AUCKLAND HOTELS

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 December 1937, Page 13

AUCKLAND HOTELS

LABOUR DIFFICULTIES. Difficulties in working the 44-hourj week and in obtaining sufficient laboiu for their requirements are causing grave inconvenience to many of the private hotels in Auckland. Several of the better-class private houses have already ceased supplying luncheon, and dinner and only this week the proprietor of another well-known boardinghouse was forced to advise his guests that he would be unable to catei’ for luncheons and teas. The house had been successfully operated for* more than 11 years as a private hotel, and it was only because of the difficultyin obtaining labour, the proprietor explained. that he had been compelled to turn his house into a bed-and-break-fast establishment. Since the new legislation governing conditions and/hours of work in private boarding houses had come iiro operation, the speaker said, he had in-* creased his takings by £l5 a week. The costs had increased so much, however, that, even with his increased receipts, he was making less than he was before the new legislation had been introduced. If the proprietors of private, j hotels were to be handicapped by any further restrictions, many of them would be forced right out of business. Not only had the hours of the workers been reduced and their wages raised, but the price of produce and fuel had shown a marked increase.

Other private hotel proprietors in the city' agreed that labour was extremely hard to find. One hotel had advertised for a cook for several weeks and had not received a single reply. Housemaid-waitresses were difficult to obtain, and registry' offices were unable to find girls to fill vacant positions. “I feel very, sorry foi’ the proprietors of the smaller private hotels,” said the manageress of one of the largest private hotels in Auckland. “Many of them are having a terrible time.”