HOTELS IN DIFFICULTIES

Taranaki Daily News, 16 January 1934, Page 9

HOTELS IN DIFFICULTIES

“RENTS USUALLY TOO HIGH” AFTER-HOUR TRADING PROBLEMVIEWS OF A CORRESPONDENT. (To the Editor.) • Sir,—l have recently returned to New Zealand for a holiday after an absence of many years, and having kept hotels in the neighbouring colonies, I of course was naturally interested in the trade here. .1 am indeed surprised to find the rents for licensed premises so unreasonably high. On investigation it seems that rents are not worth half the money if business is to be confined to trading hours. In the interests of the trade as a whole this is a serious matter, and I consider that if a decent standard is to be maintained it should be seriously taken up by all concerned. Another serious evil that seems to he creeping into “the trade is the demand by owners for advance rents, in many instances up to 12 months. What is the position of the tenant if he finds that the takings in trading hours wjll not pay his rent? He has little option but to do business after hours, or else find the money he has already paid to the owner passing out of his hands without hope of recovery. This position must be well known to landlords, and it seems to me that they ought at least to share the penalties for selling liquor after hours. As the position stands at present, it must be very evident to those who have control of its regulations. Hotelkeepers these hard days are having a bad time, and they are not staying in the business for choice. They are like many others struggling to keep a roof over their heads for wife and family. It seems to me it would not be out of place to suggest that the licensing authorities might be put into the position of being able to review the fairness of rents when transfers take place, and advise accordingly. There is not the slightest doubt that if the unfairness of hotel rents can be adjusted on the basis of business done in regulated hours it will do more to minimise after-hour trading than the tightening up of regulations can ever accomplish.—l am, etc., AN EX-PUBLICAN. New Plymouth, January 8. WAITARA BRANCH RAILWAY. (To the Editor.) Sir,—Passing through Waitara the other day I noticed the same old Railway carriage standing ,in .the station yard as was used years ago. when the trip to New Plymouth from Waitara ■ by train when the buses cotfid' be used,, was almost unheard of,. Since rail fares went down the railway service is used a lot, but one still sees th’e same dilapidated type of old-fashioned carriage in which the passengers have to sit in long rows. Cannot the department cater for its newfound passengers by ..providing comfortable seating, and attach the old-fashiop-ed car for the use ‘of the school children ?—I am, etc.,’ MANUKORIHI. Waitara, Jan. 9. WAKE UP, AUTHORITIES. (To Sir,—As an ex-resident .of the district now on a visit toNew Plymouth, I am offering a suggestion, or two to tire authorities concerned-for -the possible betterment of one or two qf.,:the lesserknown resorts of tiie ; district. First of all, there .isJ.’Koru. pa. Koru pa is a wonderful place for a quiet picnic on a summer’s day, and; ik as yet imspoiled by hordes of cyclists and trippers wLh newspaper wrappings and tinned stuffs. But the track down to it is merely a clay watercourse full of holes and ruts, and. extremely dangerous to ankles .and clothes.. Apart from .a little work to the track one would suggest no “improvement” ,to a natural .beauty spot, but as lack of sense of direction and the topography of the pa are likely to trouble the visitor, could not a draughtsman be engaged to draw up a simple sketch plan' to be placed on a notice board by the bridge? That will obviate any visitors being lost in .the bush. Then there .is the old waterworks reserve. This also has the virtue of comparative freedom from the usual horde, and is a calm retreat. That is, the pine grove by the- river. At the • top of the hill is a wide, circular concrete basin, used solely by boys on bicycles as a speed track.' The “banking'” is approximately 45 degrees, and I suggest that the basin might be-put to good use by a cycling club for meetings, as I understood there is usually a little difficulty about securing a good cycle track at New Plymouth. Finally, I might suggest to the live Automobile Association that, eager as it is to help the. motorist, it might signpost all bridges in its area that are not very plainly two-car bridges. A single narrow squeak on' one of these annoying one-car traffic ways upon which one assumes, until almost too late, one can pass another car, ..is. very upsetting.—l am, etc., CONSTRUCTIVE. New Plymouth, January 15.