The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-02-06
INSPECTION PLAN
BRINGS PROTEST
Merger Of Hotel and Dairy offices
Meets With Much Opposition
by Travelling Mems
Organizations.
CALL IT BACKWARD MOVE
Head Of Iowa travelling Mems Asso-
citation Thinks it Is More
Than a Matter Of
Economy.
CALL ITBACKWARD MOVE

The travelling men of Iowa are up
in arms against the proposal before
the legislature to merge inspection
of hotels with other inspection work
carried on by the food and dairy de-
partment.
While the merger is being urged
as a measure of economy, 1t is point.
ed out by travelling men that the cost
Of hotel inspection is borne by the
hotel keepers themse elves and Is not
burden. upon the taxpayers.
Under the guise of retrenchmens ).
said e. M. Wentworth, president VI
the Travelling Mems congress Of Iowsi,
sit Is proposed by some OF the legls-
Iators to consolidate different state
inspection departments. It is sug-
gested that the inspection of hotels
be turned over to the food and dairy
department. With reference to the
chaneelI wish to say few words.
/, Much Has Been Gained.
"The proposition of properly and
systematically inspecting the hotels
was taken up by the travelling men
associations a number OF years ago
with the view OF providing decent,
safe and sanitary quarters, especially
for men who. through the nature OF
their calling, are compelled to be on
the road large part Of their time, a
bill was drafted, passed by the gen
eral assembly and was promptly tax
en- into the courts by the hotel mems
association.
at was fought clear through to
the supreme court of the Unlte1
States and pronounced constitution
al. The travelling men then expected
improved conditions, but instead OF
the law being enforced, the official
who was charged with the enforce
ment said that he could do nothing
as no appropriation had been mate
TO pay expenses.
"The travelling men then put up a
guaranty to cover expenses and IN
spection finally was begun about four
years ago. Since that time the state
has been covered several times by
the inspectors and conditions have
been greatly improved. In the four
years, although there have been sew.
eral big hotel fires. there has not
been single loss of life. as the no.
tells have been compelled to make
adequate provisions for safety.
"Prior to the burning OF the
Julien hotel in Dubuque the inspec-
tor had installed rope escape III
each room, and it is said that about
ninety guests SO escaped the fire.
"The Summit hotel at Creston
burned after the inspector had had
installed a steel fire escape and in.
dividual ropes. Every one got out
safely.
1.-THE same applies to the Rega.
hotel of Des Moines and the Frank
hotel of Sioux City. E
in, hundreds of places, the hotel
keepers have, been compelled to pro-
vide better and cleaner beds, more
sanitary Mushrooms and in innuna-
cradle ways conditions have beer
more tolerable. Especially in the
smaller towns the hotels are not yet
what they should be. but with the
constant pressure of the inspectors
they are improving each year.
And all this has been done at an
expense of not one dollar to the
state. The inspectors have collected
from the hotels the fees provided by
law, to cover all expenses OF the de-
partment
Travellers Pay the Bill.
"The travelling men do not propose
to now lose what they have gained
by having this department conducted
as a side issue by the food and dairy