HOW OLD?

NZ Truth, Issue 1142, 20 October 1927, Page 5

HOW OLD?

A Barmaid's Age Is A Secret

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland

Rep.)

The present mode of hairdressing would most likely conceal the fact from the average elbow-bender, but by all the laws of superstition the ears of Auckland barmaids about 11 a.m. on Friday last were very . much aglow. THE reason for this unusual irrita- ■*■ tion can be traced to the Auckland Magistrate's Court, when Magistrate Hunt, together with one or two legal men and police officers, fell into file along the razor-back argument of barmaids and their ages.Because Frances Caroline Devlin took her stand behind the bar on her sister's licence, her name was called as one who had offended against the meticulously prudent laws of the country. ' Had the lady appeared at the court in person, his worship could then have judged for himself without having to rely upon the varied opinions of others as to whether it was Prances' youthful appearance 'midst the clink of cash and decanter that had brought about police inquiry into her bona-fides as a barmaid. But for once in her life, Frances refrained from appearing at the bar, so to speak, and relied upon Lawyer Singer to take her part in the hearing of her case. The charge against Frances for having — without a licence — taken employment as a barmaid at the imperial Hotel, was heard in conjunction with a charge against Frederick George Young, licensee of the hotel, for having kept her in his employ. Lawyer Terry acted for Young. Magistrate Hunt remarked upon the length of time since any such charge as that preferred against Frances had come before his notice, thus initiating a lively little debate upon just how young a licensed barmaid could be — and how it was that Frances Devlin's right to the handling of the beer-pump caused police investigation. A moment's calculation disclosed the fact that our most youthful Venus of the saloon-bar must at 'least be 38 years of age. With a remark that the "race was becoming so extinct and rare," Lawyer Singer suggested that the appearance of Frances' name on the court list must have been due to "some wide-awake policeman noticing her youthful demeanor." Lawyer Terry: "I think it is a case of professional jealousy!" Lawyer Singer: "But that would not be on the part of the constable, of course!" His Two Barmaids Senior-Sergeant McCarthy stated that Frances had displayed some annoyance when interviewed by a policesergeant — and in a manner "not altogether lady-like" had given him the licence to "do what he liked with it." A fine of £1, with costs 13/-, may teach Frances that if she wishes te impersonate her sister, it must not be as a ministering maid of the malt-pots and barleycorn. Young pleaded not guilty in his case and took the witness-box to explain how he had — on taking over the hotel early in June last — retained the two barmaids. .. A" ' One of them . was ;:;Frances; and. in consequence of a rumor that- she -was not licensed, he had' interviewed hei; on the matter. She was most emphatic about her status as a barmaid. The person who had rung up and informed him that one of his barmaids was not licensed was not prepared to accost Frances in person. Lawyer Terry impressed upon the bench the fact that a conviction was a matter of some moment to a licensee and asked that in view of the circumstances the information might be dismissed. The S.M. thought likewise and dismissed the matter as trivial.