Proposed Code For Hotelkeepers

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32035, 9 July 1969, Page 18

Proposed Code For Hotelkeepers

The Hotel Association of New Zealand Bill, to come before Parliament again this week, from the Statutes Revision Committee, would put hotelkeepers and managers on the same footing as lawyers, doctors and accountants, said the executive officer of the Canterbury Hotel Association (Mr E. H. Williams) yesterday.

“The act will make the association a statutory body, and give it power to discipline its members—as the professions have the right to do. “The act will give the association powers to deal with the few licensees and managers who by their actions bring the whole of the hotel industry into disrepute,” Mr Williams said. “It is not our intention to use powers under the act against price-cutting wars.” If the bill is passed it will come into force on January 1. All holders of hotelkeeper, tourist-house keeper, or tavernkeeper licences (excluding any employee of a licensing

trust) or a manager’s certificate (other than that of the manager of a restaurant) shall be a member of H.A.N.Z. but any holder of a hotelkeeper’s licence or manager’s certificate may elect to cease being a member by giving three months notice in writing. Mr Williams said that hotels In Canterbury belonged to the Canterbury Hotel Association, an autonomous body affiliated to H.A.N.Z., and he estimated that 98 per cent of all eligible throughout New Zealand would be members of H.A;N.Z.

Under the proposed act H.A.N.Z. would continue to offer all the present advantages to members, Mr Williams said. “The act will ensure that H.A.N.Z. continues to encourage, promote or assist the advancement of the hotel industry, and assist in improvements and developments in the industry and in the provision of facilities and services for the public and overseas visitors in licensed hotels, tourist houses and taverns.” Disciplinary Committee The bill proposes a disciplinary committee which shall comprise a barrister or solicitor, appointed by the Minister of Justice, as chairman; the president (in office) of

H.A.N.Z., and four members of H.A.N.Z., to be appointed by the Minister, on the recommendation of the association. Two of the members must live in the North Island and two in the South Island. The bill also proposes a code of ethics, and if any member of H.A.N.Z. is charged with breaking any provision of the Sale of Liquor Act, the code of ethics of any provision in the proposed act, the disciplinary committee may inquire into the charge. If the committee is satisfied that the charge is established it may (a) impose a fine not exceeding $lOO. (b) censure the offender; (c) order the offender to pay costs and expenses; (d) recommend that H.A.N.Z. apply, under the Sale of Liquor Act, to have the licence or certificate of the offender suspended or cancelled. The disciplinary committee may impose one or more of tiie penalties. Hotel Standards

Mr Williams said H.A.N.Z. and its affiliated associations had made determined, successful, efforts to improve standards in hotels since 1960. The big advance had come with the extended hours in October, 1967. Hotel bars, furnishings and amenities, no longer subjected to peak per-

iods of drinking, had been vastly improved. Hotel services had also been improved. Courses in management (some overseas) and for staff were provided by the association. “The bill now before the House was first drafted by H.A.N.Z. in 1964, and was approved by the local associations in 1965. It was subsequently approved at the annual conference of HA..N.Z. Because H.A.N.Z. was not certain of where the industry was going until the 10 p.m. closing in 1967, and because of subsequent legislation, the bill was put to one side.

“The bill shows, my executive thinks, that we are determined to put our own house In order. We can take disciplinary action long before things have gone to the extent that court action is necessary. “If complaints about lack of service, poor service, or persistent after-hours trading are made against any hotel we can take action, through the disciplinary committee, if we find that the complaints are genuine,” Mr Williams said. “We do, of course, get complaints from members of the public—and we exist to serve the public.” The bill provides a right of appeal, to the administrative division of the Supreme Court

to members disciplined by the H.A.N.Z. committee, and provides for publication of the committee’s findings in the association’s magazine. The bill also makes it clear that any powers given under it to H.A.N.Z. do not limit the jurisdiction of any court, the Licensing Control Commission, or any licensing committee or limit the liability of any person to be prosecuted for any offence against the Sale of Liquor Act, 1962, or any other enactment. The Minister of Justice (Mr Hanan), Introducing the bill on May 16, said that most of the 1200 hotelkeepers and all other persons eligible for membership of H.A.N.Z. wanted it, and this meant that they wanted to enforce effectively a code of ethics, a standard code of conduct and raise the standard generally. Asked by a member why a licensing committee could not take away or suspend the licence of a hotelkeeper who did not keep good standards without H.A.N.Z. having to apply for such suspension or cancellation, Mr Hanan replied; “The trouble is that licensing committees throughout New Zealand do not do that, and sooner or later the House will have to consider whether the licensing committees are really doing a worth-while j job.” '