TRADE TOPICS

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XX, Issue 1112, 3 August 1911, Page 21

TRADE TOPICS

There are 801 names on the barmaids’ register, published in last week’s Gazette.

Francis McFarland, licensee of the Hotel Cecil, Wellington, died on Saturday, aged 71. He was a former resident of Westland, and was chairman of the Wellington Licensed Victuallers’ Association.

“To be a total abstainer is a very admirable qualification, but many men parade in the Court that they do not drink and thereby try to imply that they are immaculate,” said Dr. McArthur at the Petone Court, “but I would advise you that there are other vices besides drink. Boys would be all the better if they went home earlier at night and took an interest in home life.”

An eventful career has come to an end in the death of an old West Coaster, Mr. Richard William Lecher, who died recently, aged 88 years. He arrived in South Australia when quite a youth. He followed goldmining in ’Frisco, Victoria and New Zealand. One of his sons was burnt to death in the fire which destroyed Dawson’s Hotel, Reefton, in 1882, owing to his returning to the hotel to assist another boarder who had returned to get some' valuables, . both men perishing. , .

There are further developments in connection with the closing of the Maropiu Hotel (Kaipara), application having been made to the Supreme Court for a, mandamus .nullifying the decision of the Kaipara Licensing Committee to close the hotel. Their application is upon two grounds: (1) That Mr. James Tronson does not “permanently reside” in the Kaipara district, and that he was, therefore, disqualified from sitting at the annual meeting of the committee, and without his attendance there was no quorum; (2) that w’hen the reserved decision of the committee to close the hotel was delivered, there were only three members of the committee present.

Out of the 15 breaches of the Licensing Act in Masterton investigated during the quarter ended June 30, six were for ordering liquor for a No-IL cense district without giving name and address, there were two charges of keeping liquor for sale iff a No license district, four charges of delivering liquor, in a No-license -. district which accused had • grounds to'; suspect was intended to be kept for sale, one charge of selling liquor to a resident of a No-license district without sending notice to the Clerk of Court,, and two charges of storing liquor in a No-license- district. Seventy - five criminal cases were dealt with during the quarter. ’

We learn that Mr. H. Ward, late of the Burke’s Pass Hotel, Canterbury, has purchased the Albury Hotel from Mr. O’Malley.

In the District Court in Melbourne recently, Gertrude Westbury -vas charged with having unlawfully sold liquor of an intoxicating nature. John Joseph Hoare, revenue detective, said he visited Westbury’s chemist’s shop, Swanson-street. He saw Mrs. Westbury, and asked her if methylated spirits was poisonous to drink. She replied: “No, they drink it around here in gallons on a Sunday.” Witness said. “Well, I have been trying unsuccessfully to get a drink this morning. I saw some men drinking methylated spirits, and I thought I would come and see if it were poisonous.” She asked “What do you drink?” He told her that he drank spirits, and she said, “They tell me it is as good as rum to drink-” He asked her how it was drunk, and she replied, “Put a spoonful in a good drop of water.” The Deputy Government Analyst said that he had analysed the spirits bought by Hoare, and had found that it contained 32.26 per cent, alcohol. The residue was practically water. There was some pyridine present. No sane man would drink methylated spirits. The case was adjourned.

About thirty years ago there lived in Masterton a family by the name of Mack. The husband, who did odd jobs at fencing, -went to America, where he recently died, and left con-

siderable property. Enquiries are now being made as to the whereabouts of his wife and child.

The eight hundred and odd names which appear on the Barmaids’ Register as gazetted (says the “New Zealand Times”) do not represent the total number of barmaids who will be registered in the Dominion, as many of the certificates issued by the Labour Department have not yet been returned signed by the various agents. A supplementary list will be issued shortly, when the whole of the registration is complete, though, of course, no more applications are being taken. It is expected that when the register is complete it will contain just over cue thousand names.

Mr. Francis McFarland’s death comes as a severe blow to the Licensed Victuallers of New Zealand. Although well advanced in years Mr. McFarland, generally speaking, enjoyed such good health, that his early demise was one of those unlooked for contingencies that come as a painful surprise to those affected. Mr McFarland enjoyed the unique distinction amon'st the hotel keeping fraternity of holding the Commission oi the Peace. He was one of the first Justices of the Peace appointed in New Zealand, and was in his 71st year when he died. A native of County Armagh, Ireland, he came to New Zealand in 1862, having migrated to New South Wales during the previous year. He first settled in Otago, where he worked on the goldfields until 1865, when he went to the West Coast and opened the first baker’s shop at Cobden. He then went to Charleston, where he was appointed a member of the Buller County Council, and later he settled in Brannerton, and was the first Mayor of that place. Nineteen years ago he came to Wellington and started business as a baker and general storekeeper in Tara-naki-street, and some eight years ago he took over the Hotel Cecil. For over 50 years deceased was a mem-' her of the Oddfellows’ Lodge, and he was also president of the Eighty Club, vice-president of the Licensed Victuallers' Association, and vice-president and chairman of the West Coasters’ Association, of which he was one of the founders. In his early days deceased took a keen interest in athletics on the West Coast. He leaves a widow, two sons (Messrs. Frank and James McFarland), and three daughters (Mrs. Pender, Mrs. Aldridge and Mrs. J. Dwyer).

The Californian wine trade will have an exhibit at the Panama-Paci-fic fair in 1915 that will impress the world- The trade recognises that the fair will provide one of the biggest opportunities for advertisement ever afforded, and it will not be slow to take advantage of it. A favourable sign is that everbody is anxious to make an early start in the plans for the display, and a meeting''-will be held for the purpose. It seems to be accepted that an entire building will be devoted to the exhibit.

Mr D. Mahoney, Timaru, ■ reports that notwithstanding the near approach of the-local options poll, there is a good demand for hotels in South Canterbury, especially in the country districts. The following changes have taken place this week: —W. H. Ward, Burke’s Pass Hotel to W. J. Dunlop; C. O’Malley’s Albury Hotel to W. H. Ward; freehold of J. L. Jopp’s Makikihi Hotel to W. Quinn, late of Southbrook- Mr Mahoney has several other first-class leaseholds and freeholds to offer to those in search of this class of property, and will be pleased to forward particulars to intending buyers on application.

During cleaning operations at the Ship Hotel, Weybridge, Surrey, England, a grandfather clock was opened for the first time for many years, and found to contain the entire skeleton of a cat.