The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-24
BILL ID IMPROVE
 ENGLISH SALOONS Lord Lanington Says They
 Are a Disgrace FORM NEW IRISH CLUB Preparations Commence at Carraro0n for Festival Week When Prince
 of Wales Is Invested-Fisl,-
 CT Shocks SnObs
FORM NEW IRISH CLUB

London, March 23.-tspecial9-W Lord Lamington hopes to. establish Tn
 England if he succeeds in having bis Public House Improvement Bill, Just presented to the house of lords, made
 into law, is very much. the same kind of place, as the late Bishop Henry C.
 Potter of New York had in his mino' when he indorsed the subway Tavern" in that city.
 Lord Lamington says that the Pubs, as our saloons are generally called, are a curse to the English nation because they are merely drinking places, and he planes our judges, many Of whom are fanatic tee-totallers, for, opposing any improvements such as making the pubs" more open, airy. commodious or comfortable; the substitution of the provisionl of chairs and tables, telther wholly or partly, in lieu of existing bar accommodations; the provision or games (other than unlawful games); newspap pers, music, or gardens, or any means of reasonable recreation.
 -i. The managers of , various licensed houses in the west end with whom 1T discussed the SupJeCt yesteiody,' oociiiSu to think there was little likelihood of the proposed changes ever being brought about. Strangely enough the idea appeared to be that the police would oppose any such change
 AS one manager said, The police seem to have some special sort of spite against the places where people can sit down to their refreshments at small tables and listen to music and chat to- gether. The restrictions they impose could hardly be more stringent If the occupants were under police supervi- sion. If there happens to be woman in the party the restrictions multiply.
 "As things are, you dare not go across to another table from your own and address a few words to some friend
 you have just seen come in. At least.
 you will be instantly requested to sit down to go out. If a lady were to att tempt to change her table there would be a terrible to do No, cannot see the police welcoming any such change for the better. They seem to prefer the old topers hanging on to the bar, and do- ing nothing else but steadily soaking Anything that makes for brightness and variety is anathema to the pebbles. , The majority of the people would probably welcome Lord Lamington's suggested improvements.
 But the engineering feat of com pleting the Panama canal Is probably d trife in comparison with the archi- tectural feat of altering the structure of London pub.
 "A new Irish club with the aim of promoting the union of the four prov | inces of Ireland is being started in Lon don under the united auspices of the | Irish associat ton. the Ulster associa- ton, the Gaelic league and the Irish Literary society. More than 50 prom inent Irishmen in the leading profess sional and commercial circles of London have already handed in their signatures
 as founders and the membership lists contain over 300 Irish names The club, hich will be absolutely non-partisan
 and non sectarian, is arranging for a large banquet to be held towards the