The Washington herald., 1920-10-03
New York City
Cheaper Hotel Rates.
BY o. o. Mcintyre.

<Ne" iolh, oSt. S'-f,eNcidi hoteis
in New York came out with an
nouncements during the week an
nouncing a sharp reduction in the
prices of rooms. 1t is true that
they were small hotels on side
streets, but it portends much. For
indeed the small hotels have been
just as crowded and lust as
naughty as the larger inns.
Then. too. 1t was noticed that
there was a general resumption of
hotel advertising, which has been
very light lately. Part of this is
/ dovbtless due to the opening of the
, fall season and the rest is due to
| the fact that the hotels are now
| going afiield for patronage.
IL may be some time before It
strikes the big hotels-but 1T is no
doubt coming, The wave of econ
/ omy sweeping the country is bound
to hit the hotels. Peopleyare going
| to put Off their fall visit until
later. Those who come are short
ening their stay.
The hotelkeepers, despite the
comic papers. are n representative
body of men, and when they see
that the time. has come when they
| can reduce tariff a little II is not
| to be believed that they will not
do it.
| New York is a city of mad
| spenders, and when 1t is noticeable
| from every side that the New York
! splendor is slowing up. it may be
| truly said that economy Is becom-
! ing a potent force in reducing the
cost of living.
Dozens of men whose offices are
! on Fifth avenue used to make a
| habit of lunching with several
companions. 1t became a habit.
| and it meant an outlay of from
J few luncheon parties these days.
clean little lunch rooms for a bowl
! of milk and a few crackers. Incl
! dentally they feel better, too.
| This is the time of year when
! the well-dressed man puts in his
! order for his new dinner and even
ing clothes. One tailor, who caters
| to this class of trade, told me that
up to the moment he had not re-
! ceived a single order. In fact. one
| of the most exclusive tailors in
town has gone into the ready-to-
wear business on the side in his
own shop.
There is not silk shirt dis
played i'm town in windows. No
body is going to buy a silk shirt
! these days. and those that have
them are not wearing them. A
man in a silk shirt will soon be
conspicuous.
A hat store that started off sew
raj L ~ -
! of hats calling for $l4 each-and
the war tax-suddenly cut the price
to IS and there are few takers. The
spirit OF thrift has never gripped a
people so tight. One feels it every
where.
The luxury plaCes-book stores,
perfume shops. jewelry stores. art
galleries and the Iike-are singular
| ly deserted. Only the absolute es-
! sentials are being purchased and
| then they are bought by men and
women who have suddenly become
bargain hunters.
Savings banks are becoming Sat
] urday night meeting places. Sunday
/ people are going to the woods and
seashore, carrying their lunches
| people indeed who never did this
| sort of thing before. 1t has been an
amazing change. coming suddenly
and scarcely without warning A
| walk along Auto Row reveals any
number of statesmen standing in lit
tie groups gOsslping. A few months
back and salesmanship consisted d
merely in having the auto to sell
| Now the auto salesman must use
! all of his persuasive manners.
Warning to Girls.
1t may be a warning to young
| girls in small towns who are tug
gtng at the leash to burst upon
I New York. Anyway here is the
| story. She came from small Mid
| die West city. She had no exper-
! ience in business-did not know
stenography. bookkeeping nor could
she paint, write or draw. For five
weeks she sought a job Then to
| tide her over she resorted to spuri-
Gus charity collecting. Again for
a month she sought work. She could
not even get a place as a dish
washer or waitress. because of the
/ lack of experience. Then again she
resOrted to triCkery to get money.
was caught and jailed. In her cell,
she said: Thousands of girls come
to New York just as l did-to make
place without experience in work
of any nature. There is only one
way open to them. l did not choose
that way. resorted to petty
thieving and was caught. Had /
been willing to go the other way
| l Would not be in a cell, but I would
be- on the highway to perdition."
The Munsey Idea.
The Morning sun, known as the
Sun and New York Herald since
Frank Munsey bought it, is now
to be known as the Herald, and
the Evening Sun as the Sun. The
two papers under Munseys guild
anCe have made rapid progress.
There are Cynics who scoff at the
Munsey method. but he has achieved
results in these two instances. The
Evening Telegram has always been
a money maker, yet Munsey was
not satisfied with it and changed
its makeup and policy. and it, too,
has forged ahead of it's old stride.
Munsey does not believe in car
toons or comic strips. and in this
view he is undoubtedly wrong, for
they have proved potent forces in
newspaper building; yet one must
admire Mr.. Munsey for sticking to
his idea. There is one comic strip
on the sporting page Of the Evening
Sun. Aside from that there are no
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