Ope BI 
Grioucester’s TAx-Ratr for the present year will 
be $22 on each $rooo of valuation, an increase of 40 cents 
per thousand from last year, when the rate was $21.60. 
The rate is based on.a total valuation of $26,529,152 ($5,- 
815,237, personal; $20,713,915, real estate). d 
Magnolia, with 160 assessed polls, out of a total of 
7371, is taxed on $1,086,200 of the $26,529,152 total. In 
other words, while the average tax-payer of the City of 
Gloucester is assessed on $3599, the Magnolia tax-payer 
is assessed $6788 on the average. 
And, further, it might be added, that if Magnolia 
pays almost double its proportion of the taxes into the 
city treasury, it ought to receive at least an equal share of 
the improvements and municipal “plums,” and instead of 
the assessors coming here and making a whole lot of fuss 
about the few stores that come here for the summer— 
thus making Magnolia what it is—they ought to do all 
they can to help these enterprises, for were the facts 
known these stores would do a mighty small business if 
they depended wholly upon the summer residents of Mag- 
nolia or Gloucester. The patrons come by the hundred 
fron Beverly, Manchester, Hamilton, Marblehead an:l 
Swampscott, Ipswich and from farther along: the coast. 
Why do anything to drive these shoppers away? Would 
that there were more such attractions! . Manchester is 
holding out a wide hand to these stores to make their 
summer headquarters in its midst because it means busi- 
ness all along the line. A movement is already on foot, 
we understand, to erect a Casino in Manchester, to house 
a dozen or more surmer shops, and if Dame Rumor be 
true, a number of the Magnolia shops are already pre- 
paring to change their abode next season. 
IN COMMENTING Upon the great strides which will 
be made in the Christianizing of Turkey and other lands 
in the Kast during the next decade Rev. D. Brewer Eddy, 
one of the speakers at the Bi-centennial services at the 
Orthodox Congregational church in Manchester, Sunday, 
emphasized the part America must play in financing this 
great missionary work, Europe is already crippled finan- 
cially and what its condition will be at the close of the 
war no one can foretell. It is certain that it will be able 
to devote little: money to missions for many years to come. 
It will be up to America to carry the work forward al- 
most alone. But it should not be a burden unwillingly 
borne. It should be hailed as an unparalleled opportunity 
to do a world service. And aside from the spiritual and 
moral duty involved, there is a cold-blooded business as- 
pect of the onportunity. History has shown that trade 
follows in the wake of the missionary. |New _ ideals, 
created by the missionary, lead to the adoption of higher 
standards of living. ‘Thus new routes of commerce are 
opened to the profit of all concerned. 
[HERE Is No Conneerron between the rainy wet 
but it is not surprising that amateur physicists have 
ught to explain the weather in their way. When jn 
loubt blame it on to the war. 
‘asons and the terrific cannonadings going on in Europe, 
Tue Boston & MAINE Rariroap has not shown the 
North Shore the consideration which it deserves in their 
new summer schedule. For years Portsmouth and Salem 
have been recognized stopping places for all or nearly all 
Portland trains running to and from Boston. _ But .this 
season the management have omitted Salem as a stopping 
place for all but one of the express trains. Salem has 
always been recognized as a steam and railroad centre. 
Besides the Gloucester branch, which serves our North 
Shore, there are five other roads which centre at Salem; 
also numerous trolley lines. The travelling public of this 
section of Massachusetts have come to know it is a centre ~ 
where you can connect with all trains going in all direc- 
tions. 
A Manchester summer resident, who wanted to go to 
Maine a day or two ago on the Io p. m. out of Boston 
had to go to the trouble of having Smith’s express start 
his trunks in the middle of the afternoon for Beverly. 
At Beverly the trunks were put aboard the 6.33 train for 
Portsmouth. At Portsmouth they were taken off to 
wait and be put aboard the Portland train about 11 p. m. 
In the meantime our North Shore guest went to Boston 
to take the train, because he thought that would be surer 
than flagging his train at Lynn (which curiously the 
railroad management has provided, when Lynn is not a 
railroad centre in any sense of the word). 
The North Shore as a whole is the largest summer 
resort in New England. We have no travelling statistics 
at hand, but with its 70-odd hotels, there must be a good 
tnany of our summer residents having similar experience 
and annoyance to that of the Manchester guest which we 
have related. 
After spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in 
the magazines and newspapers of the country to entice 
people to visit the New England states, the Boston & 
Maine has made a bad blunder in thus ignoring the con- 
venience of one of the most iniportant groups of all. The 
growing importance of the North Shore demands that all 
Portland trains should stop at Salem—going as well as 
coming. We recommend to Mr. C. M. Burt, the general 
passenger agent, that this be done. 5 
3. 2) ae J 
Ir ts Now Brine Rearizep that the mobilization of 
all of the state troops was practically unnecessary and 
many of the recruits who in good faith responded to the 
nation’s call to the colors are somewhat irritated and feel 
as if they have ‘been “deceived.” However that may be 
it is evident that every man responded to the call of duty 
and is just as much to be honored as though an issue of 
war was really involved and active service was absolutely 
necessary. The honor is merited. The men heard the 
call and responded with a will and with promptness. That 
there is not a war on now is no reason why there may 
not be one in the not distant future. It is not difficult to 
look back now to see that war was very narrowly avoided 
and the very mobilization had its effect upon the negotia- 
tions. The troops must feel restless under the restraints 
of peace, but they must remember that their patriotic 
response has already borne its fruit and we are enjoying 
peace. 
