A TRAVELLER'S EXPERIENCE OF HOTELS. , '

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 2755, 25 June 1894, Page 2

A TRAVELLER'S EXPERIENCE OF HOTELS. , '

To the Editor of the Star.

Sir,— The great interest of the public in tbe licensing question will, I trust, be sufficient excuse. for my troubling you on this subjeot. I have travelled much through the North Island, and, irom actual experience, know the wants and troubles of travellers. I will confine myself to the consideration of country hotels., I have found three classes of hotelkeepere. The first are gentlemen who consult the convenience of travellers and never allow their houses to be made scenes of rowdyism, nor their, customers, to be insulted by a mob of " hoodlums." The second care nothing for tbe ordinary traveller, their sole objeot being to sell as much intoxicating drink in legal and illegal hours as they possibly can. Usually tbe young "larrikins" of the place assemble in their hotels from 7 p.m. till 2 a.m. next day. If an unfortunate stranger oomes among them be ia considered a fit subject for all manner of insalt and atmoyauoe ; and when he seeks refuge in bis' bedroom is followed by the cowardly blaokgaards. Yelling, booting, drunkenness, and gambling are carried on into tbe small hours on Sunday morning, while the landlord looks on with the greatest oomplaoenoy. Wby should be 1 quarrel with bis best customers ? He gets' a license to sell intoxioants, aad those who do not buy them be cares nothing about. Tbe third class consists of land< lords who are never sober, and who, consequently, are hardly responsible for their actions. I tbink these and tbe second class ought not to be granted licenses. I could tell you of a " well* conducted " hotel where a , fight from cheating at cards ocaurred at 2 o'clock on Sunday morning, June 10th, but I have no desire to injure any man ; I only wish to draw tbe attention of the police authorities to what is going on — the constables know well- tbe actual state^of the case .While one publioan is watched with tbe eyes of a lynx and literally persecuted, another may do* just what.be likea, -The ; coDstable hears what is 'going on, but takes no notioe. The police have an arduous duty to perform,> and usually do it well, but there are exceptions. While the police do their dnty too well as regards some hotels, and too badly as regards others, there is another matter in whiob tbey signally fail. I mean in connection with tbs condaot of young " roughs." In all my travels I have never seen such a lot of thorough blackguards as in Inglewood, 1 Stratford, and Eltham — tbe latter certainly takes tbe palm. One or two of the " hoodlums " will never attaok or insult a man— they are afraid of a thresh -V ing — they go in gangs or " pushes," and tbey insult moat those least able to resent | their conduct. And these cowardly hulks carry on their blackguardism in " well-conducted " hotels ! I have purposely omitted names and plaoes with tbe hope that the abuses I complain of will be' removed without injury to either constable! or publican. By inserting this you will! confer a boon on tbe travelling public — I; am, &o.» •* : Travblleb. j