FREE SNACKS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23259, 31 January 1939, Page 10

FREE SNACKS

HOTEL PRACTICE CURTAILMENT MOVE SUPPORT IN AUCKLAND FOOD AND LABOUR COSTS A curtailment of counter lunches in hotels similar to that which is proposed in Christchurch would be greatly welcomed by the licensees of many Auckland hotels, according to inquiries made in the city and suburbs yesterday. The practice of giving free snacks to customers at regular intervals throughout the day has always involved the trade in considerable expense, but shorter hours, higher wages and the greater cost of foodstuffs lias meant an additional burden in recent years. Christchurch and Wellington hotels have always been noted for the lavish counter lunches which they serve, but it was stated yesterday that the variety, quantity and quality of the food served in the bars of many Auckland hotels was now quite equal to that provided in southern centres. Because of strong competition between neighbouring hotels it was necessary to make constant improvements in the attractiveness of the counter lunches in order to retain custom. Two or Three Times a Day

Biscuits and cheese and greens in season are served in practically all hotels, and licensees consider this sufficient. Meat pies, saveloys and chipped potatoes are aIBO obtainable in many Auckland hotels, but elsewhere the customer is regularly treated with rissoles, sausages, welsh rarebit, sardines on toast, fried fish, shell fish, cucumber and tomato salad, and jellied beetroot. A few houses provide such delicacies as pig's trotters, oyster patties and black puddings, and at least one hotel gives patrons hot stew. Most hotels provide a counter snack twice a day, at mid-day and five o'clock, but others serve it at 11 a.m., noon and 5 p.m. Where the hotel is large and centrally situated an enormous quantity of food is consumed, between 40 and 60 plates being set out in the various bars at the one time. Even the smallest house provides at least 10 plates for each lunch. Relic o 1 Low-Cost Days For food alone the cost of counter lunches ranges from £5 to £25 a week, according to the size of the hotel. Wages also are a substantial item, for some houses employ at least one kitchen hand who is almost solely engaged in preparing this food. Hotels which rely principally on their bar trade have to buy much of their food already prepared, a more costly procedure.

"Counter lunches are definitely a bugbear," one licensee said. "They are a relic of the old days when, wages and costs were lower but beer was the same price as it is to-day. Because the practice still persists hotels are involved in much unnecessary expense."

Elsewhere it was stated that a number of people procured free meals daily through the simple expedient of spending 3d on beer and then helping themselves to as much counter lunch as they could eat. It was realised that this practice was difficult to stop, but hotelkeepers became justifiably annoyed when the patrons in question comBlained at the quality or quantity of be food, as was often done. Previous Attempt Fails Some years ago an attempt to abolish counter lunches was made in Auckland, but the plan fell through owing to lack of agreement among licensees. In several quarters yesterday it was stated that New Zealand was practically the only country in the world where counter lunches were provided free. The suggestion was made that hotels should introduce the overseas idea of snack bars where food could be purchased at nominal prices. The custom of "shouting" patrons after a certain number of drinks is not so extensive in Auckland as it is in the south. Few hotels regularly follow this practice, although there are a number which give "one on the house" on a certain day each week. It is stated, however, that the Aucklander gets more for his money, because beer "handles" are larger here, although the price is the Bame. If he is in a private bar, the Aucklander purchases beer in pint bottles, whereas the southern practice is to buy glasses only. Hotel-keepers said yesterday that "shouting" was out of the question with this bottle trade, because the profit on each bottle was too small. TIME FOR ACTION ECONOMIC CONDITIONS HOTELKEEPERS' BURDENS STEPS MIGHT BE FORCED [BY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Monday The opinion that if New Zealand hotelkeepers did not voluntarily cease "shouting" drinks and providing free counter lunches they would be forced to do so by economic conditions was expressed by the president of the Licensed Victuallers' Association, Mr. T. Coltman, to-day. He said the executive of the association believed that the time had arrived when something must be done to meet increased costs.

The cost of food, said Mr. Coltman, had increased by 20 to 30 per cent, and that of labour almost the same. The price of liquor to the public, however, had not been increased.

By eliminating tho practice of licensees, after all, would not bo asking the public to pay more for their drinks. They would merely be retaining something already belonging to them. The average working man today was getting higher wages, and it was only fair that licensees should bo paid for what they put over the counter.

"Shouting," said Mr. Coltman, "is a pernicious practice which does not exist anywhere in the world except in New Zealand. In Australia the giving of free counter lunches is absolutely prohibited by the Licensed Victuallers' Association." The association in New Zealand was trying to obtain uniformity and the result would rest with the licensees themselves.

MANAWATU IN FAVOUR MATTER HELD IN ABEYANCE

[by telegraph—OWN CORRESPONDENT 1 PALMERSTON NORTH, Monday

There is a definite possibility of action being taken by the licensed victuallers in tho Manawatu to eliminate counter lunches and curtail the practice of "shouting" in hotels. At a meeting, all but three members of the trade voiced agreement with the proposals, and after a discussion the matter was held in abeyance until a further meeting to be held this week, i