ENGLISH HOTELS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21022, 10 May 1930, Page 17

ENGLISH HOTELS.

ATTRACTING TOURISTS AND TRADERS. - feMBARBASeiNG LAWS. (From Odb Own Correspondent.) LONDON, April 4. Evidence before the Licensing Commission was given on behalf of the Hotels and Restaurants’ Association of Great Britain, by - Mr George Reeves-Smith, vifie-chair-man and managing director of the Savoy Group of Hotels. He suggested that, in order to facilitate and encourage the growth of hotels and restauranas both in London and the provinces, there should be a special license based on considerations which differed entirely from those which related to the sale of drink by means of public houses. Mr Reeves-Smith agreed that the hotel accommodation 1 in some towns was' not satisfactory. He suggested the necessity for a chain of hotels around England, particularly for the nee of tourists. If the status of tbs hotels and restaurants were improved by their being subject to the suggested new form of license, there was no good reason why the industry should not be followed as a profession, having a recognised status, sad commanding salaries which—as is the case of managers of important hotels—would compare very favourably with the earnings of successful professional. men. It was most important, Mr ResvesSmith added, for English boys wfeo wished to become waiters to learn a foreign language. Mr Bentliff inquired whether English waiters were inferior to foreign waiters. Mr Reeves-Smith replied that the English waiter, for the most part, was hot nearly so good as the Continental waiter. He did not go through the five years’ apprenticeship, and as a rule the boy did not come from such a good class of the community. His manners were not BO good. y Sir Francis Towle gave evidence on behalf of the Hotels and Restaurants’ Association of Great Britain, and said that existing laws were to a great extent responsible for the difficulties under which the hotel system in this country laboured. If we were to develop an increasing travel business and share in the enormous sums spent by visitors from the United States of America and from countries in Europe, the hotels must be given the opportunity to develop. . The public, even those of comparatively small means, insisted on, the provision of bath-rooms, central heating, and so forth. Existing conditions rendered this\ practically impossible, and thia / country was likely to be seriously jeopardised in the competition for trade if matters were allowed to take their present course. He believed that the hotel industry could do more than anything else to improve the trade of this coutnry. Sir Francis though new hotels were required in the chief centres and smaller hotels on the main roads.. He wanted to see the old English inn resuscitated ’ on the new main roads. Replying to Mr Hichens, he said that the consumption of alcohol -in hotels was incomparably less than it was a few years ego. . They rarely served wine or spirits with luncheons. " There is a large consumption of water.” he added laughingly. Mr Hichens: Have you ever asked for water? Sir Francis: Thousands of times, for the simple reason that I don't drink anything else. '