HOTEL RESTRICTIONS

Evening Star, Issue 22721, 7 August 1937, Page 25

HOTEL RESTRICTIONS

GOVERNMENT'S ATTITUDE OBSTRUCTING TOURIST TRAFFIC "COSTING THIS COUNTRY DEARLY" _ The severity of Government restrictions on hotels in the Dominion, (resulting in outspoken comment by overseas tourists of accommodatin facilities, was vigorously criticised by Mr J. J. W. Pollard, the director of the South Islands Travel Association, at a meeting last night of the executive council. He suggested that the council should ask the Government to set up a committee to inquire into, the entire system of hotel accommodation and licenses. Referring to the adverse propaganda by visiting tourists, Mr Pollard said that it had been spread through articles in English magazines. These unfair charges, he maintained, were generally without foundation, for the facilities • offered the tourists by the first-class hotels were quite satisfactory. MENACE OF RESTRICTIONS. “ The first class hotels in the main are satisfactory, and the modernisation of licensed houses continues steadily,” said Mr Pollard. “ There are not sufficient hotels of the second order, however, where good accommodation can be obtained at moderate charges. Complaints by ‘ hungry tourists ’ are based on circumstances arising out of the rigid (restrictions which make it extremely difficult for those houses which ■ cater for the travelling public to carry on. Recently an article on this subject appeared in ‘The Field,’ written by a visitor to Now Zealand, and his strictures were extremely damaging.” HARMFUL PROPAGANDA ‘dEPRECATED. “It is conceded that the tourist traffic is valuable,” said Mr Pollard. “ It brings nearly £1,000,000 into the Dominion per annum, and will bring more in the future. The Government spends a considerable sum on publicity. Therefore, articles of this kind (the writer in ‘ The Field,’ an English magazine, is not the only one to make public complaint about the effects of these restrictions) undo much that has been done and bring to nought tho good effect of the State’s work. The baleful influence of these articles should be impressed on the Labour Department and on the Government—it is_ suicide to wave them aside. These rigid restrictions will cost this country dearly. It should be remembered, too, that they press most heavily on the hotels which are functioning as the law intended them to, for the comfort of travellers.” BOARDERS NOT WANTED. Mr Pollard said that there were too many hotels which little more than satisfy the letter of the law with the barest minimum of interest. Some licensees said quite frankly that they had no interest in attracting boarders. One solution offered was the increase of licenses in cities, but this would aggravate the trouble instead of helping, to a solution. Greater encouragement to hotels functioning properly as units in tho_ service for the travelling public was desirable. Redistribution of licenses was being advocated strongly with the powerful argument that tourist resort hostels should bo licensed. If the Government was moved to undertake this change the whole question of hotel accommodation should ho examined in the light of the needs of tourists and travellers. GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION URGED. Ho suggested that tho Executive Council consider the desirability of urging tho Government, before steps were taken, to set up a tribunal to carry out a cloeo examination of the whole subject of _ hotel accommodation and licenses, involving not only the distribution of licenses and tho strengthening of the legal requirements to ensure that_ all hotels served tho travelling public, but also the effect of the laws governing employment, with a view to removing provisions which by their rigidity obstruct the -proper functioning of hotels, to tho detriment of tho tourist traffic. “ I don’t think the remarks of Mr Pollard on this important subject need elaboration,” commented the chairman (Rev. E. T. Cox) . The council warmly supported Mr Pollard’s remarks, and will suggest that the system be the subject of a Government inquiry on the lines outlined by him.