104 THE ALCOHOL PROBLEM 
"The importance of raising the standard of the public 
house was realised many years ago by isolated indi- 
viduals, and in 190g the *“ True Temperance Associa- 
tion > was formed, one of whose avowed aims was 
“to encourage the development of the public house 
in the direction of making it in the best sense a place 
for the present-day social needs of the people.” It is 
true that a quid pro quo was demanded in the form of 
a removal of legislative and administrative hindrances 
to such developments, a partial remission of taxation, 
and so on; but though such relaxations have hitherto 
been denied, it has been realised in many instances 
that merely from a business point of view it is impor- 
tant to effect improvements. There is the unceasing 
competition of cafés such as those provided by Lyons, 
the A.B.C., and Lockhart, where food and non-intoxi- 
cants can be obtained under pleasant conditions at 
a cheap rate. Again, a trade journal* sees in the 
improved public house not so much reform as * the 
best defence of the Trade from attack.” 
Some of the improved public houses are described 
by Selley. One of them “ looks mote like a beautiful 
public hall than a public house. . . . The premises 
and grounds occupy over an acre. At the sides and 
at the rear of the building there is a bowling green in 
the making, and three hard tennis courts already in 
use. There are five separate entrances at the front— 
the café, the telephone call office, the lounge, the order 
office, and the public bar. The public bar is one of 
the loftiest I have seen anywhere. Two full-sized 
billiard tables occupy the centre of the floor, and seats 
and tables are disposed on three sides of the room. 
* Licensing World and Licensed Trade Review, August 21, 1926.