TRADE TOPICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 1006, 17 June 1909, Page 20

TRADE TOPICS.

Mrs. W. Cullen, has (says the “Thames Star”) taken over the Cornwall Arms Hotel, while Mr. C. Kasper, the former licensee, has journeyed to Auckland, but will be back at Thames for a brief period.

Mr. J. O’Meara, a well-known Masterton hotelkeeper, has purchased the lease of the Manchester Hotel, Feilding.

Mr. A. Moyniham, late of the Club Hotel, Stratford, has purchased Mr. Anderson’s interest in the Central Hotel, Palmerston North. Visitors to this town will find first class accommodation at this house which is situated near the Railway Station.

It is stated (says Sydney “ Fair Play”) that several New Zealand exhotelkeepers (lately sold out) have come to Sydney, with the object of picking up “a nice little hotel.” Apparently, Sydney is not so bad after all. One ex-hotelkeeper from Wellington told the writer that “the only thing that he was afraid of was that there was not so much profit in the three-penny pints.” But when he saw some of the “rushes” at snack-time in a few of the city hotels, he admitted “that it was the quantity that told." Over in New Zealand, he admitted, they sold one pint where ten were ordered in Sydney.

There recently occurred in Belfast a £200,000 whisky fire, and thereby hangs the tale of a native of that city, who (writes a London correspondent) upon being told of the flood of liquor that ran through the streets into the gutters, said in a tone of profound melancholy: “Man, but that’s my

luck. I had a chance of joining the Fire Brigade whin I was a lad, an’ I missed it.”

Aucklanders making the Wanganui trip should note that Dusten’s, Ltd., tea rooms are unsurpassed for excellence and popularity. This firm caters for the Wanganui and Manawatu Jockey Clubs and A. and P. Associations, and enjoys a reputation for dainty and first-class goods.

Taihape boasts of an up to date brewery capable of turning out 1000 gallons of pure beer per week. Its proprietor Mr. W. J. Kuhtze, has a complete and compact plant and brews a very palatable, and much apprecited beverage, which has gained exhibition honors at Manawatu, furst prizes being awarded it for beer, in both casks and bottles. The “Huia” beer as Mr. Kuhtze calls it, may be depended upon for its purity. It has a pleasant sparkle, a fine flavour and wherever it is supplied “ repeat ” orders are soon forthcoming—a recommendation which speaks for itself. Mr. Kuhtze makes a specialty of the small keg trade, and all orders receive prompt and careful attention.

As the result of the closing of the eight hotels in Dunedin, a local firm that is interested in the trade estimates that it will lose over £3OOO a year.

Mr. A. T. Lake, the genial host of the Club Hotel, Waitara, takes a very great interest in football matters in the Taranaki district. He has denoted three medals for the best player (to be judged by the public) in each of the first, second and third divisions, and has also offered caps to the players of the winning team in the northern division.

“ I am not going to allow a man who has a gold mine like the Junction Hotel to do as he likes with the Awarua Licensing Committee,” said Mr- Cruickshank, chairman of the Awarua Licensing Bench, the other day when the licensee’s council was pleading to be allowed to put down a gravel path instead of ashphalt. The pleading, however, was of no avail, and the gravel he was wiring to put down must contain a mjxture of tar.

Mr. Sid Amer has taken over the Marton hotel stables, North Broadway, and solicits a share of public patronage. Coaches meet all trains and travellers can rely on promptness and satisfaction.

In another column will be found an announcement concerning NcIndoe’s livery and bait stables ac Marton. Mr. Signal, the proprietor, is out to cater for the tourist and traveller in an up-to-date manner, and has made a notable addition to his plant in the shape of a fine Singer motor car, which is at the disposal of patrons at reasonable rates, both day and night. Mr Signal is himself an expert motorist, and has covered thousands of miles in the car, over rough country roads. The good roads from Marton to Hunterville, Palmerston North and Wanganui facilitates quick travelling, and travellers are recommended to utilise the motor car for these trips and save loss of time waiting for trains etc.

The excise stactistics show that the average annual consumption of beer works out at four bucketfuls for every man, woman and child in Victoria.

The unusual epidemic of “drunks” in Oamaru may possibly be due to a reported ingenious evasion of the Act. Having procured a bottle of whisky (states the “Mail”), it is said to be fairly common for a man to take his whisky into an hotel, order and pay for a glass of soda or lemonade and mix the two In the hotel. Apparently there is no infraction of the law in

regard to such tricks, as only a glass of soda or lemonade is sold, and the price paid is only for the soda or lemonade.

Counter lunches in the bars of hotels were condemned by the Chalmers Licensing Committee last week. The chairman informed a man who had made an application for the renewal of his license that the committee desired him to say that it wished the practice stopped. At a later stage Mr. J. C. Stephens asked if the committee by this declaration meant also that it objected to biscuits and cheese being on hotel bars. Mr. Widdowson, S.M., signified that that was the unanimous wish of the committee. “ The committee desire that counter lunches be discontinued,” he said, “and the police are asked to see from time to time that this is given effect to.’

An interesting little machine for measuring and controlling the size of “nips” was involved in a case begun and then abandoned in the Wellington Magistrate’s Court. A witness was describing how the machine allowed just so much liquor to run into a glass, when the Magistrate, Dr. McArthur, broke in with enquiry, “ Can’t you invent a machine,” he asked, “which would register how many nips a fellow has in a day? It would be very convenient in cases before the Court sometimes, especially when a fellow comes along and says he has only had one or two. You might think it over.” Witness said he would, though the difficulty he saw was that a man would need to carry the machine about with him.

Ten thousand gallons of wine were made at Mr. Chambers’ vineyards at Te Mata, Hawke’s Bay, last year-

In the opinion of Sergeant Hutton, who is in charge of the Poverty Bay police district, there would be less drinking amongst prohibited persons if there was some check on the sale of liquor in flasks and small bottles. These are carried in the pockets of the purchasers, and can then be handed to prohibited persons without much fear of the transfer being observed.

The Club Hotel at Waitara has lately been rebuilt, and replete with every convenience, it affords under Mr. A. T. Lake’s able supervision first-class accommodation for the travelling public. The tariff is moderate, while only the best of ales, wines and spirits are kept.

The following transactions have been negotiated in the space of a few weeks by Mr. Wenzl Scholium, local hotel broker: —Sale of White’s Settler’s Hotel, Whangarei, to C. Gibson, of Paeroa; Mr. Paul Hansen’s property at Lake Takapuna, also license from Campbell and Ehrenfried, to Mr. Audus Raynes; possession of Taupiri Hotel, to Mr. E. Bennett; possession of Tararu Hotel, Thames, to Mr. Kerr; possession of Kaeo Hotel (Mr. Jacentho) to Mr. H. Davis; sale and possession of Cornwall Arms Hotel. Thames (C. Kasper), to Mrs. Cullen; sale of lease, etc., Freeman’s Bay Hotel, to R. Hunt; sale of furniture and effects, Criterion Hotel, Paeroa, and Karangahake Hotel, Karangahake, also overal general businesses and properties, including a £4OOO Waikato farm.