TRADE TOPICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 1000, 6 May 1909, Page 20

TRADE TOPICS.

Tenders have been called for painting work at the Waverley Hotel, Queen Street.

Mr. C. T. Gibson, of the Criterion Hotel, Paeroa, has completed the negotiations for the purchase of Mr. E. H. White’s interest in the Settlers Hotel. Whangarei. We regret to learn that Mrs. White has not been enjoying good health lately, and we hope that a rest from business will bring a speedy return to the best of health.

Mrs. S. A. Vollemaere, will continue in the business of the Railway Terminus Hotel, and is applying for the license held by her late husband.

The world’s largest grape vine is to be found in Hamburg, Germany. It was planted in 1771, and is now 60in. in circumference.

Mr. T. B. O’Connor, who has had a lengthy spell of private life, has returned to the Trade again, having purchased Mr. J. H. Turnbull’s interest in the Alexandra Hotel. Mr. O’Connor has had very many years of Auckland hotel-keeping experience, his last house being the Thames Hotel.

At Taihape last week, a man named Frederick Armstrong, head waiter at the Gretna Hotel, was arrested on a charge of theft of £3 from the Gretna Hotel safe. It is stated that several other charges are pending against the same accused.

At the present time there is said to be a number of enquiries for hotels in Auckland, and many changes are rumoured.

Mr. T. C. Bass, who for many years was Chief Steward in the Union s.s. Coy’s, employ, has given up the sea for hotel-keeping, having purchased Mr. W. Montgomery’s interest in the Northern Wairoa Hotel at Dargaville. Mr. Bass having had long experience of the travelling public and of catering, particularly in the Island trade, should prove an ideal hotel-keeper. We look forward to his assumed success.

The Silich vineyard, at Hukatere, illustrates the suitability of the North Auckland climate for wine culture, an enormous crop of beautiful grapes being produced this year, and over 1000 gallons of first-class wine being made. This is a large increase upon the output for last year.

* * * * Algerian vineyards produce more grapes to the acre than any others.

A charge of supplying beer to an intoxicated person was recently brought against a barmaid in Wellington. The evidence for the defence proved that the liquor was not supplied direct to the individual in question, but to another man, who passed it on. The charge was dismissed.

£2192 10s was collected in Auckland for beer duties last month. In the corresponding month last year £2313 Is 5d was collected.

In his Budget speech in the House of Commons, last week, Mr. Lloyd George (Chancellor of the Exchequer) estimates that an increase of 8d per pound on manufactured tobacco would yield £1,900,000, and an increase of 3s 9d per gallon on spirits would yield £1,600,000. The revision of liquor licenses and a uniform percentage on the annual value would produce £2,600,000.

Duties on beer, wines, spirits, and opium are the only one in force in the Strait Settlements.

Mr. Patrick Scanlon, of Wellington, recently paid £3OOO for the good-will of lease, license, and furniture of the Club Hotel, Carterton.

It is related of the late James Whistler, the gifted but eccentric American painter, that he was in Paris at the time of the coronation of the King of England, and one evening at a reception at the Hotel Ritz a duchess said to him. “Do you know King Edward, Mr. Whistler?” “ No, madame,” said th e painter. She looked surprised. “ Why, that is odd,” she murmured. “ I met. the King at a dinner party last year, and he said that he knew you.” Oh,” said Whistler, “ that was only his brag.”

A fire broke out in Mr. Woodward’s luncheon and fruit cafe in Willis street, Wellington, last Monday. Damage estapated at £285 was done before the fin 1 brigade suppressed the outbreak. j

Owinfi to the revision of liquor licenses Ms outlined by Mr. Lloyd George ((Chancellor of the Exchequer)

the price of beer has been increased by a half-penny a pint and spirits by a penny a glass.

Mr. Ernest Davis, of Messrs. Handcock and Co.. Ltd., has been elected Mayor of Newmarket-

Mr. Alf. Seccombe, of the Great Northern Brewery Coy., Ltd., has been re-elected a member of the Newmarket Borough Council.

The consumption of alcohol in France is decreasing. As a spirit drinker the Frenchman is only beaten by the Dane. While, roughly speaking, he only drinks one gallon of beer to the average Briton’s six gallons, his total consumption of absolute alcohol makes him an easy first among the nations of the Continent, with Belgium in the second, and Switzerland in the third place.

A big fire occurred at a whiskey bonded warehouse in Belfast recently. Damage to the extent of £250,000 is reported. During the progress of the fire the streets were running with blazing spirits, and ten persons were injured.

A man who secured a meal at a Palmerston North restaurant under false pretences was recently sentenced to seven days hard labour.

