New-York tribune., 1919-01-07
Men i'm Inform
Complain Hotels
Overcl'arge Them
I'm One Place Ordinary Rates
Are Doubled: Better Glass
Places Make Reductions.
vi ayers Announce

Men in uniform, both khaki and blue,
who take advantage of their discharge
from the service, or brief furlough. to
spend one or more nights in New York,
arc being preyed upon by certain
protlteering hotels in the Times Square
section. acccrdiuw to comDlallits mat
have been registered. While the better.
s. yt ho,cts. those identified with
the New York Hotel Mems Associations.
are making concessions to soldiers and
sailors, 1T has been reported that GER
tam hotel men, who conduct second or
third rate establishments, have been
guilty OF gross proiteerng.
Prominent hotel men identified with
the Hotel Mems Association were in
dgnant yesterday when their atten-
tion was called to the exorbitant rates
that were being asked of service men
by certain hotels and regretted that
the establishments complained of were
not affiliated with the association so
that steps might be taken to put II
stop to what they call unwarrantcd
profiteering.
Rates Are Doubled
among the complaints registered
we're that at one hotel in the upper
forties men in uniform were being
singled out for excessive rates.
1t was asserted that investigation
showed that single rooms in this es-
tablishmcnt, which ordinarily were let
out at $3.50 TO So a day. cost the SOL
dicrs or sailors in uniform a minimum
of $3.50 Double rooms occupied by
two or moro guests, that to civilians
cost $3.50 to 81 a day cost the men
in uniform from 50 to S6 or what
ever the room clerk felt could safely
pc demanded.
During the rush Incidental to the
New Year holiday at least two IN
stances are cited where this particular
hotel in Forty seventh Street charged
q uniformed man $3.50 for single
room without bath that ordinarily
rents for $I.20 day or IS weekly.
Most of the first class hotels along
Broadway arc making 20 per cent
discount OH their regular rates to sol
diers and sailors. while ono hotel in
the heart Of the Times Square section
has certain rooms on VII ch it quotes
so per cent reduction.
I'VE are only giving uniformed men
% per cent DISCOUNT said Frank f..
Jago, chief assistant manager Of the
Hotel McA lpin, but - arc putting
ourselves out to take care of this
class of trade As an illustration,
want to call your attention to the fact
that VIC have set aside one of our very
best rooms on the mezzanine floor for
use as Il United Service Club
At the Hotel Astor Assistant Mana.
ger Pepper said the % per cent re-
ducton applied there to every man
in the uniarm of the army or tho
nay:
1--WE have cheap rooms as we'll as
the more expensive ones said Mr.
Pepper "and our clerks have been in
structcd to show the uniformed men
a preference in the matter of cheaper
accommodations"
The Claridgc Hotel. at Broadway
and Forty-fourth Street, set aside
six rooms for the exclusive use Of
soldiers and sailors. who may be sent
there by the War Camp Community
Service. and to whom so per cent
reduction is granted. All other men
IL uniform arc charged the regular
rates.
Many CT the service men who come
to New York for night or two have
only a few dollars to spend The ma
jority Of them arc not familiar with
the hotels OF the city. AS rule,
they want z moderate priced room, but
when the hour is late and they have
travelled far they usually pay what
ever is demanded The customary
plea Of the proiiteering hotel people
IS tina. the house is "overcrowded"
and only the higher priced rooms are
available.