CHANGE OF MIND

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26692, 11 February 1948, Page 4

CHANGE OF MIND

CENTENNIAL PROBLEM ACCOMMODATION BOOKINGS LAST-MINUTE CANCELLATIONS Headaches were expected by the members of the Centennial Accommodation Committee when they accepted the job of finding billets for the thousands of visitors who will pass through Dunedin within the next few months, but it was not anticipated that so many headaches would result from the sheer selfishness of many applicants for accommodation. Ever since it was announced that surplus accommodation would be made available to the public, the committee’s office has been Hooded with letters and telegrams. Every endeavour has been made to arrange suitable accommodation for these applicants, yet of 22 requests made on one day. only five of the applicants actually claimed their accommodation. The attitude appears to be that, when no deposit has been paid, theie is no obligation to take up the accommodation. This has resulted in a waste of food, the denial of accommodation to other genuine applicants, and disappointed householders. About 500 householders have offered to provide casual accommodation for centennial visitors, and the committee has reported that the majority of the. vacancies are in excellent homes. In some instances where bookings have not been kept, the amount of food wasted has been an entire week-end supply. ' Landlords’ Faults The committee has discovered, however, that there have been faults on the side of a small percentage of the temporary landlords and landladies as well as with the intending guests. In some cases, “ unscrupulous householders” offered assistance in order to get themselves on the extra ration list, and then indicated their intention to run their accommodation their own way and at their own price. Counteraction is, of course, possible in such cases. Thoughtless acceptance of bookings and last-minute advice that such bookings cannot be taken has been another worry for the committee. In one case seven visitors were actually en route to the city when the owner of the accommodation rang and said that she was about to leave on holiday and consequently could not take the guests. Fortunately, other accommodation was available in time, but. it meant fast work and additional time wasted in having somebody to meet the visitors at the train and explain the change of plan. Other instances have been reported of visitors not liking the look of the accommodation into which they have been booked and demanding a change of billet after their arrival. Exploitation Found When the committee came to check up on the accommodation offered, it was found that there were the inevitable exploiters of the situation who wished to charge exorbitant prices for inferior accommodation. In one instance tubular steel tiered bunks were crammed into the rooms and the owner expected to make a charge of 35s a day for bed and breakfast, stating that she had been accustomed to do so during peak accommodation periods, such’ as major football matches, in .the past. “The committee has naturally been .shocked to find that there are residents who are endeavouring to make capital out of the centennial celebrations at the expense of our visitors.” said the chairman of the committee, Mr R. S. M. Sinclair, to the Daily Times yesterday. “We would not be sorry to see action taken against such exploiters by the appropriate

authority.” The strange lack of courtesy which prompts people to book unwanted accommodation aud thus prevent its use by genuine applicants is an old story to theatre managers, who are constantly harassed by unclaimed telephone bookings. Now, of course, the policy is to sell such booked seats unless they are claimed by a stipulated time. The same thoughtlessness is also experienced by women’s hairdressing saloris. where customers frequently make bookings for treatments involving an hour or more and then fail to appear, leaving staff idle. Dentists are also victims of lastminute cancellations or complete failure to keep appointments, with no explanation or apology offered. There is. however. a certain amount of sympathy to be offered to defaulters in such cases, for sheer cowardice is generally involved and that is a failing common to most people.