The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-09-07
Something New in Trusts.

SOLACU4lI149 lfC" LII IL HSV0s
Bishop Potter's effort to elevate the
saloon imparts peculiar interest to the
report of United States Consul Mahin at
Nottingham, England, on an institution
described as the British Public House
Trust. This is a comparatively new
form of trust, but it is one which at
tempts to confer a benefit upon the
public upon much the same plan that
Bishop Potter has adopted in the Sub
way Tavern.
The bishop, it seems, is not the first
clergyman to associate himself with the
saloon business. AS far back as 1877
the rector Of a parish in Warwickshire
found on his appointment that he had
been left by his predecessor in the at
titudc of a trustee of a village inn con-
Quoted for the benefit of the parish.
He decided to run the inn upon what
is known as the Gothenberg plan, which
has done so much for the reclamation
of Sweden. His experiment was 50 sue
cessful that the Birmingham water
works committee established canteen
for the use Of it's workmen and led
finally to the formation, in 1898, by the
bishop of Chester and others, Of the
Peoples Refreshment House associa-
ton. The success Of this association
led in 1901 to the formation of the Pub
lie House Trust association, for the
purpose of organizing a publichouse
trust in every county. This has been
carried out to such an extent that these
local trusts have been established in
every county in England, except four;
also in Ulster, Ireland, and in South
Wales. The same association exists in
Scotland.
- The Public House Trust association
recognizes the existence of the liquor
habit, and undertakes to provide drink
ing places where the least Objectionable
conditions surround the traffic. It il
aimed, for example, to make the public
house, which is the counterpart of the
saloon in this country, house of re
freshment, instead Of a mere drinking
bar. Food and a good variety of non
intoxicating drinks are to be made al
easily accessible as beer and spirits
The manager of the house receives
fixed salary, with inducements to pus]
GiC ocIC VI IOOu anu HOu-lQGOX1CA0GS
but has no interest in the sale of al
coholics. These houses are rigidly in
spected as to the quality of food an
drink and the character Of the mar
agement.
The Public House Trust association
does not attempt to establish ne7
houses, but to acquire those alread
established, and this involves the en-
ployment of considerable capital, a
these public houses are sometimes yer
valuable institutions. They have bee
known to sell (the license. good will
etc. for over $4,000.
One million five hundred thousan
dollars is subscribed to the capital G
this Public House Trust association
The profits are limited to 5 per cen
and the surplus above that is devote
to public objects. That the enterpris
is profitable may be inferred from til
II fact that several trust houses last yes
distributed to objects of public ben
# fit surplus profits above 5 per Gel
sums ranging from $1,000 to $4,000.
direct effect upon the liquor trat
is that the existence of these houses
the neighborhood compels the 9th,
saloons to conduct themselves upc
similar lines, suppressing disorder al
drunkenness, providing food and no
intoxicants, and decreasing the sale (
alcoholics. The existence of a tru
house and it's recognized higher graz
of responsibility has also attractt
trade in some localities to such an e
tent as to make the competing priva
n institutions relatively Improbable al
ready to sell out to the trust. In til
way the control Of this association ov
the liquor traffic is constantly incres
ing. This public house trust moveme
has not a monopoly of temperance Sc
timent in England. Temperance
cieties still exist which favor polici
looking to the complete extinction
the traffic rather than it's regulatic
Whether they are accomplishing mo
in the way Of practical temperance tn
the trust may be questioned. TIL
have been at it longer. -
In some degree the Subway Tave
is an effort to put into practice t
principles of the English public hot
TRUST