The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-03-18
SOUNDS KNELL
OF FREE LUNCH
COUNCIL COMNIITTEE RECON-
MENDS ANTILUNCH LAW.
Superintendent Stocking of the Union
City Mission Indorses the Movement
Personal Experience of Local
Business Man -" Biscuit Grabber'
Defends the Practice.

OF the thousands whose lives have
been saved by free lunch" there was
not one with enough gratitude In his
heart to go before the council free
lunoh' committee and defend this
unique American institution. Health
| Commissioner P. M. Hall attacked 1t
and Fred E. Mckay of the Minneapo--
Ills Retail Liquor association, supported
! the assault. He declared that the
free lunch was responsible for making
saloons the gathering places or
"bums,' loafers and petty criminals,
! a class which the saloonkeepers were
as anxious to get rid of as any one
could be. The sitting was a short one
and the ordinance making It a misde-
meanor to serve free lunch IN saloons
opposition. .,
1.-THE abolition of free lunches will
be one Of the best strokes ever made, "
said Superintendent G. M. Stocking of
the Union Mission, this morning. One
night during the winter when forty
sion to stay in warm room Tor the
night, made a canvass and asked
them for frank statements. Thirty
admitted that they lived entirely upon
free lunches. :, The abolition na1 Of me me
free lunch Will BE- o. OF ,, neng haIie 70 that
between 500 and 400 men in Mime
apolis really depend upon free lunches
for subsistence three or four months
- IF the free lunch is abolished these
men will be forced to leave town anc
ed. I think much Of the purse
l snatching and holdup work has beer
e due to the fact that the vicious class
4 can remain in Minneapolis Wher
without money, and live on free
: lunches. I think that the move will
= result in a cleaning up OF the Guy
and that the men who have been de-
pendent upon the lunches Will nave
to 20 to work or get out.
Cites His Own Experience.
There is one man in Minneapolis
>, deeply interested in the move to abol
ish the free lunches. He is at presen
occupying a position Of trust with
large concern, but a few months ag
he was member of the panhandle
fraternity While naturally W1sh1n
his name to be withheld, he is out
= spoken in his opinions. He says
.'Free lunch is tripping place in tn
path Of many men who would brac
up if the lunches were to be don
away with. I was drinking heav1l
r. at one time and was on the slid
with both feet. What money mao
went for liquor, as l knew tnat
route T never worried about mea
T can 20 about the city to-day an
point out hundred men who nav
J. fallen into the free lunch habit.
f. is hard on ones self-respect at hrs
,e but after a time became critical
a. the lunches and was resentful II tf
at supply was cut short. I started
of break away from that way of l1v1r
l. several times, but there is somethlr
n about it attractive to the man WI
- lacks ambition or self-respect. I'll
" ally braced up, quit drinking, Went
!, work, and started paying for my foo
"a It now makes me shudder to look bat
~ at the days when I kicked my hee
- | around saloons and waited for tt
free lunch to be set out. It's a
~, thing for a lot of men if they a
49, forced to go to work. Many of the
y - are not naturally vicious, but me-
- something to force them to straight
H. up"
Nv Defense of the Free Lunch.
o. This view of the situation IS n
Ilu general among the hangers-on at
as barrooms, who look for the comb
e. of the lunch as hungry dog watch
the door of a butcher shop. Wh
ouizzed as to his opinion Of t
change, one Of the best known 'b
cult grabbers'' Of the Washingt
avenue district said: "It's just a
Re- other case of people buttin' in whe
they had no call to. They'll yell II
Indians as soon as the boys begin ia
am PIN 'em up for lunches at the Kitten
OF doors, and that's just what it'll col
10 to, sure as shootin'.
2o-