The Nenana daily news., 1918-05-01
HOTELS HAVE BIG RUSH
 IN WAR TIME


 although not put to such test as hotels in Washington, D. C., are generally full to capacity at the present time This change has been brought about partly by an increase in the number of transient visitors to London. Many officers and sol diers are continually on leave. Fam lilies have moved into the city from the country to engage in some form of war work or to be with relatives on leave from the front Difficulty in procuring satisfactory servants and rising cost of living have induced the giving up of large houses and the moving into small houses, flats or hotels. Rents for large houses have fallen, whereas rents for smaller quarters have gone up. The in- creased control assumed by the gov ernment over business has, moreover, brought many business men to the city on periodic visits.
 The effect of this increased de- mand for hotel accommodations has been augmented by the commandeer- ing of large hotels for the use of government departments, The Cecil, Grand, Victoria, Metropole, and St. Ermins hotels, all of which are located near the government depart ments in Whitehall, have been com mandeered for government offices. The Goring hotel, which is near the American embassy, has been com mandeered for the quartermaster's department of the United States army. The expansion of govern mental departments is likely to make still greater demands on hotels and clubs for temporary quarters.
 Letters received from hotel man. agers show the trend toward increas- ed patronage. The managers of the hotels and restaurants of the Great Eastern Railway system write: "In common with most London hotels, our business has increased since the war started in both restaurant and hotel departments. This is probably due to number of large London hotels being taken over by the gov ernment, and to the constant move ment of officers, soldiers and thei.. friends through London" The man. ager of the Strand Palace and Regent Palace hotels says "All our rooms are occupied each night" The man. ager of the Savoy hotel states: "Now our restaurants and cafes are doing more than in pre-war years, while rooms are doing as we'll as in the prewar period, business being more continuous-that is, not now rar- taking of season character"
 The de lux London hotels, of which there are seven, are now better off than before the war so far as charg- es for rooms are concerned. They are asking the rates which previously prevailed only during the London season" -=-..:.- ~~
 The most interesting factcr in study of British hotels during the war period relates to the effect of food regulations and probable in- crease in the cost of meals. Food regulations, it may be said in gen. eral, have not been an insurmnunt- able obstacle, and prices for meals have not materially advanced. In April, 1917, the food controller :s- sued the public meals order as defense for the realm regulation. This fixed certain quantities of meat, sugar, bread, and flour to be served during various meals in every inn, hotel, restaurant, refreshment house, club, boarding house and every place fof refreshment open to the general public.
 When the public meals order first came into operation restaurant and hotel keepers doubted the possibility of curtailing the food supply and the cost per head to their customers. They hinted at the ruination of their business and declared that the keep ing of register involved know ledge of accountancy and was to most of them an insuperable task.