The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-22
MORGAN ROARS.
Complains About Size of Bill at
Copeland.
Says He Paid $40 Day at Con-
VentiOn Time.
HOW HE EQUIVOCATES.
lie Had Room for Four
People.
Regular Rate Would Have Been
So Apiece.
HOW HE EQUIVOCATEs.

Last Saturday night the State Jour
nal replied to an attack made on the
hotels of Topeka by the Hutchinson
News. in which it was charged that
during times of conventions Topeka
hotel keepers took advantage of their
patrons to increase rates for accommo-
dation. The charge was of course un-
true ard was denied The succeeding
issue of the Hutchinson News says:
Topeka papers Indignantly resent
the charge that Topeka hotels raise
rates during political conventions. The
papers should investigate We cannot
speak from personal knowledge of all
the hotels in Topeka. but we have a
receipted bill from the COPELAND hotel
showing thar it charged the editor of
the News $40 a day for a room that or
dinarily he had for 81 a day. On MAX
ing inquiry at the time we found that
there had apparently been no discrin-
inatiOn except in degree, everybody be-
ing charged from $S to $12 a day. There
was nothing TO do but to take the room
and pay the price"
w. ! Morgan is editor of the News
Mr.. Morgan ostensibly has the proof
for his statement with him, but in
compliance with his suggestion a re-
porter for the. State Journal did a lit
tie Investigating" this morning and
found that there was a very satisfac-
tory explanation for the size of his
hotel bill Mr.. Morgan had three other
men with him in his ROOM as the books
OF the Copeland hotel show They
held -FOUR meal tickets among them;
We're given accommodations for four
people because the room was a large
one Not only this. but instead of be-
Ing charged the regular rate of SO
apiece per day the four men had the
room for $3.50 apiece Had the full
rage Of the hotel for rooms like the one
MI Morgan occupied been assessed
against the party they would have
paid $12 instead of SO.
II IS the rule that prevails in Topeka,
IN Wichita and in every city where first
class motel accommodations are furnish
ed, that every person shall pay the full
rate charged for the class of accomnno-
dation which he hires. If one man is
put IN a room he is charged the fixed
rate. If the room is large and a second
man is put IN with him no diff erafSe in
price Is made. If the room Is sufficient
~ commodfous for four persons the rule
holds good, except when, in the discre-
tlon OF the proprietor. a cut is made as
there was for the party for which Mr.
Morgan paid. The publication of an
item like either of the two to which
this discussion relates seems to indicate
that Mr.. Morgan does not appreciate a
favor when it is done him.
James ChappeH, proprietor of the
Copeland. said this morning:
1t is just as 1 stated in my first in
terVlew- We ask for the capacity of
our rooms and no more. If a room is
large enough to accommodate more
than one person we expect it to bring
US more revenue. A room with four
men in it ought to bring as much as
-FOUR rooms with one in each. We fur
nish accommodation at stated prices
ana the difference in the comfort of the
accommodation we are able to offer de-
pends upon the demand for it, If Mr.
morgan wanted to rent that room again
To-Day or next July when we did not
nave ten persons in the house, and
wanted to put four persons in if and he
supplied with four meal tickets he
would have to pay the same amount
that he did last winter when the sena-
torlal election had things crowded.
L do not believe that Wichita wants
the Republican state convention: the
hotelmen do not anyhow, as I was in
formed by F. M. Curtis, manager of
the Hamilton hotel there. Mr. Curtis
was in Topeka a short time since and
STATED TO me that at the present time
the Wichita hotels are all of them
nanuhng commercial business up to
lhelr fuu capacity and they would
rather have that than be bothered with
the state convention rush.
As for The capacity of the hotels in
Wichlta can. say very positively that
tney SIMPLY can't offer the accommoda-
lions that are to oe had here. There
are lhree hotels in Wichita. The Carey
mas 160 rooms; the Hamilton 7S and
the Manhattan 75. In Topeka the prin-
cipal hotels with their rooms space are
about as follows: Throop, 126; National.
l8; Copeland, 50; Fifth Avenue, so;
Chesterfield. no; oxford. So; Orient. Is.
These figures may not be absolutely
accurate but they are nearly so and
they show that Topeka is fixed to take
care of twice the number. of people
Wichita is"
Every politician in Topeka knows
Tat the Hutchison and Wichita hotels
as well as those in Topeka charge ca
pacity rates. A convention coul1 be
handled in no other way. Several state
officers verified this statement today
when asked about the matter.
VIII the Hutchinson News be fair to
Topeka and publish the above? Like
wise the various other papers which
have misrepresented the city and its
hotels. The State Journal will watch
for corrections.
mNRHnusArao nrnnuo.