The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-11-23
DRY MENACE BOOSTS
HOTEL ROOM RATES
New York BOnifaces Decide
Also That Landlords Prices
Must Come Down.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY HAAN
Threat of Walters Strike
Pales Before Advance of
Prohibition Forces.

The Judgment of those diners and
drinkers OF this great city who have
observed our hotel and restaurant keep
ers during the war and have seen
them devise and impose the cover charge.
and the service charge. and the table
charge. and the hat room charge. and the
cellar charge. and the dance charge. and
the 5asx charge, and the taxicab starters
charge and all the other divers and sun
dry charges with which every city
hosiery bulges from end to end
and who have imagined that with
all these charges In full swing and
effect the roof or ultimate limit OF hotel
charseability had been arrived at had
their Judgment tossed in their faces yes
te.day when a chapter OF the proprietors
got together in the rooms Of the Hotel
Association and decided that the prices
OF hotel rooms must go up and the
amount OF rent which the hotel keeper
pays his landlord must come down.
Every hotel proprietor has at all times
al alibi concealed about him. and his
excuse in the present case is that since
President Wilson has signed the bone
dry law life looms darkly for the poor
proprietor from the last day Of next
June and that IL he Is not to perish
from the earth he must boost a price or
two The cult considers that with It's
bars closed there is an appreciable prob
ability OF its making less money than II
has made and that now is the time for
all good hotel proprietors to prepare the
public for another kind Of charge.
Discuss Dry Bill Only.
Tho hotel men went into executive ses-
sion yesterday all set to devise ways
and means to meet the strike with which
their walters have threatened them
through the International Federation of
Hotel Employees. But they never
touched upon walters at all. The walters
ana their strike being a theory for most
OF them and the President and his bone
dry bill a condition the proprietors sat
down and discussed the dry bill only. and
thereby evolved their plan to jack up
room rents
This is the procurement OF r N.
Ham. boniface OF the St Regis. and
speaking for his brotherhood when the
meeting adjourned for the day:
when the prices at present prevailing
in New York hotels were arrived at they
were fixed on the basis of general profits.
the sale OF wines and liquors produced
a very considerable part of the calcu-
lated profits and the right to sell such
beverages was one Of the big induce
ments to the hotel man who paid high
rent for a choice location.
NOW II prohibition comes very
substantial source OF revenue will have
been cut off. There will be necessitated,
therefore. a readjustment in the prices
of rooms and a reduction of the rent
paid BY the hotel man to his landlord"
Hope for the Best.
Meantime from the smallest hole in
the wall in the city to the most ornate
hotel bar In Fifth avenue the outlook Of
the dry season is being discussed with
enc mans opinion as good as another's.
The general feeling In that the only thing
to do is 10 keep right on doing business
at the old bar and hope for the best
and an early rehabilitation Of the army.
The special opinion among the pessi-
uiists Is that one might Just as well close
down now and try to get into some regu-
lar business.
There has been no meeting of land
lords and hence no ratification OF the
hotel mems declaration that the rents of
hotel buildings must come down and In
the event that the landlords, with their
leases locked comfortably in their safes,
may decide that the proprietors' conclu-
sion lacks binding force. It Is conceivable
that the dear public will. as usual. walk
UP to the hotel desk and pay the piper as
outlined.
That the public will not balk at this
Is believed confidently by the hotel men,
the public in the past having growled and
growled but none the less duly stood for
the table charge. the service charge. the
cover charge. the dance charge and the
SaKs charge.
wit starts a Rumor.
Some metropolitan wit set going the
fumor yesterday that the hotel and
liquor dealers associations had ex-
changed diplomatic notes and had de-
cided that all the bars In the city were
to be turned into soda fountains. Until
they got time to get the point thoroughly
and have 1t explained to them that thit
was Broadway wheeZe, the hotel mer
generally were forward with denials
some Of them even calling up the news
papers and assuring the editors that
there was nothing to 1t. OF course, wher
dry day comes the hotels will be able &c
md some use for their old barrooms
Amy one of them could be cut up into
several bedrooms and charged for, al
has been expressed already. on a basis
of the high rents now charged by land
lords for choice locations.
But except for the hotel men there
have been no meetings OF affected
classes cults, professions and special in
terests In anticipation OF the last day Of
next June. The hotels. restaurants ant
the rum sellers have driven fast trade
charged stiff prices and made lot o.
money during the days OF war.
certain element OF chance touche,
their trade at all times and II is theii
general feeling now that chance viii
favor them again before the end; tha
some legal sharp will pick a constitu
tional flaw In the law; or that the mex
Congress will repeal IT; or that, tn
necessity for keeping the army lonI
abroad will disappear suddenly, ant
every soldier at present overseas will b,
back In civilian clothes during tn,
months between now and July l. 1913.