The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-08-05
BAD FOR HOTELS.
State Board of Health Refuses
to Grant Certificates.
Practically No Fire or Sanitary
Precautions in Kansas.
SOME WILL BE CLOSED
Something Must Be hone OF
State Will Act.
900 HoStelrieS in Kansas Re-
fused Permits.

The startling fact has been revealed
by the state board of health that il
the state of Kansas today there is no
a hotel VIII Oh IS complying with the new
hotel inspection laws and which ha:
been issued certificate by the secre-
tary. This means that out of the LOO
hotels in the state practically rons Of
them are. according to law, worthy OF
their purpose.
Some of the hotels have not been ex-
amined and reported to the state. The
900 hotels that have been registered are
not competent for certificates and until
! they comply with all of the strict laws
OF the state they Will either be given a
short notice, prosecuted or closed down
until proper precautions along fire pro-
/ lection and sanitary lines can be maze.
! The hotels of Topeka are in the best
shape OF any city in Kansas. In regard
| to the sanitary conditions they are in
! excellent shape and they only lack the
/ PROPER fire ESCAPE and protection pre-
cautions. However according to w. J
Y. Deacon. Of the department of the
state board of health. the hotels of To-
peka have promised immediate precau-
ton and IN most cases the ne 5eSsary
i&ppiiances nave been ordered and work
is being conducted Tor the protection OF
their guests
The state board of health requires
that the local health offices and the FIRE
4 arshals of the different towns and
cities in the state shall inspect the no
tells, fill out blank for that purpose
Ct report to the department. With all
OF the local pride and favOritism in
their breasts the officials have done this
and in spite of it all they still continue
to underline an emphatic Yes when
it is asked if there are bedbugs in the
building ard if the sanitary conditions
are badly N need Of a remedy.
1t will soon be necessary to close
down some of the hotels of the state
tie present outlook points toward
permanent shIttinG down. There are
cases On record where the buildings in
the smaller towns are almost ready to
fail to pieces, Where fire ESCAPES and
appliances would cost more than
rev building and where the sanitary
conditions disgust the accustomed eyes
OF the busiest food Inspector The or
ders from the board of health are very
strict and rigid and in some towns the
landlords have awakened and new
building is the result.
The certificates issued by the state are
based on the report sent to the secre-
tary-these reports being divided into
two divisiors-fire protection and sani-
tary Inspector. As a general rule the
sanitary conditions in the cities are
much better thar in the smaller towns
srd in the smaller towns the fire pro-
tections are all in better shape-due
largely to the presence of water and
sewers in the former and one and two
story hotels in the latter.
The fire protection reports show that
nothing has beer done over the state.
Some of the smaller houses have rugged
up few irons on the outside walls but
the gorgs. red lights. signs. chemical
cAtinguisheTs elevator shafts and all
are an unknown quantity. In most
cases the owners have made no prepar-
alton whatever to install them.
Blind Room BugabOo.
The blind room" proposition has
caused a big howl among the hotel
keepers. A majority of the hotels of |
the state have from one to fifteen blind |
rooms and it will cost them thousands |
of dollars to remodel them or allow |
them to be condemned and turned into |
storage or useless spaces. In some |
cases the rooms have Opened-into a hall |
where an ample skylight is used and in |
this condition Mr.. Deacon has written |
them allowing them the privilege to
place steel ladders to the roof through |
the skylights thus giving them use OF
the blinds"
The sanitary conditions are delor-
able in some hotels in the smaller
towns. The offices of the hotels are re-
ported fair. The source of water sup
trouble. There should be screens on
all windows and doors of the hotels but
this is not done to any extent.
The steward pantries are also fair
They are required to be rat proof and
some of them have cement floors and
watch this part of the law. The cOndt
ton OF the canned goods and foods in
these pantries is also an important
problem.
The wash rooms are fairly good. In
the larger hotels they are not used to
great extent as the water is used in the
rooms but in the small towns hostelries
the wash room is favorite hiding
place for germs and dirty roller towels.
Conditions are being improved, how
ever.
The back yards of the small hotels
nrnh1Pr11 The hao iG
always used for the accumulation of
-rash-it stays there until it is dry
enough to burn. The sewage. Stops
and waste water is also dumped into
his favorite feeding place of the flies
and from here they carry the diseases
o the guests through the unscrecned
windows
The bedrooms are not disinfected {
very three months according to law
the board of health was both I
shocked and surprised this morning to !
ind a perfect disinfection. in small
cottage house in the western part of the
state The trouble. over the length of i
he sheets is a mighty problem with (
he hotel keepers and they are all
ousily engaged in building additions to
he bedclOthes. Bedbugs are heavy /
'oomers and boarders in a ma iority of :
he inns. /
The hotel laws went into effect just ,
i've months ago today and the owners ,
AVE had plenty of time for their COM
)Hances. According to the state au- +
horities they VIII not have very much }
more time-the guillotine will fail with !
n few months at the most. !
From one to ten letters a day are re- :
of the hotel conditions in Z
Kansas. Most OF these come from the |
raveling public. Others come from :
he residents of the town themselves |
Something must be done and it is due
II short time.