The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-19
SUMNER HOTEL TROUBLES.
III BUSINESS NOT WHAT 1T USED
TO BE AND THE REASONS.

Too Many Americans 60 Abroad to shop ana
Too MANY Others Prefer CettnEe Lire-Tho
DinEi-y Provision as to Personal Apparel
Expected TO Ala Native Hotel Mcn-
From nearly every big summer hotel In the
North this season came the statement that BUSH
ness was exceedingly poor. Most OF the ex'
pcasivc places were not half full and but few
had anything like a profitable season. The
managers of once popular resorts shook their
heads i'll despair and talked about the de-
cline in the summer hotel calling; they grew
sorrowful In recalling the good times ten or
twelve years ago when every famous hostelry
was full TO overlooking from the time ID
opened its hospitable doors. with the first hot
wave, until nipping autumn winds caused tlNem
to be closed.
Hotel men, especially those at summer re-
sorts, as a rule do not bother themselves to rea-
son out the why and wherefore of perpleNinG
questions. 1t is commonly their habit 10 take
things easily and be content to wonder why o
certain vcNHtious state OF affairs exists. Some
wondered this summer II their houses wcre
empt because fashionable people do not caro-
TO go 10 summer hotels any more: some whether
Europe eNertcd a greater attraction on Ameri-
can people; others hinted that tho woful lack
OF guests must be due to the fact that the
folks preferred living in summer cottages, and
still others merely groaned that for their lives
they could see no reason why the summer
hotels were no longer more than half full.
one hotel man in this city, who owns a large
hostclry by the sea and another in town, says he
knows why the summer hotel business has do
ciined TO such an extent, and he thinks that tho
DinElcy bill is going to give It 4 regular boom
next summer.
1T will be hard for some people to und erstand
why fashionable womon's clothing should affect
IN. Srrnp,ar Inf,l hu.irp.S - said l,an Earla-
but it does just the same, and that new clause
IN the Dinglcy bill that Is bothering the heads OF
the ladies so much is going to completely revo-
lutionize the summer hotel business. Whyf
Heretofore when our people could bring thou
sands OF dollars worth OF stuff from the other side
into this country free OF duty great numbers
went abroad every summer to do their shop
ping. No one could blame them for that, for
they could savo a summers expenses on The
c%lo,hine that they purchased. as they landed y
here auty free. Inc provision in the act OF
July II. 1897. regarding the free entry OF wear
ing apparel and personnel effects VI persons Ar
to this hcyira TO Eng .and and The Continent
every summer The consequence will be that
the people Will stay at home and patroniZe our
simlnGr Resorts.
Il believe that more than one-half of the
people VINO go abroad 20 there to shop. They
can't 20 sightseeing, for most who go have been
many times before aud there is nothing much
let Tor them 10 soc. They certainly do not go
on account Of superior hotel communications,
for our hotels are TAR better than those abroad.
The summer hotels this year did nothing
like the business they had done III former years.
There we're many reasons for this other than
the one Already assigned. Hard times had .
did not leave tho cities AT all. and many Who
did 80 went 10 ChcaD resorts. Low priced
hotels and boarding houses did a big business
this year. People were econouIiZlnR i'll every
possible way.
Again, people are living more and more In
hotel for a season OF two, or perhaps three, and
!ihe the place 50 well that they decide to settle
toners IN this way every year.
~ we cnil stop tins Smuggling. then people
WIZ quit gong abroad and sqnandering their
and spend II among their own people. ard this
Will not only nclp the Summer hotel business,
bat every otncr business. Take our rich fami-
lies; they make their money here and spend 10
there. feoP!e who 10 thai are not patriotic;
In Paris alone An means spend $50. 000, 900
every year. but | understand that the new
clause has already made itself felt in some Of
the stores on the other side. and that is some.
thing Tor AN American citizen to DO thankful
There Is no reason why this city should not
not make 1t attractive enough. All OF the big
hotels N town should be from one.half TO two
eomc!hins 10 attract the people from the other
side here. The city should be beautitied with
trees and flowers, and there should be plenty
OF places for people Ia go 10, in the way OF
anu >clHcnt. Our theatres are all shut tight,
aAd when strangers come To town during the
GUNNER there Is nowhere for them to 20 unless
they 80 to COney Island or some nearby resort.
Tho steamship companies should also mako
favorable terms 10 attract the people Of Europe
10 this country, The ocean liners 20 over full,
but they come back empty. and there Is o rea-
ton WHY they shouldn't be fun both ways; the
companies would be gamers by such a transact
ton, rs well AS every body else.
"EhElish, people are economical and they
don't spend their money travelling as we do,
hut Il "" offered them sufficient attractions
and the steamship rompanies, made n bid, for
their patronage, they would begin TO flock TO
our shores. All this would have "A bearing on
the summer hotel business.
Il voice the sentiment OF all hotel men when
! say that the PROSPECTS for heavy trade at all
OF the resorts next GUNNER are most encourage
ing. The failure to buy on the other side with
ont paying duty ami The good times which are
upon Us will crowd all of the hotels, expensive
md otherwise. The large numbers OF people
who did not gct out OF tho towns and Giles at
Hli this year. and Others who shortened their
b%uiourns AT tho resorts for economical reasons,
will, be- more cHiravasant than ever now that
business il looking up, and I'm sure that Q
year hence there will be another story TO tel
about the wonderful rise in the summer hotel
business"