Gloucester Section 
NORTH SHORE BREEZE 
GLOUCESTER OFFICE, 171 MAIN STREET. 
THE CONSOLIDATION OF RELIGIOUS 
Bovis. 
‘There is a movement on foot in 
different parts of the country to con- 
solidate a number of the Protestant 
churches, i. e., to have the smaller and 
weaker bodies join forces with the 
larger and stronger with the object 
of accomplishing a greater and more 
definite work on a basis more nearly 
self supporting than is the case at 
present. 
The suggestion has many good 
features to recommend it. In too 
many communities there is a supply 
of churches that far exceeds the de- 
mand and the consequence is, they 
struggle along under the leadership 
of poorly paid pastors, and so handi- 
capped by a load of debt that the en- 
ergies that should be devoted to spir- 
itual work are expended in keeping 
the wolf from the door and the sher- 
iff from holding a foreclosure sale. 
The Catholic church concentrate 
their energies and money, while the 
Protestant churches scatter theirs. 
herein lies the secret of the for- 
mer’s success and growth. Take our 
own city of Gloucester for instance, 
(and the conditions are similar 
throughout the country) there is no 
question that one-half the number of 
churches, well organized, could ac- 
complish much more than the great 
number of struggling opganizations 
that exist at present. The same 
methods that have been adopted by 
large industrial enterprises are applic- 
able to religious bodies. In _ other 
words, consolidation will open a way 
for wider usefulness and greater spir- 
itual uplifting than can possibly be 
accomplished under the present “ev- 
ery man for himself” system. 
NEED FoR A Pusiic Bato House. 
There is great need of a public 
bath house on some one of the many 
fine beaches that surround Glouces- 
ter. It seems remarkable that an in- 
stitution so badly needed should have 
been so long neglected. ‘To be sure 
there is a row of unsightly wooden 
bath houses owned by the city on 
Pavilion beach but they are totally in- 
adequate for the requirements of 
those who would like to bathe fre- 
quently in the sea. 
The erection of a comfortable and 
modern bath house by the city, with 
a fresh water shower for the bather 
to wash himself off after his swim, 
would be an accommodation greatly 
appreciated by the public and would 
certainly receive enough patronage to 
make the investment a source of rev- 
enue to the city during the summer 
months. 
At present the public have to go to 
Bass Rocks or. Long Beach in order 
to get an ocean bath and even there 
the accommodations are poor and 
expensive, and include a ten cent car 
fare. 
A CausEway oF WILLOWS. 
Here is a suggestion advanced by 
Mr. Preston O. Wass that is certainly 
worthy of serious consideration. 
Mr. Wass advocates planting a row 
of willow trees on each side of Es- 
sex avenue from Kent Circle to the 
foot of Lovett’s hill, thus transform- 
ing a bleak and barren stretch of road 
into a most delightful and attractive 
avenue of trees. The expense would 
not be great, and as willows are fast 
growing trees it would take only 
about five years for them to attain 
a fair size. 
Essex avenue is the main thorough- 
fare into the city. There is more 
travel over that road than any other, 
and the short stretch across the salt 
marshes just before Kent Circle is 
reached, has long been an eyesore 
and a_disgrace. Some hopes were 
held out early in the spring that the 
old dilapidated wooden fence that 
borders each side of the causeway 
was to come down and be replaced by 
a new structure, but nothing has been 
done about it and its condition is 
even worse than ever before. 
A row of willow trees would be a 
great improvement over © any fence 
and would improve in appearance 
year by year, while a fence would 
naturally decay and fall into more or 
less disrepair. 
Mr. Wass is a “Progressive” and 
his ideas are always up-to-date and 
worth considering. He has certainly 
advanced a proposition in this: case 
that seems to cover the question in 
L. F. WILLIAMS, MANAGER 
an inexpensive and satisfactory man- 
ner. It’s now up to the city author- 
ities to see what they will do. 
MunIcIPAL POLITICS. 
Although the next Municipal elec 
tion is still six months in the future 
there is already much discussion in 
political and business circles regard: 
ing the make-up of next year’s Muni 
cipal Council. 
It is expected that Mayor Patch 
will seek a second term, and in fact 
it is said he has so stated to his 
close friends. There is no doubt 
however, that the Mayoralty bee is 
buzzing in the heads of several other 
aspirants and the present incumbent 
is likely to have plenty of opposition. 
Mayor Patch has so far lost noneé 
of the popularity that won him the 
election last fall, but the hardest par 
of his administration lies before him 
The issue will come on the liquo 
question and how well the law is e 
forced. More than a dozen expres: 
companies have been granted pony 
licenses and there is a vast amount 0; 
liquor being sold at the present tim 
A lax enforcement of the liquor lay 
will be laid at the mayor’s door am 
he is bound to be the one that wil 
suffer when the votes are cast nex 
fall. On the other hand a rigid an 
impartial enforcement of the prohib: 
tory law will dedound greatly to hi 
credit and will strengthen his posi 
tion with the voters 
In spite of the fact that it ha 
usually been the custom to give th 
mayor two and _ sometimes thre 
terms, it seems certain that this yea 
Mayor Patch will have very actt 
opposition from various sources. A 
derman Chas. H. Barrett is reporte 
to be conducting a quiet but strenuo 
campaign in his own interests, an 
his course is being closely watched b 
Alderman Donohue, who is reporte 
to have said that he will enter t 
field if Barrett does. There is 2 
a very strong and influential force 
work quietly urging the name of 
Chas. F. Wonson, a man of gré 
strength of character, progressive al 
independent. It is not definite 
known, however, that Col. Wons¢ 
would consent to run, 
