HOTEL CANBERRA

Taranaki Daily News, 29 January 1931, Page 13

HOTEL CANBERRA

WITHOUT A SINGLE GUEST. I GOVERNMENT LOSING HEAVILY. The Hotel Canberra which is the largest and best-appointed hotel in the Australian capital and which cost the Commonwealth Government more than 150,000 to build, was recently without a single guest. For weeks the guests have numbered fewer than a dozen. The authorities take the view that it is better to keep the hotel open than to disband a staff which may be needed again at any moment. The maintenance of hotels and hostels in Canberra is probably the heaviest item of expense which the Commonwealth Government has to bear in its administration of the Federal Capital Territory. Although complete figures are not available, it is estimated that in less than five years, when interest and depreciation charges are taken into account, the loss on the five hotels, three of which are now closed, and the five hostels, has amounted to approximately £300,000. The original cost was more 'than £530,000. In the opinion of many local residents, the problem couldi be at least partly solved by the encouragement of tourist traffic. Recently, however, the Government closed the tourist bureau in Canberra as an economy measure. Publicity in the Commonwealth and abroad was discontinued more than a year ago for the same reason, although the saving effected was very small.