New-York tribune., 1922-12-29
NOn-ReligiOus
Rallied to Save
Nyack's Soul
Canvass, Free From Creed,
of 500 Families Asks All
Trades and Professions
to Sunday Mass Meeting
Move Started by Judge
Solution of COmmunity's
Problems Thought To BE
i'm Rehabilitation of Pulpit

A realization thht Nyaek is the scene
OF what Is believed to be the first con-
ccrted movement ever organized by
-churchgoers TO rally a community,
as a whole, to tho support Of the
churches dawned upon the village yes.
tcrday, when non-churchgoers received
telephone calls urging them TO attend
a mass meeting in the Reformed Church
Sunday night.
Before nightfall canvass Of 500
families, who have not darkcncd a
church door in years, was well under
way TO make them realize that men
they had never suspected Of church
leanings wanted them 10 be on hand
and expected them to join the move
ment after they had heard the reasons
for u.
These reasons will be presented by
the Rev. DR.. Sartell Prentice who was
called in by the laymen behind the
plan not only for his reputation as
one OF the most foreeful preachers IN
the Hudson Valley, but also because
his resignation after nineteen years as
pastor Of the Reformed Church be-
comes effective after the morning scrv-
ice and enables them 20 keep the move
mont divorced from any one church.
The speaker was chosen as soon as
n small group Of prominent Nyackers
called together three weeks ago By
Supreme Court Justice Arthur 5. Tomp-
kirs had concluded the only solution
OF the problems they were discussing
lay in .nc rehabilitation Of the church
through the more active support Of the
community. An organization, expected
1, be permanent, was effected within a
week. using the original group as the
framework for a committee OF thirty,
still headed By Judge Tompkins, the
most important hgure IN koeklaha
County politics and Grand Master OF
the state Masonic order. The COM
mittee was picked By its founders on
the basis OF standing In the community.
Nearly half Of its members have no
church affiliations and in the remainder
are more or less passive COMMITMENTS
of virtually every denomination IN
town. IL includes some OF the largest
labor employers in the country, the
leaders OF the most important labor
unions. the heads OF the two banks,
three Of the best known physicians, the
editors OF the two local papers and
several prominent commuters.
Three Representatives OF Bench
Representing the bench on the COM
mittee. beside Judge Tompkins, are:
Mortimer r. Patterson. Surrogate Of
Rockland County. and Walter $. Ged-
ney, formerly police justice IN Nyack.
Dr. Charles Kline, DR.. 5. W. ). Toms
and DR.. George Writer were picked
from the medical profession. -,
The banks are represented by A. NJ
Voorhis. president Of the Nyack Ma
tional Bank, and Frank X. Crumble,
president OF the Rockland County
Trust Company. The committeeman
for the local newspapers are waiter T..
Williams editor Of the Nyaek "Daily
News and Chester Z. Brown, editor
of "fhe Nyack Journal" James ".
Van Wielden, the FIRE chief, represents
the engine companies.
Working with these men are some OF
the largest employers Of labor in the
vicinity. John Daley. whose store IS
tho biggest on the West Shore, between
New York and Albany; John d. Dun
Inns OF HOWN ~ bhNNNN - A"Nft"f
facturers; Charles W. Roberts, OF the
Dean Apron Company; John NJ. Rooney
the largest local contractor, and I'd
ward s. Rossborough, local manager OIL
the telephone company
Labor Unions on Committee
The two most powerful labor unions
arc represented by their officers, Vic
tor Mathsen. Edward b. Remscn and
John Garrabrant, Of the carpenters;
Harry Williams. former hre chief, and
Harry b. Hasbrouck, OF the painters
and decorators.
Two more Nyack business men, Ar,
thur c. Lord. undertaken, and Howard
Goldsmith, and half dozen COM
mutors, round out the committee
These last are Leroy Frost and John
G.. Bishop, brokers; Hugh Brush, d.
visional employment supervisor OF the
telephone company; A. b. Churchill. OF
tho slls Company; c. Hilliard Ross
real estate, and George Corbett' Of the
Fiber Conduit Company.