PUBLIC-HOUSE TRUSTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12231, 28 March 1903, Page 4

PUBLIC-HOUSE TRUSTS.

The movement, with which Lord Grey is most prominently identified, for the establishment of public-house trusts has taken root strongly in England, though

for obvious reasons progress has hot rapid. It is many years ago sine* fl* Gothenburg system of the municipal -jf*. > j t'rol of public-houses Attracted - Home. Very early in his" political Mr. Chamberlain declared himself ii ftS? ■ of it, and, in touching upon the stfcj ; recently at Johannesburg, he said J th&j j' was still disposed to encourage schtfeL of this nature, on the ground that, tfife eliminated personal interest from the H| ' trade and had a powerful influence, &V- 1 way, in promoting temperance. But thl policy of bringing public-houses njffi municipal control, as it Was jircjonttd some 30 years ago. was found to difficulties which rebelled the co-bp&Hltlon "of most of the advocates of temperao* a great many of whom are still uhcon- ' verted. It was not unreasonably { ear that under municipal management, ttia ' public-house business would be so success. ful and profitable that the local author}! . tie's and, perhaps, the majority ■of the ratepayers, would be tempted to develop the drink traffic rather than to restrict it The plan of public-house trusts, which took: II definite shape a couple of years ago, avoids 1 this difficulty. It is promoted by an or- ■■ gahisatioh of which Lord Grey is the pre. S sideht and the Bishop of Chester and Mr* ' ; Chamberlain are the vice-presidents, auS of which the object- is to establish in every county and in every large town a lbcsil i~ company, aiming at acquiring the property or management of public-houses, on fcbhki. ' tion that they shall be so conducted as • to encourage temperance and to secure that' the profits, over and above the fair cost of working the business, shall bis handed - 1 over to trustees for public purposes. It fa one of the fundamental principles ; of: tli»''t association that all new licenses, carrying' with them an enormous monopoly vaiue should be "held as trusts for the coiiimtft nitj-, and not giveti to private individuals i; for private gain." But at present H» work has to be done in a community in Which this principle has not won legS, lative recognition or, perhaps, social at ceptance. It is not an easy task that has been undertaken by the association, arid its difficulties are not ignored by Loll 1 Grey and his associates. Whether or not',; the principle of "disinterested control" -of the liquor traffic may .Tereafter be lipplied on a large sealfe by national legislation depends very much on the result of tse experimental efforts that are now being made. "We cannot too often remit! ourselves," the report of the association • says, "that we are competing iii a field 4 already exploited lay a trade having at it« disposal the best business brain's in the country, and that to hold our own we must conduct our business strenuously oil business lines. At present the experiirifeilfc; has not been carried far. Thirty-seven & trust companies have been registered ; Sblrtb 70 licensed houses are under trust - management, and about as many more have been offered to the local trusts when the • agreements under which the tenants ilofr in possession hold them have expired. In / districts where the population is rapidly : increasing and a demand for new licenses can hardly be resisted, a vigorous endeavour will be made by the trust companies to occupy the vacant ground." '