HOTELS AND HOTEL CONTROL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1689, 4 March 1913, Page 8

HOTELS AND HOTEL CONTROL.

« HOW KEEP THEM? ROOMS, BARS & TUBERCULOSIS. BETTING PROBLEM. THE BENCH FACING THINGS. Several interesting matters were discussed yesterday at the quarterly meeting of the Wellington District Licensing Commitlee. Dr. M*Arthur, S.M., presided at the meeting. From the Tuberculosis Conference. Dr. M'Arthur said that tho committee desired to state that received from tho Health Department the following letter :— "1 have the honour to inform you that at the recent conference on tuberculosis held in Wellington, the following resolution was carried, in order' to assist in the prevention of spre<ul of the disease: " 'That it bo a 'recommendation to' the Licensing Committees that periodical cleansing of hotels bo carried out.' "As this is a matter which greatly concerns (he health of tho travelling public, I would recommend that your committee should make it a condition to the granting of a license that, in addition to the ordinary daily cleansing all bedrooms and living rooms should be thoroughly springcleaned at least once a month; i.e., floors washed with soap and water (the latter containing some antiseptic solution), and the walls and furniture rubbed down with rags damped with the same. . Further, that all bedroom windows bo kept open as much as possible, at least during the daytime, and . certainly aftpr occupation on the previous night." Dr. M'Arthur said that it was out of tho committee's power to make such a condition, and in any case they had no desire to do so. Night Portert For All Hotels. There had also been a recommendation to the committee, said Dr; M'Arthur. that all hotels should keep night porters. That matter was outside the committee's range. They thought that the business of a hotelkeeper dictated when a night porter was needed. Sixteen of the hotels in the Wellington district kept night porters. Thoso who made the application wished the ide.i to apply to the country portion of tho district. Mr. loung: Where did it come from? Dr. M'Arthur: Tho Chamber of Commerce. Mr/ Yount: I did not know they had iho control of hotels; I thought your Worship looked after that. . Dr. M Arthur: The idea originated through a firo at a Marton hotel where there was 110 night porter. . . . Their special idea seems to be to look after commercial travellers. T always understood that those gentlemen could ■' look otter themselves pretty well. Habitable—And No More. Police-Superintendent Ellison reported tho Princess Theatre Hotel, Tory Street to the committee in the following terms: All old two-storied wooden buildin w tept in habitable condition—and no ' more—and poorly furnished." Mr. T. Young, who appeared for the licensee, said that tho licensee should nave got some notice irom the Clerk of ™ •t-our.t of the nature of this report. jN9 definite charge is made," 110 continued, "so the licensee finds it verv difficult to meet it. It is a very ditlicult house to control, and is situated in a very poor locality. Mr. Palmer (the licensee) uoes his best Dr. 'Ai-,mhur, S-M.: Yes, but his best will have to bo a good deal better t Mr. I'ouiig: He will continue td"do bis best;

; Dr. M'Arthur: Wo'understand that this is a house which gives a good deal of trouble to tho police. Mr. Ytmng; l r ou will understand my diHiculty. 1 am not able to say anything clelmito becauso no definito cliarge is made. I)r. M'Arthur: Wo are not saying anvjthing definite. If we wished to do so ivy could. I think wo are doing the lieenseo a kindness. 3lr. Young: I am indebted to your Worship, but wo don't admit the truth of it (tbe report). Dr. M'Arthur: Wo hope to got a better report at the next quarterly meeting. ' i Mr. Young: I hope they (tho police) nil! raako it. Not Merely the Bar. Speaking of the care and conduct and condition of hotels generally, Superinlt'iul-' cut. Ellison said that ho wished it kuWn that ho expected hotels to not liitiely tneet the requirements of tho law as regards tho bar, but to be kept clean, and to have clean furniture. Although his opinion of the law iras that it was very defective as regarded tho catering for the public, - ho expected the law's requirements' to bo met. "When a house is untidy and the rooms aro not clean," he said, "I can't report on it as a well-conducted house, although tho law in regard to the traffic in liquor might be kept." Butting in Ho^Js. "There is another matter which has come up in tho last few months," continued Superintendent Ellison. "In the last few months I have on several occasions mentioned to licensees tho matter of allowing professional betting to go on in hotel bars. . . . .Some of them, I must say, have dono their best, but, of course, a great deal can be carried on unknown to the licensee himself. But wjiere I know it is permitted I cannot report on the place as a well-conducted house. I mention this as a warning." Superintendent Ellison went on to say that it was very difficult to get a eonelusive case of hotel betting to t'alco to tho Court, nntwit.hstand.ing that a large number of men waited aljout hotels fo pick up bets. Mr. T. Young: I understand that the inspector's remarks aro general. "Superintendent Ellison: Oh, yes. Mr. Young: They don't apply to any particular case? Superintendent Ellison: Not at all. Dr. M'Arthur: The position seems to be this: There are two objections the inspector has mentioned. The first' is that not only the bar should be well conducted, but, also, that as a hotel is for the accommodation of tho public who come along (hero should bo a tidy and clean convenience for those who wish to stop (here. It appears to me thai: sometimes this is not done. The committee consider —ond 1 agree—that there should be a tidy and comfortablo house for oven tho people of moderate means (not merely a rough-and-tumble place); that they should have comfortable rooms to .go iiito. Respecting the betting, wo acknowledge the difficulty of the licensee; but wo t'hinlc it is only a kindness for us to mention it beforehand. The licensee must l>o on tho look-out. lie is supposed to look after his houso all the day, and every day in tho weelc. And ho must know that there are certain folk -who go there for a particular purpose, nnd, if he has the common sense of the world, he must know what it is. Tho licensees may be the victims of these men, but they must look out that such people do not frequent the place. Two Transfers. Transfers of licenses were granted us follow:—White Swan Hotel, from D. ,1. Konny to M. M'Guire; Imperial Hotel, from 15. M. Davey to 11. Goodwin. «

Australia is really a wonderful land, Ami things very curious owns; Its pears grow ns hard as an iron bandits cherries bear outward the stones— The jackasses perch en tho trees, nt a height, And laugh with hilarity pure— Tho foxes fly gaily about thro' the night— And—there's Woods' Groat Peppermint Cure. 2.1' Mr. G. G. Polls Wangnnni, advertise* eisßwhere in this i«ue the sale of 57 acres of "freehold dairy land, situated a few miles out of Waucanui*

300 S00 GOO vds. yds. yds, H p. T"l. Sohveod 33 29 27 11 100 V. Clendon 2G 31' 2!) 12 98 S. Kniglit 31 23 28 9 91 H. Avson, 31-—32 —20—G—89; M'ltvrido, 29-29-30-88; Gallien, 29-31-27—87; Carter, 32—32—22—80; Cvulter, 23-24-23-12 -82; Flaws, 19—20—1G—10—71.