The sun., 1919-11-05
DRY LAW BLIGHTS
HOTEL BUSINESS
Many Vacant Rooms Among
Hostelries Here Threaten
49, Financial Troubles.
FOOD TRADE CUT IN TWO
Bootleggers Find Hundreds Of
CustOmers-Still Disc0v-
rsse cred in Bronx.

Restaurants and hotels have been hit
hard by the war time prohibition en-
fercement act. Figures obtained by
TIE SUN yesterday indicate the res
taurant patronage has fallen off from
3b to 50 per cent. in the popular places,
where folk were accustomed to seek
Eayety and little drop of something
while absorbing solid nourishment.
Moreover, the demand for rooms In the
big hotels has decreased measurably
IN the last week. These conditions have
brought the worry wrinkles to the
krows of proprietors, who are trying to
readjust their business to meet the new
situation.
Z, Manager Stack of the Hotel Imperial
said yesterday that his restaurant trade
shows a decrease OF SO per cent The
dinner patronage of the Prince George
has dropped similarly. while the tea
room patronage has about disappeared.
In the last week Mouquin's uptown res
taurant at Sixth avenue and Twenty
eighth street has noted a distinct
ehrinkage. due largely to the fact that
Mouquin's was famous not only for the
quality of food served by its French
chefs, but also for the excellence of its
Hight wines. The experience Of these
we1l known restaurants is typical Of the
blight which has settled generally over
the business Reisenweber's finds that
its receipts have dropped about so per
cent. because OF prohibition. The Cafe
de Paris. formerly Rector's, has been
forced to close its big ballroom.
Restaurants I'm Quandary.
Tho fact widely noted by restaurant
interests Is that thousands of persons
who were willing daily to buy expen-
sive food. provided they could get a
cocktail, light wine or even beer with
their meals. arc no longer willing to
patronize expensive places for food
alone. They are staying home, X they
have homes, or they are going to
cheaper restaurants Efforts made to
interest people In beverage substitutes
have been dismal failures so far as the
hotels and restaurants are concerned.
The situation has already got to a point
whore men with large capital invested In
restaurants and hotels are wondering
how long they can keep going.
A representative Of the Society Of
Restaurateurs estimated yesterday the
business OF the members Of that associa-
tion has dropped from 100000 to
tl.b00,000 q week, with further losses in
sight. Figures are now being prepared
Tor the executive committee which will
show accurately the loss of business due
20 prohibition. The prediction was made
eyitably.
Hotel men were complaining yesterday
that the first week OF the Volstead act
has hurt their room business materially.
A week ago II was a difficult matter to
obtain room in a New York hotel Of
the better sort unless one had secured a
reservation days ahead. Yesterday II
was not hard to ind rooms anywhere.
Many Of the best known hotels admitted
that they were carrying vacant rooms
Some of the hotels had increased their
rates for rooms In order to make up
some of the loss IN receipts due to pro-
hibition, but the rates may have to come
down to keep business going at any sort
of profitable scale. The answer to this
In according to officials of the City
Hotel Mems Association, that New York
~ now losing weekly thousands Of Wis
tiers attracted to the metropolis by the
prospect OF good time which always
included some indulgence in alcoholic
drinka Thousands OF others formerly
accustomed to remain here from three or
four days to week to accomplish their
business are cutting their stay to q day
or two. This was the aituation foreseen
long time ago by the late George c.
Boldt Of the Waldorf-Astorta and by
Thomas d. Green. president of the city
association OF hotel men. In case pro-
hihition was clapped upon the city.
N Test of voIstead Act.
mection Day in New York was a
pretty good test of the volstead act and
on the whole II was remarkably dry
The revenue officers were out in force
all over Manhattan and Brooklyn. They
xound few saloons attempting to evade
the law, but they came across many
trscsa Of bootleEging. On the East Side
town districts there was a good deal of
booze carried upon the hip by persons
practically interested in politics, and
there was lot OF surreptitious nipping
"A telephone booths. back rooms and
aiisyways. the revenue agents found.
~ Another discovery that interested the
booze hunters was the ability OF brokers
and their customers to obtain hard liquor
without straying too far from the gen.
eral vicinity of Broad and Wall streets
A number of mysterious fountains are
still gushing merrily In that district. ac-
cording to the Internal Revenue agents
who were az work on the problem yes
tsrday. but without much success.
Up In The Bronx the revenue men
found a still with fifty gallons Of new
rye spirits on the second floor OF an
apartment house in East l35th street
This fiat was rented two weeks ago by
two italians of whom little has been
seen by their neighbors. But through
the house, and getting stronger day by
Cay. fitted the odor OF booze, and finally
somebody interested In seeing that the
law was enforced telephoned to Chief
Maser's once In the Custom House. P.
r Benson. one OF the supervising agents,
was sent to The Bronx with several OF
his agents and quickly located the origin
of the pungent smell. In the apartment
from which It proceeded they found a
stin and quantity OF raw spirits TO
gether with havoring extracts and color
ing chemicals About the only other fur
niture in the house was q bed. The on