THE COUNTER LUNCH.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 563, 19 July 1909, Page 4

THE COUNTER LUNCH.

SHOULD IT BE .RESTRICTED?

RESTAURATEURS UP IN ARMS "The best fourpoiiiiy feed in tho city, como with mo/ and sco; all good stuff j you needn't ba'afraid." It was midday, and' tho ■ cold drizzlo from tho south lent an edgo ■■ to tho invitation —a lunch for fourponco in a hotel, it Boomed too good to bo tuio Tho imitation was iccopted, and, in a few moments, wo had dosconded half a dozen steps into tho "divo" of a citj hotel It was crowded with mon —coal-stained hulk men, cleanor-skinnod wharf labourers, and n sprinkling of wasters Bohihd tho -bar four.men woro toiling,hard to supply tho "fourponnj-touchcrs" with their midday moal—for it was that Not a bad ono oithor Each man was sorved with a china mug of bcor, holding a pint, perhaps, but with it ho was supplied from, a gleaming copper cistern (kopt warm jets of gas) with a hot sausago, a nssolo of dry hash, a hot potato, and a hunk of bread—all placed on a cloan tin plate, and accompanied with a kmfo and folk To tho really hungry a binquot indeed 1 Tho faro was partaken of, and found to be as good as it smolt Tho hash was tasty, tho sausngo was well llavourcd, tho potato cooked to a turn, and tho- beer (well, never niihd tho beer)—all tor fourpenco A card behind the bar announced that this kind of faro,was available from 11 a m. to 1 p m , and from B'pm to 10 p m daily Scats and tables aro provided for tho comfort of patrons, and plates of bread and cheeso are placed on those for tho hungry to fill up with, if tho tastier viands prove insufficient.

I Two Points of View. , From ono point of view such a cheap repast must be regarded as a boon and a blessing to the working man, whoso means are necessarily limited Hib good wife could not givo him anything hko such a repast at "the price, and a man, to work woll, must bo fed well. But others may take the -now that it, is bad for the working man to mako a habit of taking Ins midday moal in the bar of a public-house In most countries a hotel proprietor would be allowed to givo away what ho pleased in tho way of food, but in this country things aro difl-crcnt So it is with tho counter-lunch The lestaiimteurs of the city afe much perturbed over tho development in this order of ontortainmcnt, and in particular with tho "fourpenny feed" referiod to and described above Ono keeper of a sixpenny restaurant told our representative that the new development in counter-lunches has mado an apprecnblo difference to his business, dud he would like to know where that sort of thing was going to end ' I wont m theio the other day," said ho, "and saw a lot of mon there who were regular customers of mine a little while ago They go there now bocatiso it is twopence cheaper, and thoy get a pint of beer. Look —hero is ray rachu for sixpence. It isn't bad, is it?" It was not at all bad There was soup, a good variety of entrees, and hot joints, with two sorts of vegetables, and a variety of, puddings to select from —all for sixpence, also a cup of tea "I saj it isn't fair trading for the hotejs to put on what is equal to a meal They have a license to sell drink—let them keep to that, Wo don't mind those hotels that put on tho counter a couple of plates of biscuits and sandwiches and cheeso, but when it comes to serving up hot stuff—well, it's a bit'too hot Of course, it's the beer that beats us It only shows what profit there is m beer, when for 4d you can get a pint, a hot saussgo,' a slab of dry hash, a boiled potato, and broad < Will Give Away Beer. * * ''I don't know whother wo can do it, but I mean to find out if I cannot buy beor in lieepors aro giving away the food we sell If I find that there is no legal restriction on ■ doing so; I'am prepared to spend £S(J. ion,'boor right" aw ay,-sq that my customers. wi'J, ti>Q abl6 % to got" a glass with their (sisponnj)'dinncr*' Why shouldn't we be"ablo'to do this 9 Tho hotelkeepors find that trade is slack owing to bad times, so.they offer special inducements to keep their bars going \ jlin prepared ]to do tho same b) giving away beer to keep my business together What is more, I have to pay my hands award wages, aild thej work union hours, while thero is nothing to prevent p. barman woikmg 20 out of the 24 hours It's tho same with tho girls, so you can see that tho competition is un--1 fair It "affects the shilling restaurants as well as the sixpenny ' Ono well-known first- .: class., , hotel- f giy,es away.hot pie's,•.hot', sausages,', "and potatbe.B :; from!;ll a.m. ;to"'<l .every ■ day; manywho i would ■•' take a" shilling .':luncheon' m'a"ke- ; a ; .'ligHt"lunche6n'arid'a drink ■ \do;"v,:-w. ! :'..,;'.'■; :;■• ■}■:!.' >.y.. '.v~-:■.'.'.

An ,Etfeot orßad^TlmesV .: .■',■. ';..■•■■.■; r ' . ..' ! ': A;''shilling/', man said liis business was not much :; afFcorod by- th6;-c6unter-lmich,vbut hel could well .imagine how, the,freerlunches given' by-'. sbme'-.of the.'hotels'.: would' hit -'tho'" sixpenny ■restaurarits..'iHd';"said 'that' the"question ;''of/■■'.res trictihg ■ counter-lunches ':■ cropped up ■ about aiirio years' ago, when tlio case vfirst 1 came before the Afrbitra-' tibri.';Oourt.. Since ; then nothing' much, had ; been\heard of''the matter, as it was ! only';'in bad times ;that; : the;'h6tels;or)ened out'te'."attract A.pbint' that struck him was this: If,.an.liotel could give such a good'lunch and a pint of beer for ! 4<L, why could they not , soil beer;for'2d..a i pint.as the'food given was cortainjy worth' tho.-other 2d. ? As to. advan-tages,-in-.labour,.'it,,was' well"'known .;'that restaurant employees must .only work '52 hours, whereas'.hotel employees .could.' be ■.worked ,65 hours ''■■•)■":/:'■ - : '-.