Mrs Coombe will apply to have the license of the United Service Hotel transferred to Mr Arthur Bach. * * * * At last week’s sitting of the Whangarei Magistrate’s Court, James Mason was charged with procuring liquor for a prohibited person and with selling liqiior without a license. There was no appearance of defendant, but the case was heard, and the defendant was convicted and fined £lO and costs 9s, for supplying liquor to a prohibited person, and sentenced to one month’s imprisonment for illegally selling liquor. * * A grave mistake caused William Stewart to appear in the local police court last week, where he was charged on two informations with being found -on licensed premises. Sub-Inspector Gordon said that the accused went into a hotel and met a constable in plain clothes. Not knowing his social capacity he asked the constable to get him some liquor, saying that he could not get it personally as he was prohibited. On the first charge Stewart was fined £2 and costs or one month in gaol, and on the second a fine of £1 and costs, or another month was imposed, the sentences to run concurrently. “Every time I take a drop of drink they seem to get me,” he complained. Mr E. M. Smith, M.H.R., died last Friday, death resulting from an accident on the railway. * Licensed victuallers on the other side were very pleased, when twelve months ago the Government stated paying attention to the number of clubs that had sprung up, especially in Sydney, as is well known, many of these clubs are not only in competition with the licensed victualler, but at the same time are a source of grave danger to the Trade. The results of th** laxity of their conduct being blamed on the hotels. It is, therefore, pleasing to learn from Sydney that the Attorney-General, after twelve months’ experience of the Liquor Act, confirmed the views held 1 when imposing conditions on sporting clubs. The effect had been to wipe out a number of undesirable clubs. It was reported from Christchurch last Friday that the warrant issued against D. C. Mclntyre, ex-director of exhibits at the late exhibition, is likely to be withdrawn. In regard to the rejudging of wines and spirits at the exhibition, it is stated that the Australian representatives have decided to withdraw their exhibits of wine and brandy. * * « * Re-painting operations are being carried out at Mr John Endean’s Waitemata Hotel. * * * * One of the exhibitors who secured prizes for wines at the recent exhibition, says that a gold medal would be no good to him now, he would be asked over the other side “How much did you give for it?” * * * * Last week in the Hamilton Police Court, a charge of supplying a native with a bottle of beer to be consumed off the premises, was brought against Mr Samuel Draffin, licensee of the Waipa Hotel, Ngaruawahia. Mr and Mrs Draffin both denied having made the sale. Decision was reserved by Mr H. W. Northcroft, S.M. There are rumours in Whangarei of the discovery of outflows of petroleum springs, one in Whangarei and one in Hobson County.

In the statistics for the port of Auckland for the year 1906, the duty paid on spirits shows an increase of .£4,859, and the duty paid under the Beer Duty Act shows an increase of £1156. In the totals of revenue derived by the Customs the year 1906 shows to advantage over 1905 by £36,565 2s nd.

* * * * Mr and Mrs W. Woodward, who have been hotelkeeping at Rotorua, have left for Sydney on a short holiday visit. * * * *

Two Thames men who were seen leaving the back-yard of a hotel after ten o’clock at night, have been fined.

In the Hamilton Police Court last week a charge against a native, of supplying his wife with beer at the Ngaruawahia Regatta, was dismissed.

A chance visit to the Exhibition a few weeks ago was the means of bringing about a meeting between two brothers, who had not met each other for 40 years. The elder brother left Dumfriesshire at the age of 19, and settled in New Zealand, leaving the younger brother, aged 11, behind him. The latter subsequently came to the colony also, settling in Dunedin, and on visiting the Exhibition he had the felicity of meeting his brother. The elder brother has been engaged in pastoral pursuits in Canterbury for many years.

Mr E. R. J. Smith, late of Cambridge, has taken over the hotel at Tirau from Mr E. H. Smith. * * * *

An explosion in the generator in a soda-water apparatus at Perth last week, serious’y injured a young woman and a boy.

A lad under the age of 15 years charged at Dunedin with smoking cigarettes, was discharged with a caution, on the understanding that his parents would give him a good thrashing.

Last Thursday afternoon the City Councillors, in accordance with an historic custom, presented the Mayoress with a silver cradle to commemorate the birth of a son to the Mayor of the City (Mr A. M. Myers) during his term of office. The cradle and its setting, the work of Mr A. Kohn, is a splendid example of the silversmith art.

Mr R. L. Somers, of the Hot Springs Ho‘el, Te Aroha, has been- returned Mayor of that town for the second term. This time he was returned unopposed. * * * * At Gisborne last week a porter named William C. Whitfield was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment for the theft of a case of beer from a warehouse. * * * * Tourists will be interested to learn of the discovery of a new pass from Milford Sound, via Cleddau River. Mr D. Sutherland, of Milford Sound, has been exploring this river for a pass, and about 10 miles up the Cleddon River, through the bush, he has discovered a pass which is over 4000 ft high, and which is the shortest route to Lake Wakatipu. No one has ever been through this part of the country before. The new pass has been named the “Milford Sound Pass.” No hardships are to be met with en route, and no danger is encountered in traversing the pass. * * * * The new police district to which Inspector Kelly has been appointed, will embrace the east coast and Thames, and the Coromandel peninsula, the stations in the defined area being: Coromandel, Karangahake, Katikati, Morrinsville, Omaio, Opotiki, Paeroa, Rotorua, Shortland, Taupo, Tauranga, ’Te Aroha, Tepuke, Te Whaiti, Thames, Te Kaanui Waihi, Waikino, Whakatane, Whitianga. Thames is to be the headquarters of the new district. It has been decided that May 24, Empire Day, be observed' as a general holiday. This day has been decided on instead of 'June 3, Prince of Wales’ birthday. During the last few years considerable confusion has taken place, some people keeping one day and some the other as holiday.

