Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 6.djvu/475

 THE SALOON IN CHICAGO 461

able to offer them something, not only really better, but also quite as attractive." But, like the few spasmodic efforts to supply food to the people at popular prices, it was, after all, but an isolated attempt. The experiment of the Home Salon was but an object-lesson not entirely an ignominious defeat. It demonstrated what may be done by proper management, coope- ration, and sufficient capital. 1

THE PROPOSED COFFEE-HOUSES FOR CHICAGO.

The Young People's Temperance Federation of Chicago is about to establish several coffee-houses, after the manner of the Home Salon. In each will be a manager appointed by the fed- eration and directly responsible to it. Whether it succeeds or not depends :

1. Upon the business ability of the manager.

2. Upon the amount of financial backing (they believe they have enough to carry them through the experimental months).

3. Upon its freedom from anything like the appearance of a mission. There is a tendency upon the part of some of the board to be impatient of results. 2

CONCLUSION.

Recapitulating what has been said regarding substitutes, we find that there is an abundance of unconscious or indirect agencies, whose powerful influence has been greatly underesti- mated, and that there are a few fragmentary attempts at direct substitution. We find also that of these indirect agencies, such as the voluntary associations, there are as many as the pres- ent demand requires, and that more cannot be expected from that direction. Of the direct substitutes the business portion has practically none. The few scattered church and settle- ment clubs, and the lodging-houses of the Salvation Army, the Volunteers of America, and the railroad departments of the Y. M. C. A. good, but small indeed, compared with the vast- ness of the need make up the quota of direct substitutes in

1 An article by Bishop Fallows will be found in the appendix. 2 An article by Rev. W. H. Streible on these coffee-houses appears in the appendix.