HOTELS AND PUBLIC-HOUSES
this meant a public-house for every 125 men. This in addition to the breweries and wholesale licenses. How the community supported this number causes conjecture to-day; but the ease with which gold was obtained resulted in the loss of conventional ideas of its purchasing power, in the value of money, and in matters of thrift. Fortune was always just around the corner; the supply of wealth appeared to be inexhaustible. In Camp Street from Section 251 to Section 140, a distance of about five chains, were seven public-houses in almost unbroken sequence, with as many more within stone-throw of either end. Prince’s Street East, about four chains in length, had nine, and several other streets had each about the same number. There was no limit to the number of licenses granted, and scant regard to the suitability of applicants or premises. A large proportion of the licensees were single women.
Mr. C. Broad, the first Resident Magistrate, made a trenchant report upon these matters, and upon “the absence of law or regulations as to the accommodation that licensed houses should have”; and commented upon the manner in which many were conducted. In the words of an old resident, “Pubs were as thick as shamrocks in a bog; and there were as many publicans as sinners.” “Shouting,” i.e., treating, was a universal practice, “the universal courtesy among gentlemen.” Although a hard-drinking age, drunkenness was not as evident as might be assumed; men carried their liquor well, and took a pride in doing this. Though all licensed houses were termed “hotels,” many made no pretence to being such, even in the colonial acceptance of the term, but were merely drinking places, gambling rooms and worse; very many were but shacks.
Naturally, gold being plentiful, gambling was rife. It has been said that New Zealand is a land adapted to poker, it having Three Kings to the north, a Strait at centre, and a Bluff at its south.
Three of Charleston’s Hotels were double-storeyed, the Melbourne, the European and the Club, which was later named the Criterion. Of these the two former were the leading houses and compared favourably with the best on the gold-fields of that day.
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