H—3B

Federation was opposed to registration on the ground that no substantial case had been made for it and that the principal effect of licensing barmen would be to impose on them greater responsibility and so reduce the responsibility of the licensee (R. 7146). On further examination, the witness who presented the statement thought that the matter might be reconsidered and also that barmen might be trained for their work in accordance with the scheme for staff training which the union had advocated, but which had omitted barmen (R. 7151, 7167, and 7168). In his closing address for the trade, Mr. O'Leary, K.C., said that the trade was opposed to the registration of barmen on the grounds taken by the Hotel Workers' Union and by the employers, who had claimed there were practical difficulties. CHAPTER 30.—ACCOMMODATION INfHOTELS 583. The question of accommodation for the public in hotels is one of the most important with which we have to deal. We propose to refer in separate sections to the following matters: — (1) The present state of hotel premises in New Zealand (paras. 584 to 590). (2) The reasons given by the trade for the present condition of many premises and the increase in new buildings and in improvements since the fear of prohibition was removed (paras. 591 to 624). (3) The state of hotel accommodation at Rotorua (paras. 625 to 634). (4) The conduct of some licensees, in breach of their obligations as innkeepers, in not making existing accommodation available (paras. 635 to 638). (5) The quality of service in hotels (paras. 639 to 645). (6) The need for more good accommodation in the future (paras. 646 to 649). (7) The need for training hotel staffs (paras. 650 to 658). Section I. —The Present State op Hotel Premises (See para. 583) 584. As we have already pointed out (paras. 87 and 90, supra), the power to require accommodation for the public is limited to six rooms in a borough and to what is reasonable (probably not exceeding six rooms) outside a borough. If, as is usually considered, two of these rooms may be a dining-room and the lounge, only four bedrooms at the most can be required. If hotelkeepers had hitherto provided only this legal minimum, it is safe to say there would have been a public outcry. On the other hand, it seems clear that if all the hotels provided suitable accommodation to the full amount of their present capacity there would be too much accommodation. 585. For various reasons, some hotels are not suitable for accommodating the public. Some are situated in localities in cities to which travellers are not attracted, such, for example, as in Freeman's Bay in Auckland. Others are unattractive because they are so old and so poorly equipped. At our request the Commissioner of Police obtained a return giving certain particulars of all the hotels in the police districts of New Zealand. These particulars comprised the date of the erection of the building, the date of any substantial addition to the building, with brief particulars thereof, the number of bedrooms available for guests, the number of bedrooms supplied with telephones and with hot and cold running water, and those to which a private bathroom was attached serving directly one or two rooms. The return comprised also particulars of the number of bathrooms and shower-rooms available for guests, other than the private bathrooms attached to bedrooms. The return showed that many of the hotels are very old and have had little done to improve them. Many are not intended to accommodate guests.

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