New-York tribune., 1918-08-04
St. Regis and Plaza
Lose Baking Licenses
Managers, However, Are
Exonerated of WiIful At
tempt to Break Rule


The Greeley Square Hotel Company,
operating the Waldorf-Astoria, the Nc
Alpin, the Claridge and tho Savarin
and Fifth Avenue Restaurant, was
fined $4,000 for sugar boarding. In
addition the candy manufacturing IL
cense Of tho Hotel McAlpin was sus-
pended. The Waldorf Astoria, recently
acquired by the company, was exon
erated from any blamo attaching 70
the verdict Of tho Federal Food Board.
L. NJ. Boomer. of tho Greeley Square
Hotel Company, stated last night the
fine had been paid.
The Hotel Imperial, found guilty Of
tho same offence Of sugar boarding,
was ordered to close its restaurants
for two days, beginning tonight at
midnight The Hotel st. Regis and
the Hotel Plaza, two Of New York
City's best known hostelries, had their
baking, pastry and ice cream licenses
suspended for thirty days, beginning
Wednesday.
0SO~ ~
While the Federal Food Board made
no official statement as to the amounts
OF sugar piled up by the hotels in ex-
cess Of the thirty days. supply allowed
by the national food administration. it
is understood that the Greeley Square
Hotel Company had more than 100000
pounds stored away when the Federal
inspectors began their investigation.
This amount, it is said, represents
about five months supply.
The Plaza Is said to have had 1880
pounds, about three months supply;
the st. Regis 1880, three months sup
ply, and the Imperial $500 pounds,
enough to last four and half months.
The decisions were rendered two
days ago by John Mitchell, chairman Of
the Federal Food Board, and Arthur
Williams, Federal Food Administrator
for New York City, but were not made
public tn yesterday, when the food
administration in Washington ap-
proved the findings.
The Greeley Square Hotel Company
was ordered to pay $4,000 to the Amer
lean Red Cross and the Y. M. C. A.,
the money to be divided.
Made Candy for Army
The company makes the McAIpin
brand of candy. In the statement is
sued by the federal food board it was
said that the McAlpin candies have
been. for the most part, supplied to the
army.
The Waldorf Astoria, acquired re-
Gently by the Greeley Square Hotel
Company, the statement declares, chad
It's own supply of sugar and does not
enter into the matter"
All the cases of violation made pub
lie yesterday have been under investi-
cation for more than a month. The
trial before the Federal Food Board
took several days. The board was rep
resented by its counsel, Charles P.
represented the Greeley Square Hotel
Company. In the case of this company
the Bureau of Enforcement in Wash
ington made the following summary:
No Deliberate Violation
"While we find that there has been
violation in the form of excess hold
lngs of sugar, we are satisfied that the
management did not realize that this
was the case.
"Their holdings of white sugar, while
not sufficient to attract serious atten-
ton. Their excess was in the form of
raw brown sugar, of which they bought
IN November q very considerable guam
tity.
1t is not a case of deliberate viola
ton. On the contrary, we are satisfied
that if the situation had been realized
1T would have been promptly corrected.
The management has been ready to CO.
operate with the food administration
at all times. 1t was one Of the leaders
in the adoption of the non-wheat
pledge. 1t has complied with all con-
servaton requests, and it's patriotic
zeal and leade rship have been manifest
ed in many other directions and are
beyond question.
"Under these conditions we might
possibly be justified in placing the case
on file, but the necessities of discipline
make it irnpracticable in many cases to
rest our conclusion on the mental at
titude or motive. Particularly in cases
involving concerns of prominence, their
leadership involves, with all their other
obligations, the obligation to accept
cheerfully appropriate penalties when
mistakes have been made"
Had Reported Excess
Otto Stack, manager of the Imperial,
made the following statement:
"Wc were wrong in having so much
sugar, but we thought by giving an
exact report the food administration
would tell us what to do with the ex-
cess. Instead Of that. we were told that
VIC should not have had an excess sup
ply, and fine was imposed on u.s."
The Federal Food Board will decide
later how the excess of sugar shall be
distributed.
Boomer Issues Statement
The Federal Food Board issued the
following statement made by l.. NJ
Boomer, Of the Greeley Square Hotel
Company:
Every one knows that have been
In hearty sympathy with the policies
Of the food administration and am
anxious 10 support its aims by all
means in my power. 1t appears the
food administration Is Of the opinion
that we made mistake in purchasing
some raw brown sugar for our en-
ployes' supply department last fall and
that that purchasc violated regula-
ton.
"Although I did not think that such
waS the case, nevertheless, / cheer
fully accept the decision OF Mr..
Mitchell and MIR. Williams, food ad