THE OUEST-ECLAIR SURVEY

A hotelier's opinion

Bay of Saint-Michel-en-Grève (Côtes-du-N.). First of all, I would like to thank the "Ouest-Eclair" for its happy initiative regarding the tourist season which is in full swing and which, thanks to its survey, allows us to hear the sound of all the bells.

I also wish to be the interpreter of my colleagues, the Breton hoteliers, by answering your questionnaire. Allow me to express in turn my humble opinion and the difficulties that the Breton hotel industry must overcome, difficulties totally ignored by the majority of tourists who stay with us. These tourists do not know and it is good to enlighten them that tourist Brittany, which, by the beauty, variety and picturesqueness of its landscapes, tends to be visited more and more, is as if paralyzed in its movements towards progress.

First of all, in the aftermath of the war, had the hotel industry taken advantage of the difficulties of the Fatherland? It, which had been the valiant auxiliary of our hospitals, had seen itself, since the armistice, blacklisted and placed outside the common tax law by the tax in three categories according to the hygiene and comfort of the establishments. Also, is it not our duty to worry about greater comfort, to follow the movement of our foreign competitors; in a word, to attract customers and to bring back home the escaped fortune?

By protecting our industry, the government should know that it is working for general prosperity. Well, what have we done? Nothing! Absolutely nothing? How many defamatory remarks do we not hear against the Hotel Industry, which cannot keep up with the rapid progress of tourism in France! According to the notes given by all these carillons, would one not imagine that a magic wand is enough to make an industry that barely existed before the war spring up from the ground?

About ten years ago, we made do in our little cheap hole with a modest bowl and a simple dishcloth to wash ourselves. Today, we are asked for running water, bathtubs, bidets, water closets with flushing, etc. However, all these installations are very expensive for a clientele that always wants the cheap... in our little cheap hole.

On the other hand, the general costs are almost seven times higher and the hotelier has barely increased his pre-war rate by five times. How then to resolve this difficult problem that arises: in the short time that the tourist season lasts in Brittany, 45 effective days, find the means to set aside the capital necessary to provide a hotel with the modern comfort demanded by customers?

In my opinion, the Breton Hotel industry, notwithstanding the National Hotel Credit made available to it, will only be able to take off when the Government has granted it the advance of the school holiday period throughout France and the colonies, from July 1st of each year.

Is it not, in fact, more pleasant for the tourist to visit our Brittany in the most beautiful period of the year, when the days are long, when the sun illuminates with its most ardent ray its marvelous sites, then covered in their most beautiful finery? Only on that day can we hope to see one day soon the full development of tourist Brittany. On that day too, we will be able to invite tourists who frequent the Côte d'Azur to come and stay with us. And thanks to the "yield of our work thus extended, we will be able to offer them the comfort they desire to find in our admirable region.

In addition to the tourist tax, so unpopular, there is the excessive cost of rail travel. And yet the major tourist centers such as Paris, Lyon, Marseille have opposed this tax! Are we, provincial hoteliers, going to accept this vexatious tax and be the responsible collector?

Finally, the elimination of sea bathing tickets is also seriously detrimental to the interests of tourist regions. Should we talk about our small networks, called economic, whose rates are even more expensive than those of the main lines! And if only they did not find a way to contradict each other, in establishing their timetables, to the detriment of the travelers they bottle up from station to station!

Plestin-les-Grèves for example, the head of the two networks of Finistère and Côtes-du-Nord, when one train arrives at the station, the other has left! The timetable is understood in a deplorable way. It seems that they have contrived to prevent travelers from traveling.

The same is true for packages sent to Saint-Efflam station which must not exceed 20 kilos to be accepted there; otherwise, they are sent to Plestin-les-Grèves station 5 kilometers further. Judge the discontent of the inhabitants of this beach and their protests which are, of course, in vain. As for our roads, our road networks will soon become impassable. However, how do we use the formidable rubber that the automobile brings?

Finally, among the difficulties of all kinds that we encounter, we must include those caused by the recruitment of staff that is becoming increasingly scarce, mainly in the kitchen.

In summary, we ask Ouest-Eclair:

1° For the general good of Brittany, to help us by all its means so that we are granted an advance on the school and administrative holiday period.
2° That it endeavours to report to the Network all the Chinese things of which we are the victims.
3° To have sea bathing and large family tickets re-established for our remote province.
4° To have the vexatious tourist tax replaced by another tax established by the Municipal Councils and the Tourist Offices, both of which contribute to the prosperity of each of our regions.
5° That he makes known to our loyal guests that we will continue to march with progress to give them full satisfaction and that in turn, they do not pose to us these behaviors of which the hotelier is too often the victim, that is to say, that after having reserved their rooms, they do not cancel them at the last moment, which will oblige the hotelier to pay a deposit.

