PRIVATE HOTELS

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11648, 12 October 1923, Page 5

PRIVATE HOTELS

LIEN ON LUGGAGE WANTED TO CHECKMATE DISHONEST LODGERS. •■'TRAVELLING ON THEIR WITS.” A deputation representing tile pri rate hotel keepers throughout the Dominion waited upon the Minister tor Justice (the Hon. C. J. Farr) yesterday morning to ask that they should have the same measure of protection against dishonesty on the part of tire travelling public as is enjoyed by the keepers of licensed hotels. Mr -McGowan (The Mansions), vice president of the Wellington Private Hotel Keepers’ Association, slated that the position at present was that private hotelkeepers were suffering loss through not being under the same conditions as the keepers of licensed hotels, inasmuch as persons could go to their establishments, accept board and lodging, and take t-hcir luggage an ay without paying their hills. Tlio Minister: You mean you have no statutory lien on their goods. Mr McGowan: That is so. There is a class of people travelling about the Dominion on their wits; and I have rryself suffered through two such cases this year. The Minister: Do these ladies and gentlemen have sufTicicnt to hold a lien on P WOULD BE A DETERRENT. Mr McGowan: Most of them have sufficient to make it a deterrent. Private hotels are a.n institution now in the Dominion that- they were not some time ago, as in many districts where prohibition has been carried there are only private hotels. •fhe Minister: Are you prepared, if you get the privileges of the licensed hotel keeper, to assume his responsibilities? Mr McGowan: I think we already do that. The Minister : Any licensee is required to givo reasonable accommodation to any member of the travelling public. Mr McGowan : Yes, but he can make his tariff prohibit-'ve in the case of an undesirable person. • The Minister: Again, licensed premises are subject to police ir.spoction > and have to be kept in good repair and provide fire-escapes. Mr McGowan: With the exception of police inspection, we are iindir the same conditions. We would have no objection to undertake the same responsibilities as the proprietors of licensed premises. There would he no objection to that, I aim sure. We are catering for the travelling public in exactly the same way as the licensed hotels' except that we have no liquor In some cases private hotels are far better than the licensed hotels. “A PLAUSIBLE TALE.”

Mr T. G. Lewis (Hotel Bristol), president of the association, said that the people who travelled’ on their wits were those who came in as permanent boarders, but put up a plausible tale at the end of the week and, left, saying that they were unexpectedly called away and would send the money when they reached their destination. The Minister: There would need to be a register of private hotels. Mr Lewis: Well, we believe that would help rather than otherwise. The Minister: Where would you draw the line at who should have this power ? Mr Lewis 6aid that the Arbitration Court drew the line by defining any place with 20 or more boarders as a private hotel. They had five of them in Wellington with accommodation for over 100 boarders. MINISTER “NOT UNSYMPATHETIC.” The Minister: I am not unsympathetic. Rather I think I should try and help you if I can. I recognise that the private hotel business has come to stav in New Zealand: and it should be tlie object of the Minister to help the public to get good accommodation, and at the same time help the hotelkeepers to get their due rights. I am disposed—l shall have to give the matter consideration, of course, and consult the Commissioner of Police —but I am disposed offhand to say that if the private hotelkeepers are prepared to submit to the same responsibilities ns the licensed hotelkeepers, I would be willing to consider favourably the proposal of introducing legislation giving you the right to a lien over a hoarder’s luggage. We would need to have a private hotels register, with a small fee to cover the cost of registration; and it might be possible to get Parliament to give you the right of lien, if you .consent to registration, to the police having the right to look over yolir premises, and also to the right of the public to require reasonable accommodation. Mr Lewis: We already practically meet all those conditions. LEGISLATION NEEDED. The Minister stated l that it would need legislation to do what was required, and it was obvious that he would have to get the approval of Cabinet to any hill in that direction; hut he was speaking quite frankly liis own view in regard to the matter. Mr W. A. Grenfell said that the question of submitting to the same conditions ns licensed hotelkeepers would have to he submitted to the other centres before it could bo definitely decided. The Minister: Yes; it would be better to wait till you have sounded them on that.