INCREASES INEVITABLE

Evening Star, Issue 22379, 1 July 1936, Page 11

INCREASES INEVITABLE

HOTEL AND RESTAURANT TARIFFS CONCERTED ACTION PROPOSED Although the unanimous opinion of hotel keepers and ' restauranteurs is that the tariffs must be increased to meet the higher costs, _no general move has been made_ by either section to bring about a revision of the rates. In Christchurch last week, the proprietors of the leading hotels reintroduced the rates ruling in 1929, and for some weeks now the rates charged in the" leading Wellington hotels have been on a higher scale. In Wellington, the tariffs of the leading five hotels range from 18s 6d to 265. the latter being the minimum charge at one hotel. Commercial travellers are given reduced rates but the concessions to Automobile Association members and civil servants have been eliminated The rates of the five leading Dunedin hotels range from 12s 6d to 18s at present, with concessions to travellers, civil servants, and motorists. It is reported that only one licensee has increased his charges but the others have not yet taken concerted action. There appears to be a “ wait and see policy ” among the proprietors of restaurants and tea rooms. All seem to hold the opinion that the charges must inevitably be increased, but each is waiting for the other to take the first step. The business has been conducted on an unprofitable basis for some years, the charges for meals being ridiculously low when compared with those ruling, not only in other centres in New Zealand, but overseas. Apart from the increase in wages, coal costs were increased from to-day, the laundry charges, according to one restauranteur, had gone u; by 100 per cent., meat prices were increase's yesterday, and bread and butter prices were raised some time ago. The restaurants were also faced with extra costs through the limitation of working hours. Further, the cost of replacement of equipment, silver, and tablecloths was 100 per cent, higher than in England where meals were much more expensive.