| OCR Text |
Show TRAVELERS ARE 'JOLTED' Vacation Costs Soar to New All-time Peak War-weary Americans, reveling in the lifting of travel restrictions, gasoline rationing and steady wartime war-time duties, are hitting the highways high-ways and byways by the millions this summer and fall bound for their first vacation jaunt in long years. Not only on the highways are they receiving a jolt, however, for vacation va-cation costs, which climbed throughout through-out the war years, now have soared to a new all-time high. Thousands are being jolted by boosts in the rates of resort hotels, inns and cottages. A few resort places haven't raised the ante since last year, but virtually all charge substantially more than they did in prewar and early war years. Surveys of hotel directories show that the increase in rates range generally from 15 per cent to more than 100 per cent since prewar days. Many inns which were abandoned aban-doned before the war because of guest shortages have reopened and are doing a capacity business at rates as high as $50 a day for two persons. Travel experts say an increase amounting to more than 50 per cent is quite typical in most sections. A few old inns, ."apparently desirous de-sirous of maintaining the goodwill of patrons, have made surprisingly small increases. At the other extreme, ex-treme, say officials of travel organi zations, are some unscrupulous operators op-erators who have used room shortages short-ages to gouge the vacationing public. pub-lic. Other Costs Hiked. Food sold along the highway also costs more. Boat and bicycle rentals rent-als and golf fees have been raised, in many instances by more than 100 per cent. Fishing and hunting guides also are asking bigger pay. Barring a business slump, vacation vaca-tion costs probably will be as high or higher next year. The American Automobile association expects thai many potential vacationers, now hesitant about driving the old car any distance on poor rubber, will have new cars or new tires by next summer. |
