Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-10-17
MAHLON w. NEWTON
the Hotel Situation In Philadelphia

On the Hotel situation IN Phllaoelphla
TyTIE hotel problem in its relation to the
l. coming Sesqui- Centennial and other
great aSscmblages has already received con-
Sidrraton from the hotel men Of the city.
according to Mahlon w. Newton, president
Of the Philadelphia Hotel Mems Association
and although nothing hns nS yet been done
still the general plan of procedure has been
practically arrived at.
1T is not likely that any new hotels will
be built to accommodate the immense crowds
which will flock to the city at that time.
said Mr.. Newton. because it never pays
TO put up an even fairly expensive building
TO accommodates a temporary rush OF people
to n city.
The unfortunate experiences Of the Cen
tcnnial Of 1876 are still fresh in the minds
uf those Of us who were in the business or
closely affiliated with it at that time. Then
there were a rumbcr Of new hotel buildings
put up to accommodate the crowds which
were expected and which actually came to
the exhibition, but all Of them lost money
and some of the ventures cost their hackers
everything they had
Erection Costs Are High
THE trouble Is that it costs n Iot 10
erect Il new hotel building, and the tim"
when It is filled is too short TO allow the
projectors to get back the money which they
hnve invested in it, to say nothing of show
ing profit. The time of the Centennial o!
1876 was about six months, and in all Of
those six months there was not what might
be called n good business. To get back the
money invested in n new hotel building, even
Of the temporary kind, fully year Is re-
Quircd, and few if any exhibitions last that
long. Therefore there is not much probn-
biIity that there will be new buildings
erected TO take care of the 1926 crowds.
In that 1876 Centennial. business. from
the standpoint of the hotel man, was slow
in starting The crowds in the opening
weeks were not nearly SO large as had been
expected, and'it was not until near the close
Of the exhibition that there were really
large number of persons from out OF town
IN attendance For this reason the men
who erected the temporary hotel buildings
got away TO IL poor start and suffered a
loss in the opening weeks which they were
never able TO make mp. There was II num-
hcr Of these buildings put UP near the
were several original housing projects
started. Not IL single one Of either class
that know of made any money, and most
of them suffered heavy financial loss.
"Th"SC housing arrangements in IN" city
consisted of throwing n number Of dwelling
houses together in the form of temporary
! hotel While in this case there was not the
! great cost of construction which would have
! to be met in the case of an entirely new hotel
! huilding; still the cost OF making tn" lhySi-
| cal changes in the buildings and fitting up
! the rooms WAS considerablC--so great. IN
! fGrt, TINT fcw Of them ever got back the
money they had spent in th" ventures.
Accommodating Visitors
'Bm, Of course, the hotel men Of the
! CITY will hive to devise some manner Of
taking care of the crowds at the coming
| exhibition, and this We now propose to do
! by tnling advantage Of and using the very
| fact why the Centennial OF lHiO ana not pay
! the hotel investors.
'Philadclphia is, above all, n city Of
homes That is It's popular name, and It is
we'll deserved. for statistics show that IN
proportion t" population iar greater mum.
Der Of families in Philadelphia live in their
own homes, and not in apartments or hotels,
than in any other large city in the country.
'NOw, tn" reason why the hotel invest
Inonts in lHIG did not pay expenses wHs
because Of the very large number, of private
families who rented rooms to the visitors
for the time which they spent ut the Gem
tcnnial These visitors AZ any great fair
are like every one else c-thoy are choppers,
and they are on the lookout TO get the best
they can for the lowest possible price, They
cant be blamed for this, for il IL What
every one IL doing all the time.
The Private Home Rooms
"Thc private families who had two or
three rooms to spnre simply fitted them III
and rented them at prices with which TIC
hotels could not compete. They placed thClr
nnmrs and the number Of persons whom
tbpy could take with the exposition authori
ties and aS their prices were lower than
those Of the hotels they were soon filled M
They made some extra money and the ac-
rommodutions which they offered were ir
mort cases adequate to the requirements OF
the visitors, and everybody wns Eatsfor
except those who had invested large sum,
in hotel bindings.
"Tlcr"f"r" in the coming ScSqui. Ccntcn.
NAL the hotc men propose to take adyan
tag" Of this fact. We shall have II list ot
Uryat" tamiI,", who are willing to tax,
OpploIg ,In
surplus guests to them after the hotel ac.
comm0dnt"nH are gone, which they uu,
doubtedly will be during the period of IL,
fair.
Naturally there will he many personl
! who will prefer to stay at a hotel while the