The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-09-14
ABOLISH THE HOTEL RuNYER.

A demand has been made practically
by the entire business community to
/ abate the nuisance represented by TIE
| hotel runner. The question how to deal
with the runners has at last reached it's
final stage and the verdict of the bust
ness community is Enthusiastically one
| which demands their disappearance
Everything which a perhaps unwis4
liberation could suggest has been cone
to avoid the need of putting an end 20
the hotel runner. But in vain. He
seems unable to conceive that liberation
on the part of the community is any
lessness.
The G o e was willing that the ut
most leniency should be extended to
those men, and if they lived within
their rights and the requirements of tie
ordinances, we were in favor of their
liberation. But it has been found prac-
tically impossible to bring them under
any form of regulation. The effort that
has been made to punish one of the
number and give the others a further
chance has been proven a failure. The
evils of the system increase day after
day
The license which the city extends
certain legal sanction around their
acts They have made their licenses
the warrant for all sort of ill-treatm
of incoming travellers, and behind their
outward occupation of securing guests
for the lower hotels, many of them have
conducted a line of business little be-
low the moral grade of highway robbery.
AS long as there Seemed any posi-
bility of regulating those engaged in the
pursuit, we are willing that every efe
fort in that direction should be, made
Now the matter has reached that phase
which can be dealt with effectively only
by the common council. There must be
no paltering with a serious situation.
The ordinance under which these men
have been operating must be repeated.
They must be cut off right at this point,
and those of them to whom licenses have
been issued which have not yet expired
must have their money refunded to
them.
The plan suggested by the committee
on streets will not be found adequate to
the case The decision to issue no more
licenses leaves the matter just where it
is. Licenses may be again issued at any
time after the present efforts of the
business community have come to an
end. The end should be reached now,
and it can only be reached in one way.
That is by the repeal of the ordinance
which provides for the licensing of such
persons and the immediate discontinu-
ance of hotel running as a calling.
Elsewhere is printed the list~of names
attached to the petition for doing away
with the hotel runner. That list incluGes
the best men in the community There
is not a business man of moment. especi-
ally Of those identified with our retail in
terests, whose name is not signed to
that petition, or who has not interested
himself actively one way or another in
the movement. Such demand from
such source cannot be ignored. The
urgent need of the action demanded is as
sured by the very demand of those men.
What business can be done legitimate.y
in the vicinity of the Gepot either by no.
tells or local stores will continue to be
done, and the unwary or ill-informed
traveller will have chance to get some
thing like a reasonable equivalent for
his money when the council has rid the
business community of ST. Paul of the
disgrace and wrong which are involved
in the operations of the hotel runner