The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-09-03
DANGER OF SUSPENSION.
THE BANNER LEGION or H0N0R
COUNCILS DILEMMA IBOUT DUES.

Lodges.
Ever Faithful Council, American Legion.
of Honor, is in a queer position. The
Council at a recent meeting adopted a
resolution requiring members topay their
assessments at the Council meetings. Thu
object was two-fold-to get a goodlynum-
Der to attend the reunions and to stop the
rush OF members to the house of Collector
Waterbury on the night the assessment is
due. The Collectors wife. who is not in
robust health, was compelled to remain
up until midnight and do a vast amotnt
of work, as one hundred members paid
their assessments there.
The Council meets twice q month and
not always on the day the assessments
fall due. To surmount this tr;fiing obsta-
Gle they arranged it that the assessments
need not be paid until the next meeting
after the assessment is due. This, how
ever, Is q direct violation of the law of
the Supreme Council. The Supreme
Council gives forty days grace. and des-
ignates the date when the assessment eX-
pires. If not paid then the member who
defaults is. in arrears and is
suspended. The Supreme Council ex-
poets to receive promptly the assessment
from each subordinate council, and if it is
not promptly received the council is sus-
pended. Ever Faithful Council is likely
TO be suspended in consequence of the new
rule. An assessment was due yesterday.
and the Supreme Council expected every
embe of the order to pay it. Not more
than One-half the members of Ever Faith
full Council settled, as they regarded the
action of the council as legal and binding,
and are enjoying the privilege of holding
the money until the Council meets Oh Tues
day OF next week, eight days after the as
sessment matured.
Police Commissioner Kelly is treasurer
of the Council, and it has put him in an
embarrassing position. He has no
authority to draw on the General Fund,
and even this is inadequate to make up
The deficiency caused by members who
have not paid the money due yesterday,
and to keep the Council in good standing
he must advance the money out of his
own pocket. This he is averse to doing, as
1t is not the proper way of conducting
business. He does not want to assume
the responsibility in the premises, and will
tender his resignation if the resolution is
not rescinded. Other members of the
Council state that the subordinate Coun-
Gil has no authority to extend the time of
payment beyond the final day fixed by
the Supreme Council, and regard it as an
effort to force them to go to the meetings.
Several members of the order say that
the Supreme Council has decided that a
subordinate Council cannot exercise any
such authority, as the very same plan was
adopted by other councils.
The next session of Ever Faithful Coun-
Gil will be a lively one particularly lively
If the Council is suspended for not send
ing its assessment. The members who
cannot attend the meetings, but by the
new rule are compelled to go, will be
heard from. Even Collector Waterbury
is opposed to the new order of things.
Ever Faithful is the banner Council of
the State. 1t has nearly 300 members.
Order American Firemen.
Jersey City Council, Order American
Firemen, met at Roche's Hall last night
Four members were initiated. This
council is in q fl~ourishing condition. 1t
has u membership of 1871. The committee
who had charge of the recent successful
picnic, reported progress, as the returns
are not all in. 1t is estimated that the
councils cash box will be six hundred
dollars heavier when the final report is
made by the committee.
Elk Fire Commissioner Madden is a. en-
thusiastic member of the Jersey City
Council.
Why Farrier Council went by the board
when SO much interest is shown in Jersey
City Council is strange. 1t must have
been the fault of the officers in not keep
ing alive the interest. Good fellows are
well enough in their place, but It requires
a man of energy and perseverance, in the
presiding officers chair to make the
meetings interesting and lively.
James Humphrey, the Buffalo t'who
runs wild number ones'' is the active
scribe of Jersey City Council. He declares
it is the greatest institution in existen ce
Masons.
Now the lodges will be heard from. The
summer rest is over, and in a few weeks
the lodges will be in form for hard work.
All have applications to consider, and
before Christmas arrives there will be
many men who will proudly work off
that ancient chestnut what does it
meant Why that he who smokes Spanish
tobacco knows something"
"What is new, Brer Simpson, in Masonic
circles?" "Oh, give the lodges a chance to
recover from the long nap and then there
will be lots to tell"
Hiram Lodge members declare there is
nothing to equal it in New Jersey. They
refer to their rooms.
Brother John Bird exclaimed, ssI'm
glad it's over, and the lodge has accepted
our work. 1t is so hard to please every
body; some one is sure to be hypercritical
and find fault" He was one of the COM
mittee who had the lodge room made
new.
Brother Isaac Clark, the veteran sec
rotary of Jersey City Lodge, is always on
hand to say present" when the roll is
called.
Enterprise Lodge had a special meeting
on Thursday to work the F~ellencraft
degree.
Judge Douglas seat is rarely vacant on
lodge night.
Chief Engineer Farrier gets to the meet
ings as often as possible.
Hugh de Payens Commandery will at
tend the Grand Encampment of knights
Templar, to be held at Washington, ID. c.,
next month. This will be the first meet
ing of knights that has been held in this
country. Almost every -eommandery in
the country will take part. The conclaye
begins ON October 8 and will last three
DAYS. The local ~commandery will leave
on the afternoon of October Z.
Acacia Chapter, Order Eastern Star, the
ladies' branch of the Masonic Order,
meets at Humboldt Hall. There is never
any difficulty about a quorum.
Odd Fellows.
Mayor Grassmann, of Hoboken, is now
certain that he will be reelected as the
representative to the Supreme Grand
Lodge.
Canton Jersey City, Patriarchs Militant,
are increasing rapidly in numbers. They
had q sad duty to perform a few days ugo.
Brother Couldray was buried. He was a
popular and active member.
william a. Macy, treasurer of the Ho-