On Friday, July 0th, a meeting was held at Grosvenor
House, under the presidency of the Duke of Westminster, for the purpose of founding an Association "to promote public- house reform," to be called "The Public-house Reform Association." We have dwelt at length elsewhere on the excellent and practical scheme of the Association for eliminat- ing the element of personal gain from the sale of intoxicants, and will only say here that the proposal is to allow Public Trusts to be formed within licensing areas, ,which shall have compul- sory powers to acquire by purchase on fair terms, all the licences within the borough or district in question. When the houses are acquired, their number will be reduced to a con- venient proportion, and things will be so arranged that it will be to the interest of no man, woman, or child, in the place, to push the sale of liquor. Mr. Chamberlain's speech was admirably lucid and convincing. He was followed by a Swede, Mr. Willerding, who testified to the good working in his own country of the principle of eliminating the element of personal profit from the retail liquor trade.
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