OFFER TO LEASE HOTELS

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27705, 8 July 1955, Page 12

OFFER TO LEASE HOTELS

SUGGESTION DURING PRICE HEARING LABOUR FEDERATION “NO LONGER INTERESTED” (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 7. The Federation of Labour announced today that it was no longer interested in the verbal offer of the leases of the Carlton and Cambridge Hotels in Wellington. The federation had been awaiting a written offer since it was mentioned before the Price Tribunal hearing on hotel charges last .week. Mr P. M. Butler, who acted for the federation at the hearing, said today that the hotel trade’s counsel (Mr W. E. Leicester) had made what appeared to be a startling offer that some of his clients would make available the two hotels or either of them at a nominal lease, plus one-third allowance toward staff wages. Some other conditions were also mentioned, said Mr Butler.' “I- don’t think that anyone took the offer really seriously,” said Mr Butler. Because more than a week had elapsed since the offer and the federation had not received any communicatiqn as requested, it wished to advise that it was no longer interested in any proposition Mr Leicester or his clients might make. Told today of the federation’s decision, Mr Leicester, who had made the offer on behalf of New Zealand Breweries, Ltd., said the federation’s i attitude was to reject the offer without having heard it properly. ‘With the consent of the directors of the company, the manager has been I preparing a particular offer, the details j of which were to be put in writing as ! arranged,” said Mr Leicester. I “The last thing we want is to make it appear that the offer was frivolously made,” he added. Informed of the decision, the general manager of the company (Mr B. T. O’Connell) expressed surprise and said: “We will leave it at that, then.”