The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-20
HOTEL INSPECTION
WILL Be MODIFIED.
Proprietors Object Strenuously
to Unequal Workings of
Fec System.
INCLUDE BOARDING HOUSES
Officials Believe All Should Be
Examined and Expenses
Paid by State.

Virginia's hotel inspection law, which
has now been in operation for some
/ fifteen months is badly in need OF per-
lection by amendments. in the opinion
of all those who have had to do with
its administration. Not these alone
hold this opinion. for the Same belief
is most firmly held by the hotel Keep
ers of the state.
DIR. Roy *. Flanna gan, the inspect
Ing officer of the State Health Depart
.ment. is making up his annual REPORT,
and 1t will include some ngures which
1t Is expected Will prove of great in
terest. Probably he Will make recon-
mendations along the line OF proper
changes. and at least he will present
the situation as It Is DR.. Flanagan
Is rather Inclined to the belief that
the travelling men of the State. who
began the movement which resulted in
the enactment OF the law. should take
the lead in amending it. lie thinks
that any OF them Will be easily CON
vertcd TO this view by an examination
of the results.
Has Visited All.
Every hotel in the State which comes
within the meaning OF that word by
the terms of the law, has been in
spected by DR.. Flanagan. That is,
unless there are places claimed to be
boarding houses which are taking
transients. Snd which have managed to
get by without detection. In order to
protect small places from the payment
of the fee, the law exempts hotels hav
inE ten bed rooms or less from the In
spection.
Herein lies one of the iniusticcs of
the law, There are in several towns
of the State two small hotels. one
may have eleven or twelve rooms. and
is inspected and made to pay the fee
to the officer. another, across the
street. has nine or ten bedrooms. and
is in every way competitor OF the
first mentioned. Yet II cannot be
touched. and the inspector has no
Jurisdiction to require 1t to comply
with the requirements of the statute
as to safety and sanitation, nor can
he make II pay the fee. The proprie-
tor of the slightly larger place kicks
Justly so, In DIR. Flannagan's opinion.
Another objection to the system is
the latitude 1t allows the officer him
be given such latitude. Every place
inspected is room, and the officer ca II
call every bathroom or pantry a room.
and charge for 1t. So II he does not
have a look at room and does not
charge for 1t because It is unneccs-
sary. a rival proprietor has an immc-
date kick on the size of his bin. A
hotel with the same number of bed
rooms as rival may haven more
bathrooms and be charged more. and
the owner cannot see why he should
be required to pay II.
Fault of Fee System.
The root of the trouble seems to lie
with the fee system. II Is the Arm be-
lief OF at least some OF the Health
Department officials that the fees
should be abolished; that the expenses
of inspection should foe paid by the
State; that no charge should be made
to hotel Keepers. and that every build
ing taking boarders for price should
be subject to inspection, whether hotel
or boarding house. In this way the
sanitary requirements could be en-
forced and the safety of the public in
sured, without the natural objection
of the proprietor at being made to
pay for something he does not seek.
That vast dement's have resulted
from the hotel inspection law is un-
doubted by any one. In nearly every
hotel in the State DR.. Flanagan has
found some nfringement in the lawn
most instances slight such as failure to
have proper signs pointing to fire
escapes Many places have been cleaned
up and made 1T for human habitation.
Yet small hotels have been exempt and
have not been touched. Projectors
everywhere have shown a disposition
to fully cooperate with DR.. Elan
nagan. and have obeyed his instruc-
tons to the letter. Every hotel man
whose place has been inspected has
reported that he has made the changes
required, save in the case of few
summer hostelries, which were visited
late, and which have promised 10
comply with the law before opening
next season. Certificates have been
issued to all the others. Sanitary ar
engagements have been found rather
better than was expected.