J. H. C

Hospitable Brittany

Tell us about Brittany and hospitality? asks the Ouest-Eclair. Here is a brief report on Guerlesquin (Finistère) and its inhabitants, which a car breakdown made known to us during the week of the Assumption. The car being immobilized on the road six or seven kilometers from the village, extreme complacency of the good people of Guerlesquin to get us out of trouble, to provide help to lodge at the Lion d'Or hotel, my family of nine children, and the grandmother and mother, the entire troop of survivors.

Next day and following days, work at the car: general eagerness to provide us with all the help we needed. And as none of the travelers had a scratch, Guerlesquin also had the good taste not to scratch them. Only one of the rescuers estimated a little high the services rendered. This was there a simple excess of speed in the preparation of his note. Because no one is perfect, But everywhere else, at the hotel. and in the houses of the country, extreme kindness and affability which touched me very much.

Remembering long and distant journeys made when I was young in Scotland, I compared Breton hospitality to Scottish hospitality. The latter is as real as it is legendary. But I thought that the Breton host is worth the Scotsman, and it is good that we know it.

Hence a piece of advice to tourists without inviting anyone to break down their car in the vicinity of Guerlesquin (it was not the fault of the road, which is excellent), as I urge Parisians to know not only the beaches of Brittany, but the interior, the admirable highlands of Arrez, and the neighboring countries of Arrez! And why would we not stay there?

I return to my Guerlesquin, a large town that looks like a city, but a city that has air. The church there is charming. The hotels there are cheap, as clean and well-kept as they are welcoming. Wouldn't it be a good idea to take such a village as a center for excursions, by bicycle or cart? In a country of sweet peace, a cure for the soul, the body and the wallet.

Bathers who do not take baths on the coast, I recommend the Guerlesquin Pane.

A PARISIAN.

Tréboul defends itself

We received from Mr. G. Marec, mayor of Tréboul, the following letter that we are pleased to insert:

Your newspaper of August 26th implicating the municipal administration, I ask you to kindly insert the following corrections:

The water service of Tréboul dates from 1900. At that time it was difficult to foresee the significant and rapid extension currently taken by the beach of Sables-Blancs. Your correspondent complains that the hotel where he stayed is deprived of water: the management of this establishment built in 1924, knowing in advance the insufficiency of the catchments, could perhaps have followed the example of a large neighboring hotel, and planned the supplement of supply by the construction of an appropriate reservoir.

On the other hand, if I had the tap of the hotel in question turned off for 24 hours, not because in my opinion the hotels were wasting too much water, but because it was absolutely urgent to distribute some drinking water to the population who tolerate with equanimity the deprivation of this precious liquid for the benefit of tourists, but who nevertheless cannot be totally deprived of it during the summer.

Your correspondent should have gone to the town hall. He would have learned that since 1922 we have been requesting the tourist tax for the establishment of an abundant water service. We are impatiently awaiting the result of our incessant steps with the competent administrations.

Whatever the case with these steps and without waiting for administrative decisions, if your correspondent had been a tourist, he would have gone up to the "Rohou" wood from where the view is unique; he would have noticed nearby the important prospecting work carried out under the orders of eminent engineers. Pushing his curiosity further, he would have learned that these gentlemen were preparing a very complete preliminary project for a water supply that will be carried out as soon as the collaboration of the public authorities is acquired. That some tourists have thought it necessary to contribute to have the rubbish (which they deposit there) removed from the beach, it seems to us that this is a gesture of elementary convenience. We add that the tourist interests of Tréboul have not escaped the current municipality.

Your correspondent has not noticed that the widening of the bridge leading to the beach is in progress. He is unaware that the road is in the process of being significantly rectified. That a study of the development of the beach has been entrusted to the engineer of the T. P. E. and that part of the planned improvements will be carried out this winter. We regret that you feel it necessary to insert such unfounded complaints which cause confusion among the population, very painfully impress hoteliers concerned with hygiene and comfort, who strive to offer their guests a most comfortable stay. Could we ask you to communicate to us in the future before insertion the articles which could reach you on the subject of our municipal administration, which would allow us to publish our response following the criticisms above and your readers would thus judge more easily. Please accept... The Mayor,

G. MAREC.

For our part, we do not regret having published the remarks of the occasional correspondent of Tréboul since this publication earned us from Mr. the Mayor of Tréboul the very interesting letter which we have just read. It is good that tourists know the difficulties which municipalities too often encounter and the real reasons for acts which seem illogical to them at first sight. It is also good to let tourists know that Tréboul is not "lagging behind", that its municipality, on the contrary, has long been concerned with making this magnificent country a tourist center with all modern conveniences. Tourists will be grateful to the municipality for its efforts; they will trust it and will return, we are sure, in large numbers next season. Municipalities that do something are too rare for the example of Tréboul, like that of Binic, not to be noted.