The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1914-06-19
FLORIDA HOTEL
INSPECTOR MESSER
A Stickler for the Law only
when it Fits his Moods.

Inc last session OF IHe rlorlud Leg
islature passed what is called the Ho-
tel Law, a law defining hotels and
restaurants and prescribing rules for
their operation and maintenance, so
as to insure the safety and health of
employees and patrons.
The law was passed at the instiga-
ton of the travelling men OF the State
who were paying a good price for
accommodations and in many cases
getting little in the way of comfort
for their money.
The law provides for cleanliness, for
a supply of clean towels and clean
bedding, for screened windows and for
fire escapes. In fact it provides that
tie common necessities of well-reg-
ulated home shall be Furnished pat
rons who pay their money for the SER
vice
The enforcement of the law is plac-
cd in the hands of hotel commits
sloner who shall b" appointed by the
governor and who shall recelEa sal
ary of $4,000 per annum and travel
irg expenses, and who shall hold Office
at the pleasure of the governor.
The present Hotel Commissioner is
Mr.. A. L. Messer. He has visited Pa
latka in his round of inspection sew
eral times. He came here last fall,
and it is presumed served notice on
the various hotels that they should
comply with the law.
The Saratoga Hotel was the only
one in Palatka that appeared to pay
any attention to Mr.. Messer's order.
Within a week or two after his visit
the Saratoga had fire escape erect
ed on the north side of the house and
reaching from the upper hall to the
ground below. The hotel also placed
screens in those windows not already
screened.
On the next visit of Mr.. Messer that
official condemned the fire escape; it
was not built according to the specl-
fications laid down in the law. An
other was built.
Last Wednesday Mr.. Messer was
in Palatka again. He visited the
Saratoga and AGAIN CONDEMNED
THE FIRE ESCAPE. 1t was not
built in accordance with the laws
specifications, and he ordered another
built which would so comply.
The condemned fire escape was OF
iron and was erected by the Stanton
foundry. 1t was not built at an an
ole of forty-fve degrees and the plat
form was not QUITE SIX FEET IN
LENGTH. but short as it was 1t was
five feet and several inches longer
than the Putnam House provides fof
it's patrons. ,,o rrnc
The Putnam House has NO FIRE
ESCAPE WHATEVER. And it new
er had a SCREEN IN 1T UNTIL
LAST WEEK, though it is presumed
that Mr.. Messer gave that hosiery
notice at the same time that he did
the Saratoga. And at the same time
that he notified several smaller con,
Germs in this city to PLACE
SCREENS IN THEIR WINDOWS
OR TAKE THE CONSEQUENCES; :,
The News repeats that this hotel
law is all right, but only when It's
enforcement is general and favoritism
is not shown. If Mr.. Messer has not
shown favoritism, he has at least
winked at the laws violation in some
cases and enforced it in others, -,
The Governor of Florida should
know this. The people of Palatka
can be sure of one thing: Gov. Park
Trammell is not going to retain man
in office who only half does his duty;
who threatens the penalties OF the
law on the poor and winks at its vlo-
lation by those who are a little more
, influential.
The iron fire escape at the Sarato,,,
l ga Hotel cost enough to build small
. house; the last one condemned may
! not have been in strict conformity
with the law, but no one but an otfl-
cial with crouch would have no.
7 ticed its shortcomings. Mr.. jacob
son hasn't much in the way OF this
7 worlds goods, but he has respect for
the law and in all his long. career In
c Palatka no one can be found who
f would question his good citizenship
t While the last Saratoga fire es,,
t cape was being condemned several
travelling men were heard to express:
e the opinion that Messer was tyrant
and an official humbug. He was abu,
d sive and insolent in language and
manner. Clothed with little brle1
a authority he acted the cad that he