Mr P. S. Gleeson, son of Mr P. Gleeson, well known to the Auckland Trade, and now of Napier, will shortly return to the colony after an absence of four years. He has been studying brewing and malting, and has visited nearly all the large breweries in the Old Country.

It is estimated that the deficit over the New Zealand Exhibition will be £50,000.

An elderly man named William Charles Williams has been committed to the Supreme Court for sentence on charges of passing valueless cheques. Mr John Morrison of the Royal Hotel was taken in for nearly four pounds.

The Federal Customs authorities object to the importation of labels in the" Spanish language printed in Germany for use on Australian-made cigars. While the Commerce Act does not prohibit the labels it has been decided that they are deceptive, and must, therefore, bear the imprint, “printed in Germany.” » * * ♦

A curious “find” came up in the trawl of the Napier recently. When drawing in the net, fourteen miles north of the Heads, the crew observed that a case of some sort was among the fish. On being opened it was found to contain a dozen bottles of absinthe, valued at between £5 and £6. Although the case was oh the sea floor when found, it is surmised that it must have drifted some fifty miles from the wreck of the Marguerite Miraband at Akatore —a rather wonderful drift for such a non-buoyant piece of goods. * * * *

During the year ended March 31, 13,285 tourists visited the Tourist Inquiry Office at Rotorua, in quest of information. Of this number, 5685 visited the office from December 1 to March 31. For the year there is an increase of 2617 callers.

A new police district has been created, and will be called the Thames district. Inspector Kiely, who is being transferred from Wanganui will be in charge.

Sub-Inspector Black, who it will be remembered, was for some time in Auckland, has been promoted to the rank of Inspector, and takes charge of the Greymouth Police district.

In Dunedin last week a man named George Stanley Sharp was committed for trial on charges of having stolen cigarettes and tobacco, valued at over a hundred pounds.

Apropos of the threat to tax aerated and mineral waters, a Glasgow poet wrote thus to the late Sir Wilfrid Lawson:— O, Lawson, grip your battle-axe, And bid the rascal stop Who’d dare dishonour with a tax, Our guileless ginger-pop. In blood upon your banners write: “We’ll keep our soda free; And if our foes intend to fight, Then, damn it, soda we!” * * * * We publish elsewhere the dates and places of the annual meetings of the Licensing Committees in the Auckland Provincial district. • « • • The Australian Commissioners have refused to submit fresh samples to the Exhibition authorities, saying that they would “leave the odium of these disgraceful awards to the management of the New Zealand Exhibition.” * * * * The Boston “Herald” says that on the arrival of ocean liners many young women are kissed by mistake. This reminds us of the well-known tragedy at a railway station, when, in the flurry of starting for a journey, a lady kissed the porter, and gave her husband twopence.— “Australian Star.” * • • * In Wellington last Thursday a man named Andrew Maher, who had pleaded guilty at Blenheim to a charge of breaking, entering, and theft, was brought before his Honor, Mr Justice Cooper for sentence. He was sent to gaol for two years with hard labour. The prisoner, who is a horse-breaker and labourer, was “swagging it,” and at Parikawa went into premises which he found unoccupied and helped himself to half a bottle of whisky and sundry other articles.

At the Cambridge Magistrate’s Court last Friday, Robert Brown, farmer of Taotaoroa, and W. H. McKenzie, licensee of the National Hotel, charged each other with assault. From the evidence, it ap-> peared that Brown was refused drink by McKenzie, on the ground that he had had enough. The accused then threw the dregs of a glass of beer into the publican’s face, and the latter retaliated. The police were called in, and the result was the above charges. The case against McKenzie was dismissed, and Brown was fined £1 and costs, £1 3s. * * * « At Wanganui last Monday in the Police Court, two men were fined the maximum penalty of £lO respectively for procuring liquor for a prohibited person, and obtaining liquor while being prohibited. The magistrate (Mr Stanford) said he was determined to have prohibition orders respected, and in all such cases he would inflict the maximum penalty. A storekeeper was fined £5 and costs for keeping his shop open after 9 on Saturday night. * * * * From Wellington, the death of Mr J. O’Neill, proprietor of the Masonic Hotel, and formerly of Oamaru, aged 51, is reported. At Ashburton last Friday an Armorous Evangelist was fined £5 and costs for kissing a married woman without her consent. * * * * The assessed yearly value of London’s dwelling houses is a Tittle over 45 millions sterling. * * * * France has over five million acres of vineyards, and stands first as a wineproducing country, Italy being a good second. * * * » Washington, the capital of the United States, has the widest streets of any city in the world. * * .* * Speaking in regard to the responsibilities of publicans, Mr H. W. Northcroft, S.M., sitting at Cambridge, said the publican who refuses to supply liquor to a man whom he considers has had enough, is quite within his rights, in fact, if the publican supplied liquor to such a one he knew that he risked a conviction and getting his license endorsed. The magistrate would impose the full penalty imposed on those who neglected to run their houses strictly on the lines required by the law, and thus he would weed out those who were either incompetent or wilfully ne g’lig' e nt. By this means, the right standard would, perhaps, be maintained, concluded Mr Northcroft.