The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-02-03
AIRLINES DISPUTE

he added. We might have 10
close the hotel by me end Of
February"
He said the hotel had three carr
Icarrying people to Miami.
Getting back to poor business u
the Casa Marina. Marmorsteir
said that on some days last month
there we're only Is guests in the
hotel.
We have 90 persons hired as
help" he added.
We have lost $4,000 sssis
year" Mormorsiein continued.
Wed be better of 70 close the
hotel"
He offered to let the commits.
sioners examine his books.
| Marmorstein said the hotel men
had asked Baker to kill the one
remaining flight to Key West 50
we can get another airline to fly
here" but Baker had refused.
| Dog in the manger," Commits.
lsioner Gerald Saunders interposed.
I'm give you $500 or $500 or
$500 month-what's the difference
Ito cut out the 50-cent charge and
restore full service. Cali the mon
ley landing fee or whatever you
want to call it,
Marmorsfein also said me Casa
Marina had called NAL every
day for 70 days trying TO GET
reservations but could not al
though. he said, the plane went
out each Of those days moi fully
| loaded.
The Casa Marina owner also ex-
Ipiained TO the commissioners that
lhis hotel did not get auto-tourist
trade like most motels do.
Even IL tourist drove in and
I offered him . room for 81 .
day, he'd drive OUT" Mariner.
stein said. "He wouldn'f believe
I IT,"
| When Marmorstein sat down,
Commissioner Harry Harris said:
"Mr. Marmorstein, ] sympathize
with you"
'Can you give me little money
with the sympathy" MarmorStein
asked.
This got a laugh from the spec.
ltators.
Harris then went on TO say that
he was small business man on
the keys. that business was off
50 per cent on the keys, that bus
! mess was off 50 per cent In Mi.
mi Beach and that he didn't
think II was Just because Of The
i eurfsiIed air service.
i MarmorStein took the floor again,
I'VE have 146 rooms to SELL" he
began. "If we had the same air
service as we had last year, we
would be IS per cent full. Our res
ervatiOnS show ii. On January l we
had 236 people in the hotel, many
of them with children. The hotel
was almost full.
The children" he continued,
''had to be back in school from
January S to January 7.
when news Of The flight con.
collation. came, we had TO send
those people TO Miami by car. We
lost over 200 people in . few
days."
Marmorstein then went on to say
that business at all hotels in Miami
Beach was not off.
"Some of them are just as full
as they were this time last year
Some are getting $42 day for q
single.
Business in Key West is not of
/ $50 per cent. Mine u.s." Marmor.
stein said.
Speaking Of getting people 70
Miami, Marmorsiein said he had
even hired q captains wife ~
paid her $50 -- TO haul people to
Miami. Another car. he said,
which was taking people TO Mia.
mi international Airport was ar.
rested al The field.
Miami permits only one taxi line
30 operate at the field.
Commissioner Joe Allen said 4
would be easy for the commission.
ers to tell NAL to come back al
the old rate.
But" we added, 1--WE believe
that in the end your business will
be better and that the community
will be better off than with dinky
Iold airport.
Il THE commission wants the in
creased Meacham Field rates &c
Improve the field.)
Allen advocated getting another
airline to operate here.
There's another airline IN
Miami - not non.seheduled cir.
line - that would make applics.
zion tomorrow 10 fi,e CAB If we
would encourage fhem." he said.
1T would be better to forget Mr.
Baker and get another line in
here" he added.
We are not going back to the
/ December 81 rates." he concluded
I'VE viii give any encouragement
to any line but they have got e
pay their share"
Allen got q round of applause
for that Sfafnmanf