TRADE TOPICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XX, Issue 1121, 5 October 1911, Page 21

TRADE TOPICS.

After all Te Aroha is not to be included in the Ohinemuri electorate; neither is Katikati. Both have been restored, to Tauranga, and so the four hotels there are considered fairly safe. But the fifth hotel finds itself dependent upon the vote of the Waihi miners for its continued existence, although it has nothing in common with Waihi, nor is there the least community of interest between the two places. The hotel in question is, unfortunately, by no means singular, hotels at Porirua and Pahautanui having been transferred from Otaki to an adjacent “dry” district, as a result of the redistribution of boundaries. * * * * As the result of negotiations with Sir George Reid (High Commissioner for Australia) the Customs authorities have agreed to issue certificates as to the age of whisky exported to the Commonwealth. * * * The travelling public of the Dominion coming to Christchurch are naturally struck with the splendid way in which their wants are catered for. There are in Christchurch hotels and hole’s. The “Qxford” ' has no pretension to style, but it has to comfort, cheerfulness, . cleanliness, cuisine, and sparkling ales, wines and spirits. Mr Cohen has had considerable experience in hotel management, so that patrons can be assured of entire satisfaction in every department at the “Oxford.” Situated opposite Victoria Park, and close to the Colombo, St. Bridge, the distance to the General Post Office, theatres, and business centres is but three minutes’ walk. Trams pass the door and stop on either side of the hotel. Altogether the “Oxford” is an ideal place to stay at. Writes a Paeroa correspondent: — “It seems rather an anomaly to have a prohibition order issued against a resident of a no-Hcense district, but at the Police Court at Paeroa application was made against a resident of Karangahake- Constable Montgomery said the man had to the constable’s knowledge consumed thirty bottles of whisky within the last two months in addition to what he had obtained locally. The order was issued.” - ■ ' ... * * * * The West Australian Alliance has recommended its members to support the Labour candidates because the Government declines to amend the Licensing Act. A * * Mr H. Goodwin, late of Cambridge Hotel, has taken over the Clarendon Hotel, Manners-street, Wellington. • Ml * “Has the no-license vote done away with the practice of centuries —that of ‘shouting’?” asked Mr Inder with some warmth during the hearing of a no-license prosecution at Gore. Mt V * * It is stated, says the Thames paper, that the miners of Waihi are anxious that restoration should be carried in the Ohinemuri district, and, with this end in view, are considering a scheme whereby; in the event of restoration, they are to have a direct interest, not only in the management, but in the profits of licensed houses. It is understood that if arrangements can be made with the owners of former licensed premises and with the wholesalers interested; it is the intention of the miners to .take active and keen participation in ....(he forthcoming local option poll.' The rumour in question was mentioned to Mr Myers and the member for Auckland East, who is in a good position to speak , with some authority on. the point, confirmed the report. In discussing the situation, Mr Myers agreed that this movement at Waihi had within it the germ of a great and radical change in the system of the control ,of licensed houses. “It has yet to be seen how such a system as that proposed in Waihi will work,” he said. “But, in view of the large population of the Ohinemuri district, it is to be presumed in the event of restoration being carried on these : lines that the profits that accrue, as a result of. the miners’ interest in the, houses will result in the augmentation of such funds as the sick and accident fund ‘by large >. accretions from this source, and what is from' the public point -of view, I suppose, .of greater importance,” added Mr Myers,, “it will .probably be the forerunner of a desire on the part of the people to experiment with the question of municipal or State ownership' of-: hotels. That is undoubtedly the 'tendency, of the present- movement, at Waihi.” '

At a sitting of the Waihi Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, before Mr. F. J. Burgess, S.M., D. O. Jolly and Sons, of Dunedin (wine and spirit merchants); were fined 20s and costs 7s for sending a case of liquor into the Ohinemuri no-license district without having notified the clerk of the Court at Waihi in terms of the Licensing Act. * * * * Some misconception arose over the severely condensed cable report of the remarks made by the president of the Australasian Medical Congress regarding the effect of alcohol on the race (says the “Christchurch Press”). What Dr. Pockling really said was that as an agent in natural selection, alcohol was believed to be a stringent, if not more stringent, than tuberculosis; weeding out the susceptible and leaving the propagation of the race, in great measure, to those on whom the craving for alcohol had no holdWhilst opinions differed as to the harmfulness of alcohol used in moderation, there was no question that, taken in excess, it was damaging to the individual, as well as productive of much misery, poverty, distress and crime, and a potent cause and a serious complication of disease. But while this was so, there was nd proof of the claim that it caused racial de-

generation, but all the evidence was the other way. Whilst all agreed that measures that could be proved to work for the permanent lessening of intemperance should be encouraged, the difficulty came in deciding as to what sort of measures should be adopted. “Nature eliminates drunkards,” said the president. “Temperance reformers, well-meaning, and deserving of all praise though they be for their .efforts, but ignoring the lessons of evolution and history, seek to eliminate-dr-ink. This seems hardly possible in a civilised community, where anyone can easily manufacture alcohol, if he cannot buy it, or he can substitute some still more poisonous narcotic. We see already how inebriates, prevented from getting alcohol in a purer form, are taking to drinking methylated spirits.” * * * * In an address on Prohibition at the First Church, Invercargill, the Rev. J. Gibson Smith, now of St. Andrew’s, Wellington, said that: “He did not believe alcohol was a poison; and while there was much cheap science quoted to that effect, the great mass of experience proved that there were multitudes who used alcohol in moderation without suffering harm. If Prohibitionists regarded it as a poison, there was no sacrifice in abstaining from it; but they stultified themselves when they urged moderate drinkers to give up the indulgence for the sake of their weaker brethren, as a matter of sacrifice. From the way some Prohibitionists talked, they seemed to think that if they gained Prohibition the millennium would dawn, and there would be no more crime or trouble. He had a different idea; for there would still be sin and misery until the human heart was changed.” * * * * A report was recently circulated alleging that the miners of Waihi were prepared to vote for the restoration of license in the Ohinemuri district on condition that they were given an interest in the licensed houses in the district, and participated in the profits accruing from the sale of liquor. Approached on the matter a prominent official of the Waihi Miners and Workers’ Union said that the executive of that body had no knowledge or cognisance of any such desire on the part of its members, but subsequent proceedings go to show that correspondence has passed on the subject. It seems that as the outcome of a suggestion made to an official + he union the official wrote to a member of an Auckland brewing firm asking if any person had been authorised to approach the union on the question- To this a non-committal reply (marked “private”) was received a day or two ago, which, according to the union official, hinted that the “trade” would be willing" to discuss the Question generally with representatives of the union. The letter was submitted to members for consideration at a special meeting on Saturday night, when it was decided that no action be taken, and the communication was ordered to be received.