Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-25
A MUNICIPAL PUBLIC HOUSE.
Result of an Experiment Made in
birmingham, England.


The Westminster Gazette tells an in
teresting story of the latest experiment In
the city of Birmingham. already famous as
the best-governed city in the world, as
every one knows. 1t Is in this city that
the people own the markets and grow veg
etables. milk. eggs and poultry cheaper
than tradesmen can sell them; 1t is in this
city that ashes and street refuse are made
into a paving stone and the waste of the
closets Is turned into poudrette. 1t Is In
this city, also, that the people own the gas
works and make money out of them, be-
Sldes ssillng themselves gas cheaper than
any other persons can get it. 1t is in this
city tnat the worst of the slums have been
bought by the government and turned into
a region of palaces, and now We are to
read that they are experimenting there in
the line of owning the gin mills.
The Westminster Gazette has the story
from which quote with freedom. The ex-
pertinent was made by the secretary to the
water department OF the Birmingham cor
Pc Pofatlon. According to Instructions. pub
lie house was opened in September, 1894,
at Elan village for the purpose of catering
for the wants of several hundred men and
families. The rules of management. -
continues the story, were decidedly strin-
gent, and the success Of the public house
is therefore more important. The public
mouse is opened daily between the hours of
IL and pm. for one and a half hours
between $50 and 8 o'clock. On Sundays it
remains closed all day, but on Saturdays
1t remains open from o'clock till 8 O'Clock
Women are not allowed in the bar at
any time, under any pretext whatever, men
only over eighteen years of age being per-
nlitted to drink in the bar. No woman I'M
der the age Of twenty-one years. or boy
under the age of sixteen years. is served
with beer at the Jug department. No per-
son Is supplied with more than one quart
OF liquor at the morning hour, while but
two quarts may be consumed on the prem
ises In the evening. Only village inhabi-
tants are allowed to freely enter the public
house, but strangers may do so with a
written order, which Is easily obtainable
1t will be at once conceded that the NUM-
cipal public house was started at a great
disadvantage, there being an ordinary
establishment conducted on the usual lines
few hundred yards off.
Mr.. Lees conferred with men Of expe-
rience in the trade before the house was
duly established. and a qualified public
house manager was appointed to conduct
the business Oil behalf of the corporation.
He has fully entered into the spirit of the
municipal experiment, and quite under
stands that he is thought no more highly
of Ii his sales are high than if they are
low, whereas, should there be any drunk
enness or disturbance. he is held RESPONSE
Bile for it, There has. however, been no
difficulty at all of this description, and sa-
loon keepers themselves even admit the
satisfactory nature of the undertaking.
Inc tdklnSS, OIL course, nave varied very
considerably, from $50 to $3.50 a week.
The trade of the other public house has
fallen off very considerably since the es-
Establishment Of the municipal public house,
by far the greater part of the drink now
consumed in the village being purchased
from the corporation house. The net
profits for the first half-year were as high
as 500. and they have since been increas-
ing. The profits are devoted to the main
tenance of reading and recreation room,
which is distinct from the public house,
and this has proved to minimize the drink
ing-one of the principal objects of the ex-
pertinent. There are bagatelle tables and
various methods of amusement to be had,
and the public house Is now regarded with
considerable friendliness by almost every
inhabitant Of the village.
Much good has been done for the social
benefit of the Inhabitants out of the profits,
which is greatly appreciated. This public
house is being conducted on lines similar
to those advocated by the Bishop of Ches-
ter, and is the only one in the country. In
concluding his report on the result of the
experiment Mr.. Lees says: Individually,
l am total abstainer, but 1 am perfectly
certain that we are serving the interests of
temperance far better in providing whole
some liquor, under proper regulations, than
we should did we attempt to prohibit
the traffic altogether leaving 1t to be con-
Quoted in the usual way"