New Britain herald., 1929-08-24
In Which We Note
 Blues on the Beaches

In Which We Note
 Blues on the Beaches
 Someone is always trying to take the joy out of life, and there are 9.999 ways of doing it. When Ocean Beach, New London, began to pick up in popularity it was deemed necessary by the go-getting boost CTS in New London to stimulate the construction of a big first class bath house-an institution in which all visitors were privileged to un- dress and get into bathing suits. A beach without bathing emporium it was argued, was not doing its duty by the public,
 The place has been operated for five years or longer. and for spa ciousness, cleanliness and general efficiency is hard to surpass. The manager and his wife. however who live from the proceeds. are reported not to be earning anything near the income of a Rockefeller as perhaps some observers expected when it was built. Behind this un- seemly development lies a story that Is more or less applicable to nine tenths of our shore beaches from Maine to Florida, or perhaps Corpus Christi.
 What happened at Ocean Beach was a rapid development of inns taverns and near and regular ho- tels. One can go 10 the beach-as one can go to any other popular beach-and rent a room in places that look like a garage up to hos telries charging four times as much as you thought of paying for such services. But no matter in what kind of a place a room is obtained the privilege of using bath house on the premises goes with the room Every landlord and room mistres: in the resort has seen to 1t tha, such facilities are an integral part of the accommodations. As mos, visitors bring their own bathing suits, the greater the supply ol visitors from afar the larger the percentage of those who do theil undressing where they happen te be staying and walk to the sand. arrayed in what happen to be call. ed bathing suits.
 This system spells bad business | for the public bath houses, ant there isn't public beach any where which is not suffering witt this as the primary cause. Int signs placed up by watchful mu. nicipality at such beaches, whicf strictly forbid" visitors from get ting in or out of bathing suit! while in an automobile, counts fol little. Those motoring to & beacf from a nearby town and who owr to an itch for this species of econo' my can change to their bathint suits in the environs and then mo tor to the beach proper; and i they bring their bathing suits ant use a public bath house the cos is less than if they hire suits alont with the opportunity for privacy It's bad business all around.
 The itch for profit by the renter of beach property is at the bottom of the parlous situation. Giving t' guests an opportunity to change t bathing suits right on the premise has the appearance of the quintes sence of privacy. As matter 0 fact. the system has some draw backs, as half the time the tril from the beach to the privat dressery--if the latter is not direct ly on the beach--is fraught witt opportunities to acquire load 0 sand on the legs well above tn ankles. Then. at most of these pri vate dresseries, there are no oppor tunities to indulge In shower batl before returning to the accustomet linen. so that the customers carr, salt about with them which reminc doughboys of what the cooties uset to feel like during the late un pleasantness.
 This, quite obviously, Is merel in the nature of a closeup of on of the business troubles along tn beaches, Another trouble this yea has been the unreliable weather When the air goes below 60 de grees the crowds at the beache diminish in considerable numbers A beach is at it's best-speakin tinancially-when the weather bull stays around 90 for an entire week Beach business is like the sod fountain business-at it's best whe everybody is suffering, This yea has seen very poor pickings for tn prospectors who extend pleasan invitations to visitors to come i and pay the price for the best i the house.
 Returning to the New Londo situation, it would appear that tn municipality will have to contribut to the maintenance of the fine bat house in the future. Either that 0 do without it. With every inn alon the shore advertising private bat house privileges an evil day has be ! fallen the public institutions whic
 were needed in the first place draw the people, and then when tn people showed an inclination come in numbers the enterprisin