A large furnishing warehouse which was destroyed by fire at Palmerston North last week, was recently purchased by Mr. Childs of the Commercial Hotel, who on figures will be come out at a loss over the insurance.

The Citizens’ League had a good win over the recent City Council elections. Twelve out of their fifteen candidates being in the winning team.

Statistics for 1907, just issued by the Ministry of Finance, show that the consumption of alcohol is gradually diminishing in France. The consumption of absinthe, however, is rapidly rising.

A bill providing that no man who is twice convicted of intoxication in one year shall be allowed to be married, and that two convictions for drunkenness within a year shall be a ground for divorce, has been introduced in the States of Illinois.

The Kansas Senate has totally prohibited the use of alcohol, even for medical, scentific, and trade purposes.

The open door of the Pukekohe Hotel attracted the attention of a driven cow one afternoon last week as it was being driven up the street. The animal could not be charged with loitering on licensed premises as she charged right through the hall and into the back yard in quick time.

Representative James E. Watson, who ran for Governor of Indiana on a “dry” platform, is to be presented with a handsome punchbowl by his colleagues in the House. The gift will not be in the nature of a joke, because the Indiana member ran on a “water-waggon” ticket; but it will be a testimonial of the high esteem in which he is held by the Republican members of the House.

Mr. Thomas Mincher will act as licensee and manager of the Pukekohe Hotel during Mr. J. J. Graham’s absence in England.

A witness in a recent King Country sly-grog selling case stated that whiskey was sold at from £1 to £5 per bottle.

The vineyards at the Warenga experimental station have produced some 40 tons of grapes during the past season. Some 5500 gallons of wine have been made, and the cellars are now well stocked. The Hon. A. W. Hogg, who visited the station recently, stated it is proposed to subdivide a por-

tion of the estate into a number of leaseholds, each of an area of about 50 acres. Each tenant will have about 25 acres of orchard, 21 acres for grass and general crops, and about four acres of vines. The wattle bark plantation is producing good results, about 150 tons, of a value of over £IOOO, haying been obtained during the past season. The question of erecting a tannery in connection with the farm is now under consideration.

At Police Court last Thursday in Dunedin,G. S. Thomson, manager of the New Zealand Trade Guarantee Association, which collects debts on commission, was fined £4 and costs on a charge of issuing a document which would mislead people into believing that the said document had legal effect-

Beer duty collected in Wellington last month amounted to £1262 15s 6d. In April 1908 the amount totalled £1248 18s lOd.

Mr. T. W. Allen who has been for many years in the Northcote Hotel Jias sold out to Mr. J. E. R. Thorpe.

An important case was heard at Palmerston North on Monday, when a Shannon publican named Michael Moynihan was charged at the Magistrate’s Court with having committed four breaches of the Licensing Act in that he issued small cards at the recent licensing election, containing instructions how to vote. The case is the first heard in New Zealand under sub-sections (a) and (b), section 157, of the Legislature Act. The Police prosecuted, and the facts were admitted by the defence. Counsel addressed the Court on the legal position, and decision was reserved.

Can the most rabid prohibitionist tell us what good or gain it is to a country if half the hotels are closed, and yet the drink bill of the whole country keeps on soaring?

A well-known resident of Balclutha was shocked a few days ago on receiving the following wire from a gentleman in Dunedin of unusually abstemious habits:— “Will arrive jßalclU'tha tight tip-morrow evening. Should be glad if you could meet me.” Needless to say, the intelligent telegraphist had converted “eight” into “ tight-”

Prosperity, national and popular, follows prohibition, say the Boyces. Clarks and Tommy Taylors of the land. That is why (says “ Fair Play,” the New South Wales Trade journal) Sir J. G. Ward, New Zealand premier, is getting busy cheeseparing and retrenching, annihilating whole departments, and turning adrift on to a cold world, to swell a community of bankrupts, scores of civil servants who have served the country well for half a life-time, and lost the capacity for other work.

An organisation of representative people from all parts of Norway is being formed to combat prohibition. The new organisation will not be affiliated with any political party, but will prepare to fight the prohibitionists at all local elections. Its motto is, « Liberty and civilisation against a prohibition and coercion.” A large portion of the press hails it with enthusiasm as a practical instrument to free the country from prohibition.

One of the measures now pending in the New Mexico Legislature provides that every man wishing to drink liquor shall pay a license of £1 a year to the Territory and that any bartender selling to a man without a license shall be fined not less than £2O. We opine that the prohibition a,-nd local option members will kill this bill. It would be the means of showing what hypocrites many of them are. —Bonforts.