New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-28
THE ALEXANDRA TRUST.
.,, THOMAS LIPTON'S NEW SCHEME FOR
pvNyy AND TWOPENNY DINNERS
r,,r cOTIFNBURG SYSTEM LIGHT
IN DARKEST LONDON.
London. August IL.


.Ioy.r1ra incorporated Trust for the purpose
:, ,roviding cheap meals for the poor IN the
',-',os Kinedom. The Princess Of Wales IS the
srs, ue,itioner. and her interest IN the proJec'
49, from the Jubilee dinners ior me poor
u,ich she suggested and which were carr'eo
large scale. mainly through the gen.
.,osity of Sir Thomas Upton me remaining
.',,'ners are the Duke OF Norfolk. Postmaster
General. the most eminent OF the Roman 'ath-
o,ic noblemen in England. Sir FRANCIS Jeuhe'
whose wife apart from being one oil me or's"'-
~. ornaments Of London society. has been
among the practical and phiianthropic "o'N''S
among the poor IN the East Emu =" f'an0's
v,o,lvs private secretary TO the Prince vi
Wales. Mr. James Knowles Editor oil Inc
Nineteenth Century" and Sir Thomas Upton.
the millionaire tea merchant. who began life IN
noyerty at Glasgow. where he was born OF irish
,a,eptaee The Alexandra Trust will be organ
,,eS late in September under a charter OF IN
corporation for administering the gift NJ tloo.-
O0 which Sir Thomas Upton has made rs a
g,arantee fund for the establishment Of cheap
restaurants for the poor on a self-sustanirg
basis
Tho operations Of this charity trust will not
be confined to London. but viii ultimately De
extended to the English provinces. Scotland ana
Ireland Sir Thomas Upton being prepared a'
the proper time TO double his benefdction me
s,ner;ment will be tried in the East End Of
Inndon the chief centre Of English poverty.
There is no intention If pauperizng The poor
and unemployed The meals served VIII DC
cheap wholesome and we'll cooked. nut not Tree
Dining halls will be opened where Io.op meats
can be served daily. and where a thousand per
sons at one time can b. comfortably seated 1t
table The details are not settled Out Il IL eA-
pec,ei that each customer will buy meal-tcRe'
when he enters the hall. help himself al A long
counter and eat his dinner Of luncheon Al one
Of the tables. For penny he will have plate
OF soup and a piece of bread, for Two pence
cut OF meat and either bread or potatoes. and
for four pence a substantial meal " several
courses There will DE- 10 walters. ana pro-
visions will be bought On i large scale and At
the lowest market rates. The system is ie-
signed to be self-supporting and to yield
profit. which viii De used tOr the extension Of
the service.
The Alexandra Trust will perform one Of the
functions Of the Gothenburg liquor system. II
will enable the poor to get wholesome food at
the lowest prices In GOthenburg there are
Eighteen public houses and four restaurants
where meals can De had for even lower prices
than those which are proposed for the East End
poor In the Swedish city 4 bowl Of soup ana
half i loaf Of bread can be had FOR less than
penny and two pence will buy wel!-co0ked din
ner Of meat bread and vegetables These meals
are served for less than cost in clean. AIRY
dining rooms and the deficit in running ex-
penses is made up from the general receipts OF
TIE local licensing fund company which con-
trolls and regulates the liquor traffic and turns
into the municipal and state treasures large
balance Of profit The restaurant business OF
the licensing company Of Gothenburg Is not
designed TO be self-supporting. and Is conducted
.. loss for the benefit Of the poor. The Alex
andra Trust dinners consequently will have 70
be more expensive If the business is 70 be self
sustaining and commercially profitable But
the meals served Will be cheaper and better than
any which can be had at ordinary restaurants
or eating places In The East End.
An important detail which has not been de-
termned is the regulation IF the bar. FOR II
1900 people are to be served with meals daily
IN single dining hall they Will need TO have a
good deal TO drink. Sir Thomas Upton who
has natural preference for tea and coffee hav-
Ing made a great fortune out Of his tea shops
dotted over the United Kingdom. proposes
temperance list Drinks" he remarks in fine
spirit Of optimism. such as tea. coffee. ginger
beer and mineral waters. will be sold at the
lowest rates" II the Alexandra Trust be con-
Quoted on rigid temperance principles 1t VIII
encounter much prejudice and cut Itself of
from large source Of profit as a commercial
Undertaking THIS is one Of the most important
Details to be arranged when the new restaurants
are opened