New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-19
fataT rorr~ppndsncel


MINNEAPOLIS, Sept l5.-When one
returns from a considerable stay in the
dry states to one that is still In the
wet column no Is struck by some very
sharp contrasts. The gay night life in
the larger cities in the wet zone as
compared with tho downtown quiet OF
the dry zono cities Is very noticeable.
Let New Workers be warned.
When prohibition comes to Gotham
the glory Of Broadway will depart.
When there are no drinks early bed
going Is popular. People do not stay
up all night to haunt restaurants and
cabarets when there are no stimulating
Accomplishments. Dinner parties In
hotels and restaurants do not flourish.
The formal banquet, deprived Of It's
main antidote for the addresses, no
I longer hourishes.
Not long since was In one OF the
dining rooms Of the Hotel Albany In
Denver. A few years ago It was a
scene Of life and gaysty and exuberant
spirits from 7 In the evening until 8
In the morning. The evening | was
there there were only few diners at
0. and the after-theatre crowd amount
ed to nsxt to nothing. A few idle
walters waited disconsolstely for the
diners they knew would not come. One
of them assured me that there was no
| hope that real strong drink would ever
come back. He had a conviction that II
the subject were submitted to vote the
people would favor the return OF wine
and beer, but he saw small chance OF
such q submission. He was inclined to
view the Universities OF dryness as
sort Of merited punishment for the ex.
cesses of the old regime. II there had
not been a declension Of gayety into
dissoluteness there would not have been
a popular demand for the abolition OF
the whole business.
Big Hotels Are Hard Hit
Prohibition is a serious business for
the big hotels. In the old days the
bar and liquor trade supplied the
profits of many Of the larger hotels
and stimulated the restaurant patron
age. The tremendous increase in the
Western tourist traffic since the war be-
gan has made it possible for many
hotels TO meet the new situation with
out resorting to the cultivation OF
sources of revenue to take the place
Of the lost ones. Others had so large
a share of their income dependent on
the bar and It's auxiliaries that even
with 100 per cent room record they
have found that they must find addi-
tional income or go out OF business.
Take the famous Hotel Davenport, OF
Spokane, for instance. This is one Of
the great hotels of America, though 1t
is located in a city of not more than
100000 II compares favorably in size,
appointments, equipment and service
with the best New York hotels. It's
bar and liquor bu mess ran up TO about
S250,000 a year, and furnished the
black ink balance on the hotels books
All Of the managers Of the big hotels
Of America, including many In New
York, have kept an eye on the Daven-
port, to see how IL met the prohibition
problem, with a view to being prepared
themselves for the dry day all seem TO
think is coming, soon or late.
Taking the line Of least resistance,
Mr.. Davenport tried the soft drink ex-
pertinent at first, but soon came to the
conclusion that II was a waste Of time
and money to push it hard-there was
not enough profit. His next idea was
TO make his dining rooms yield addi-
tional revenue. To replace the enor-
nous profits Of liquor. with only about
8 per cent Overhead" with the small
profits of the restaurants, with 40
per cent Overhead" meant that there