DUNEDIN HOTELS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22986, 15 September 1936, Page 12

DUNEDIN HOTELS

ro THE EDITOH Sir,—lt is with a great deal of interest that I read the record in your paper of the hotels in the early days. I cannot go back to 1862-65, but I remember most of the hotels well over 50 years ago. These records will give the younger generation some idea of the conditions that existed in those days. At practically every corner there was an hotel. I have known cases of men holding licences who could neither read nor write their own names. Their hotels w'ere only drinking shops. Eleven o’clock closing time was only a joke, as the hotels were open for business any time during the night. Even if the publican was in bed and a few midnight revellers came along he would promptly get up, as it would mean three or four rounds of drinks. I think I can safely say that “Rafferty’s rules” existed. Things were certainly very rough and homely. Incidentally, reference may be made to the conditions of the shopkeepers and their employees. Saturday was the principal shopping night. I well remember the crowd who attended the old Princess Theatre, which closed about 10.30. The ladies would then commence their shopping, while the men folk would say. "Wd will meet you down the street later on, mother.” and then adjourn to the nearest hotel.

To return to the ladies: “Of course, you send these goods to-night, Mr Grocer? Certainly, madam.” I =-„ becaU u Se i opened to- be the small boy who drove the grocer’s cart On, many occasions I have harnessed the horse to the cart at 11 o’clock on a Saturday, night and delivered groro,und the town in pouring rain, uith only a few sacks to keep the g° ods d .ry and a candle in a tin lamp for a light. As there were no numbefs on the. houses, it was very difficult to find the right house, I have often arrived home at 3 a.m. on a Sunday morning, drenched to the skin. My mother would have a large wooden tub in front of the kitchen fire, with a few pots of hot water on the range—there was no hot-water system and there were no baths in those, days—so that a change might be made to dry clothes, and there would be a basin of gruel with “ a cinder ’’ in it. I used to wonder, what “ a cinder ” meant, but I know now. I had to go to the stable twice on Sunday to attend to the horse, and no pay for that—all for the magnificent sum of 12s 6d per week. I just wonder how some of the young people of to-day would' like to work under those conditions; Now, Sir, may I express my opinion as to how the hotels are run at the present time? In the first place, I consider that the 6 o’clock closing was one of the finest legislative measures ever introduced into this country. Secondly, I consider that the Licensing Committee is very strict in the granting of lienees, for it must be admitted chat the proprietors of the hotels in and around Dunedin are a very highlyrespected section of the community. I have been reading several letters in your paper recently on the subject of hotel hours. It must be very hard on the wife of a man drawing sustenance Eay who spends most of his money on eer, but you will always find extreme cases On the other hand, a large section of the public is composed of moderate drinkers. It must be admitted that there is a fair amount of afterhour drinking, but that is a matter for the police. As for bookmaking, there is nothing on earth that will prevent two people from having a bet, I have a bet occasionally—and with a bookmaker, too. Let the Government license reputable men as bookmakers. That would put a stop to’ all those “tin-pot” agents and small shopkeepers who are operating at the present time. In my opinion, the hotels in Dunedin compare favourably with those in any city in New Zealand.—l am, etc., Old Timer.