TRADE TOPICS

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVIII, Issue 1057, 9 June 1910, Page 20

TRADE TOPICS

It is stated that an appeal has been lodged against the recent magisterial decision at Masterton secured by Mr. Lamb, of the Tararua vineyard.

At the annual meeting of the Nelson Licensing Committee the police opposed the renewal of the license in respect of the Provincial Hotel on the ground that drunkenness had been permitted on the premises. After hearing evidence the committee declined to grant the renewal, but allowed time for a suitable transfer to be effected. A motion requesting the Commissioner of Police to hold an inquiry into licensing matters in Nelson was defeated.

“I didn’t insult the man,” said a witness in the Masterton Court the other day. “I only knocked him down.” Needless to state the Court smiled-

Mr. R. H. Campbell, formerly licensee of the Central Hotel Eltham, has purchased the interest of Mrs. R. Nicholas in the Grosvenor Hotel, New Plymouth.

A man named David Thomas Miller was charged at the Magistrate’s Court, Oamaru, with having been found on the racecourse in a state of helpless drunkenness. ‘‘You seem very shaky now,” remarked the Magistrate to him. ‘‘What is the matter with you?” “I’ve had a drink of water,” replied defendant. “I’m not used to it.” His Worship granted a remand to June 1 for medical treatment.

At the Paeroa Police Court on Saturday Charles Gosper was fined £3 and costs for bringing liquor into a no-license district without having it properly labelled- He was convicted and discharged for failing to give his name and address when ordering liquor. Daniel Dwyer was fined the same amount for two similar offences.

Mr. H. G. Ell, M.P., is credited with the intention of again introducing in Parliament his Bill providing for the registration of barmaids. It is intended that the register will be kept by the Licensing Committee in each district, and that each barmaid will be registered and under the control of the committee to a greater extent than barmaids have hitherto been. An important clause in the Bill will be that providing that after the coming into force of the Act no more barmaids shall be registered. This will mean, of course, the gradual extermination of barmaids. Some time ago Mr- Ell introduced a Bill for the abolition of barmaids in one swoop, but it was never made law, although the opinion was expressed at the time that a Bill for the gradual abolition would receive much greater support.

A “nice point” was raised by Mr. C. A. Pownall in a no-license prosecution at Masterton. A defendant was charged with bringing into the nolicense district of Masterton four bottles of whisky for his employer without duly marking and registering the same, and he was convicted and fined 40s and costs. The police sergeant asked that the bottles be destroyed, instead of confiscated, and was discussing the question with the Bench, when Mr. Pownall, counsel for the defendant, said he had something to say on the matter. He claimed that as any resident can bring in on any day without the formalities, one quart of whisky or one gallon of beer, two of the bottles were legally brought in, and must be returned to defendant. The police could do what they liked with the other two, which were the illegal excess. The sergeant said that two bottles contained over one quartMr. Pownall: “Only a little over. You can empty a little out of the second one if you wish to split straws.” His Worship agreed to the contention of

counsel, and ordered the return of two bottles to defendant, who marched off with one under each arm in triumph, while the other two were du.y “executed” by the sergeant at the police station.

At Oamaru on Monday, reports the correspondent of the Otago Daily Times, William McGregor, a carter was charged with delivering to one B. Morris one case of whisky, hav.ng reason to suspect that it was to be sold within the no-license district. The police stated that no person of the name of the consignee could be found who had ordered or taken delivery of a case of whisky, and it was believed the name was now a bona fide one. The police evidence was to the effect that McGregor refused to give any information on the subject “unless paid for it.” Mr. Ongley, who appeared for accused, claimed that there was no case to answer. McGregor could

not be convicted of delivering unless it was proved that he did deliver. His Worship agreed that there was something in this view, but said he would not dismiss the case without considering the circumstances, which were certainly suspicious. Judgment was therefore deferred.

The coming of another local option poll at the end of next year is viewed by some hotelkeepers in Wellington with some misgivings. This was illustrated at a meeting of the Licensing Committee when counsel for one applicant for transfer for a license asked the Bench not to be too stiff in the matter of repairs, but to bear in mind that there was another election coming on.

Later, when Inspector Ellisdon was reporting upon the state of one hotel he remarked that “for a very old building it was in a fairly habitable condition just at present.” “Well, will it last until next election?” asked the chairman. “Yes, I think it will —with care,” replied the inspector amidst laughter.

Beer duty paid in Invercargill during the month of May (on beer manufactured in Southland) amounted to £145 10s, as against £l3O Ils 6d for May of last year, and £ll7 14s 3d for May of 1908 (says the “Southland Times”). The increase (£l4 8s 6d) represents 119 4 gallons of liquor. For the first five months of the past three years the amount of beer manufactured was 5 8,29 6 gallons, 57,54 4 gallons, and 60,750 gallons respectively.

At the annual meeting of the Wellington City Licensing Committee all

the licenses were renewed. The chairman (Mr. Haselden, S.M.), commenting on the remark that alterations to certain hotels would be attended to, and that there was to be a licensing poll 18 months hence, said: “That fact is not lost sight of. The Bench would not tolerate some of the houses now in existence but for the fact that there is to be a licensing poll in 18 months.”

At the annual meeting of the Pahiatua Licensing Committee, all the Woodville hotel licenses were granted, provided Gothard, the executor of the late Bottomley, of the Central Hotel, obtains a transfer within three monthsMr. Dwyer, of the Club Hotel, was granted three months’ leave of absence,

and Mrs. Dwyer was appointed manageress. The Masonic and Club Hotels are both to provide an improvement in their fire escapes. The Pahiatua Hotel licenses were all renewed. One licensee, who had been fined for supplying drunken men, was severely warned. The country hotels were all renewed, except the Herbertville, which was granted for 28 days, when the license will be cancelled if a satisfactory transfer is not forthcoming. All the country hotels were formally required to provide stabling.

Visitors to Wellington will find excellent accommodation at the Princess Theatre Hotel, Tory Street, which is so ably conducted by Mr. Robert W. V. Allen. Every attention and a moderate tariff are special features of thishotel.

There is at least one sensible Anglican Bishop in Australia. Speaking to a motion before the Anglican Synod, at Newcastle, to support no-license at the next election, Bishop Stretch expressed the hope that the Synod would not support no-license. The Synod was not a political body, and for any such body to say it would support or vote for a man on this ground only was degrading, and was really sectarianism. Local option was, he thought, the worst thing ever introduced- He regarded the action of the Legislature in referring to the people the question of no-license by means of local option as a piece of cowardice, false to the root principles of democracy. The State said: “You can have your license if you build a house costing £7,000 or £B,OOO, but we can shut it down at the end of a year, however well you conduct it.” This was an elaborate and disgusting swindle, and it would knock morality out of the trade. The motion was rejected.

The Grand Hotel, Palmerston North, has been recently taken over by Mr. G‘. E. Trevor- This house is one of the finest in the Dominion, having been built on the most modern and up-to-date lines- Mr. Trevor, who is well known throughout the district, is determined to maintain the high standard of excellence for which this hotel is noted.