The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-02-11

| AN ~ I1AlkNlJIfOp VI o iS9o
harmful substitute be found
| ~ for the saloon? This is a ques-
ton that has enlisted the
| prayerful study of many millions of
philanthropists ranging all the way
from library Missionaries to men of
power and action. 1t is apparently yet
unanswered. The saloon fourishes.
| The substitutes rise and then soon fall
or else languish from the beginning.
| The latest interesting contribution to
| the ever increasing literature of the
discussion Of this question is from Cen
eral Ballington Booth. 1t appears in
the Independent. His opportunities
through Salvation Army work for Of
fering practical opinions based on ra-
tional study OF actual experiences have
been many. Whether his conclusions
are acceptable or not they are at least
worthy of attention.
General Booth recognizes that in
most cities saloons offer to the poorer
people something of the same fascina-
ton manifested over the better to do
by social clubs. He recognizes the
saloon facilities for contributing to
the physical comfort of man, its free
lunches, its welcome GOODNESS in the
neat OF summer, its warm, brilliantly
lighted and CHEEKY appearance in VIM
ter, and its tables and chairs for pro-
noting social CONVERSE; and he thus
speaks of the possibility of maintain
ing liquorless substitutes: THE city,
he is speaking particularly OF New
York city-"should establish and oper-
ate large number of places of sim
liar character to the Squirrel Inn on
the Bowery, run by the Church Tenn
perance society, and these places
should be open all day on Sunday. OF
course, they could be much larger than
the excellent institution named, and be
htted out on more elaborate scale.
such places have, if l mistake not, for
a long time been carried on by private
enterprise in London, Liverpool Biz
mingham, Sheffield and other British
centers. as also in Australia. And they
have yielded satisfactory dividends IN
lhelr shareholders, too, While forming
without doubt what a well known Brit
ish philanthropist once called them
'Veritable oases in the desert"
lie also calls attention to the crowd
ed condition of the numerous "doirv"
restaurants as demonstrating thar
thousands of men are quite willing. +o
pay more Tor their lunch away from
the saloon and its associations thon
the saloon-keeper asks. if ONLY tha
places can be found in convenient To-
cations. He recommends that the CITY
should buy out Il certain number Of
saloons in each ward for the purpose
oil transforming them into such estab-
llshmehts as the Squirrel Inn" and
Keep them wide open all day SUNDAYS |
Even though such q scheme might re-
suit in slight financial loss to the city |
General Booth thinks it would be more
than compensated for by the reduction |
OF expenditure incurred in the prosecu-
ton of laWbreakers and in the diminu- |
tion of crime.
rms plan has much to recommend it
But the difficulty is that while the |
temperance inn has to be held up bv
subsidy the saloon flour
ishes on the basis of its own receints
and returns profit. 1t has vet to be
proved on a large scale that the LIQUOR
less saloon can compete as a business
with the saloon in which
alcoholic stimulation is the principal
drawing card. Until this can be shown.
the contest will be UNEQUAL