The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1874-05-21

The question Of reduction of rates
for board, at summer hotels, is now agi.
tatlnp the public mind and much il
being said aud written on the subject
among others we notice some very sen
sible remarks in the New York DAFT,
Graphlc, whose editor seems to
thoroughly comprehend the situation
which we enrbody in this article.
Whatever may be the reason il is
generally conceded that during the
coming summer the emigration from
this country of tourists to Eu ope will
be less than it has been during any
re- ent sumner. One of the results OF
this inclination on the part OF our
weather classes to stay at home will
be an increase Of the crowds which
will visit our watering places and Q
shall therefore hear louder wall than
usual concerning the exorbitaut prices
charged by watering.place hotel
kee ers.
Now it is quite clear that hotel
keepers cannot be expected to pursue
their business from purely philan.
thropic motives They Of course intend
to make money, aud they have a per.
feet tight to do so. Their prices TN.
doabtedIy seem very high, but il does
not follow that they are exorbitant.
We must remember that they are com.
PEELED to build enormous hotels to &C.
commodate their swarms of summer
guests These buildings require great
outlay Of capital, and during three.
f0orths Of the year are totally unpro.
ductive The interest on the cost OF
the hotels for nine months in every
year must therefore be added to the
! prices charged during the season. And
this in many cases amounts to a very
large sum.
Then, too, it should be remembered
that the hotcl-kcepcrs are not rospon
able for the high rates which the
farmers and provision-dealers compel
them to pay, II they could buy meat
aud vegetables at low rate, and could
hire regiments OF servants at low
wages they could materially reduce
the prices charged their patrons. Al
it IL. We cat hardly require them tC
supply their guests with board and
lodging and service at daily loss o
money,
Aside from any other evidence it il
sufficiently plain that if hotels could
be probably managed at a cheaper rate
than they nov are there would lie NJ
lack Of cheap hotels. If Jones eoulC
build q hotel at Long Branch, Sara
toga or Manchester and furnish hit
guests the same accommodations FOL
three dollars that Smith now fur
uishes for from four to fiec, be woull
lgse 40 time ia reaping his share Of tn,
harvest. Bot we do not fad that any
one ventures to risk the experiment o
cheap fret class hotels On tho othe
hand we constantly hear Of the failur,
and bankruptcy o. the very hotel
keepers who have been currently sup
posed 10 he acquiring enormous for
tanos b. their high prices, The truti
Is that 10 the rotel business, as in am
other business that is not a monopoly
prices regulate themselves in aecor
daacc with the law that makes the Coz
Of production. modified BY the supply
aud demand, the standard Of price. !
watering place hotels could be profit
atty managed al low prices we shout
have abundance 81 them. That W,
have aa -aeh totas is Sufficient evi
De- ca that the prices are not sIof
btaai, oil things considered.
ltis well known that the average
duration e tie profitable season 70.