Henderson daily dispatch., 1938-07-18
TOURISTS DEMAND
CLEANER QUARTERS
Service Stations, Garages,
Tourist Camps Must Be
More Sanitary

Although prOpfleLOrS OF many rOdu
side service stations, garages, tour
list camps and eating places are vol
unfairly cleaning up premises and
restrooms open to the public, the
movement must become even more
widespread if the Carolinas are to
escape more rigid state or possibly
Federal regulations, according to W..
c.. Gates, local branch manager of
the Carolina Motor Club, upon receipt
of report from club headquarters.
"Women's clubs, civic organizations
and American Automobile Associa-
ton motor clubs from coast to coast
are stressing the Importance to the
motorists and travellers of clean rest
rooms and sanitary facilities, "Mr.
Gates, said. ."Not even the droll drivel
of the Chick Sales era a few years
ago or the millions spent on w. P. A.
'outhouses in more recent years TO-
cused the spotlight of public atten-
ton on sanitary facilities as strongly
as the wave of public scntime1t now
sweeping the country.
"With motor vehicle travel setting
a new peak this season and with the
Carolinas getting large share of the
travel dollars modern reStrOOmS are
playing a most vital part in making
the stops on the road pleasant and i'll
making motor travel as comfortable
and convenient as any other mode
of travel.
women particularly, object to rest
rooms that are not clean and lately
they have been less reticent about
voicing this objection. Leading maya
zines have carried articles calling at
tention to the need for Improvement
in this service. Women. have been
demanding proper sanitation, clean
illness and ample supplies and the
motorists, especially the woman, does
not stop more than once at station
that is not clean. And why should she?
Certainly she may justifiablv expect
the same standards of cleanliness as
that in her own home and if station
attendants inspect and clean rest
rooms at frequent and regular inter-
walls such standards. can be main
tanned.
Several years ago the Carolina
Motor Club was instrumental in pre-
vailing upon the North Carolina Stat
Board of Health to issue attractive
metal sanitation approved signs TO
establishments that met certain stand.
ards. Due to curtailed appropria-
tons this practice has been abandon
ed the past few years although sur
prisingly large number of establish
ments that originally secured the
signs still have them and most OF
these places maintain high sanitary
standards.
along with the restroom problem
is another situation that vitaly at
fects the health of Carolinians and
visions to the Carolinas. It is the pro-
per marking of water supplies along
the highways. Our headquarters Of
flee advises me that many complaints
are received from chiefly
out-of-state travellers, complaining of
the lack of official tests and either
approval of drinking water along our
highway. In most states catering to
tourist travel proper state agencies
have adequately marked available pub
lie drinking water supplies and this
item means lot in the life of the
motor traveller of today whether he
is Carolinian Or a visitor.
Most of the major gasoline COM
panies are fully cognizant of the i'm
portance of clean and cheerful rest
rooms and are insisting that their
agents and independent dealers pro-
vide ample supplies of soap, towels,
tissues, adequate waste bins and
mirrors, and cleanliness at all times
Frequent inspections are made and
standards are gradually being raised.
I'm the Carolinas the service sta
tons and garages do an annual bus
mess of approximately 5000 100000 and
certainly a small fraction of this
sum can be utilized in providing clear
comfortable restrooms for the motor
ing public that shells out these mil
lions for gasoline, oil and service"