LOSING JEWELS FOR LIVELIHOOD.

Colonist, Volume XLIX, Issue 11996, 24 July 1907, Page 4

LOSING JEWELS FOR LIVELIHOOD.

Those gentlemen who have iallen into tbe unfortunate habit of losing bank notes and jewellery at hotels, and '"dunning" the proprietors for compensation, are likely to meet 1 with a very decided check (says the "Daily Express"). The newlyformed National Hotelkeepers' Association intends to put a stop to their eccentric behaviour, Several hotel proprietors in London - who were interviewed on the' subject by an "Express-' representative were fully in agreement with the aim of the new Association. Many bad themselves been victimised. "We have a notice in every room disclaiming responsibility," said the manager of a leading West End hotel. "But it is well-known that any similar establishment would rather suffer a loss of a hundred pounds or so than let it be generally known that a theft bad occurred on the premises. Take a case that occurred recently here. A man of apparent position took a couple of rooms, and had not occupied them a week before he complained that his bedroom had been entered, and a collection of rings which he valued at £250 stolen. An examination of the premises showed that the lock had been forced. I was certain that the whole business was a 'fane'; but, as I was unable to prove it, I drew his attention to the printed conditions on the wall. He grew hot and indignant, and rather than have any fuss made I parted with a quarter f the supposed value of the vanished rings. There is another man, now in Portland, who was habitually 'losing' jewels at the place 3 where he was staying. He was at last discovered in the act of deliberately breaking a window of his bedroom. " & Out of 78 men enrolled in the police force during last year 52 were native-born New Zalanders, eight Australians, seven Irish, six English, and five Sootch. In points of leligion 22 were Church of England, 32 Roman Catholics, and 19 Presbytrians. In occupation 26 were labourers, 12 farm labourers, five miners, five artillerymen, five butchers, and four farm rs.