The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-10-18
METHODIST DIWN[S
OPPOSE FREE LUNCH
Appoint a Committee to Urge
Passage of Ordinance
Abollshins 1t

Inc Methodist ministers of the CITY
nave added their voices to those OF
certain saloonkeepers of the city to
secure the downfall of free lunch.
AT the regular Monday meeting of
the Methodist ministers of the CITY at
the Bethel hotel yesterday afternoon.
the subject was preached by Rev
Morgan of the Bethel, and resulted in
the appointment of a committee OF
three composed of Prof. Innis, of Ham
line university; Rev. Berger, pastor of
the First German Methodist church.
and Rev. Morgan, with instructions to
interview the assembly committee on
streets to whom the anti-free lunch
ordinance was referred after having
passed the aldermanic body. In be-
half of the measure, Rev. Morgan said:
Last week interviewed Chief of
Police Conroy and Mayor Haynes, of
Minneapolis, relative to the benefit
secured by the anti-free lunch ordi-
nance in that CITY, They told me that
the results had been most gratifying.
Within two days after the passage of
the ordinance, two-thirds of the tramp
and bum element of the city left for
other fields because, as they said, they
49,
they had to pay for their meals.
Says Free Lunch Causes Loafers
'NThe free lunch evil is a tremendous
one and should be done away with
the sooner the better for the city. It
results in creating saloon loungers who
hang about the grog shops from the
time they open until they close, waiting
to be asked to step up to the bar and
have a drink. They have no need of
money for which to buy food, for they
can live off the free lunch counter, and
consequently they have no need to
labor in order to sustain life.
''The brewers are fighting the meas
ure on the plea that free lunch in
saloons is a boon to laborers and work.
ing men who labor far from their
homes, as for a small price they can
secure a warm lunch at noon, doing
away with the necessity of carrying a
lunch pail and eating cold lunch. They
say also that it has caused a decrease
in the consumption of whisky, as few
persons who eat warm lunch care
to drink whisky with it, drinking beer
Instead.
Il overheard a conversation the 9TH
er day between a man and his wife,
in which the latter rebuked her hus-
band for spending so much of his time
IN saloons, not even coming nome Tor
his meals. In reply he said that it was
not necessary, as he could get better
meal at a saloon than he could at
home.
Wife's Side of It
8. Yes answered his wife, have
no doubt of it. You pay enough. If
you would only give me half of the
money you spend in the saloon | could
give you far better meal than you
could secure there at half the price,
"Since the evil has been done away
with in Minneapolis the results have
been exceedingly gratifying. Not only
has the tramp element left the city,
but the consumption Of beer has de-
creased Coffee to great extent has
been substituted, and [ understand
that some of the saloons are now serv-
ing coffee with lunch at a small price.
Many of the saloons have restaurants
operated in connection with the bar,
but no liquor of any kind is allowed in
the restaurants"
The committee subsequently ap-
peared before the assembly committee
on streets, by which action was post
poned for two weeks without hearing.