New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-13
Which Are the Good Hotels!

,yeu 70 know that the good work is gong
on and that reforms are progressing buV
WHY is not the public who pays for the
;,snect;on and furnishes the stomachs
vitallv concerned entitled to know the re-
srltsq All the milk that comes into New
York is graded and labelled. Why should
not our hotels and restaurants also De
graded and labelled?
The downtrodden ultimate consumer IS
especially defenceless before the ho'ei
waiter He must eat what is set before
bin,-he has no way of knowing OF the
freshness or desirability of the food until
after he has eaten it, and the sanitary con-
ditions under which it is prepared are
sealed mystery to him. Very soon the
Health Department will know just which
hotels and restaurants are models from
sanitary point of view, and which are not
and don't try to be, even after a warning
and second inspection. The department
will know. in short, exactly what the ulti-
mate consumer ought to know-just what
the shortcomings of each are.
But at present this information Is
being whispered in the ear OF the res'au-
rant keeper only-and no one but the
Health Department force will reap any
definite practical benefits, except IN 50
far as hotelkeepers react voluntarily 70
the inspection. Public opinion should de-
mand publicity, and the Board OF Health
should take action to require the posting
Of grading cards and the publication OF
the final findings. Then the circle wouid
no complete and every one would be Dene-
fted TO the maximum. The man VINO
snent his money in the hotel could IN
telliqentlv bestow his patronage; the
hotelkeeper who is spending MONEY!
brains and labor to insure and MAINTAIN
sanitary conditions would be protected
from the unfair competition of the man
who is running cheap and dirty place;
and the Health Department would be made
more efficient by having the light Of pub
licity turned on its findings.
The idea of grading hotels, retail
stores and food handling establishments
is not a wild or dangerous innovation.
Indiana. Tennessee and North Dakota
have all done it successfully for years, and
the differences in conditions between New
York and these states are such as only
make this precaution more necessary
here. owing to congestion, greater num-
hers and greater completely. The Food
Commissioner of North Dakota, bull
Dog" Ladd. chuckles over the fact that
"he hasn't gone TO bed without libel SUIT
a single night in three years, and ne is re
turned year after year by an alert and ap-
preciative public opinion. Only public
which gives its Food Commissioner and
health officers just such support can hope
for the service it ought TO have. Com
missioner Ladd not only grades hotels and
stores and the like, but he publishes a
list of his findings yearly and distributes
it as widely as possible. Why cannot New
York do as we'll as North Dakota?
II does not require malice and murderous
design TO run a dirty, disease infected
hotel. 1t only requires a certain pressure,
shortage of capital ignorance and con-
tributory negligence on the part Of the
proprietor. Every housewife knows that
intelligence, eternal vigilance and constant
inspection are the price, Of clean icebox
and a sanitary kitchen. This is under
domestic conditions-and with only two
or three servants TO control and watch.
As we understand the workings of our
Health Departments inspection every
effort is made TO insure fair, impartial
rating. To begin with, every requirement
ON the inspection blank, from medical
cards. clean clothes and proper washroom
facilities for handlers of foods to gar
bage and refrigerator requirements, repre-
sents code regulation, passed by the
Board Of Health and having the force Of
law. The first inspection carries with 1t
no grading-it goes to the restaurant
keeper only as a warning and suggestion.
and due time is given for the correction or
the evil or oversight. On second in
spection the results are entered, and The
report, without the name or address of the
concern, is given TO another official, VINO
grades it on its merits without knowledge
of its identity or location. Another per
son identifies the records and issues the
rating, which will be poor, good or ex-
celent, according to an automatic system
of grading the importance of the several
requirements. Under such a system
errors cannot be frequent and the danger
of real hardship altogether disappears.
The Health Department is doing fine
service in cleaning up our eating places.
Let it give full publicity to the results and