The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-07-07
DEADLY BLACK LIST.
The Merchants Protective Associa-
ti0n Censures a Member for
Making 1t Public.

The regular quarterly meeting of the
Merchants Protective Association was held
last night at the Avenue House. OF the
three hundred or more members in good
standing about thirty were present and
transacted business until midnight. For
some time past the prevailing impression
has been that the association intended
disclosing to the public the names of per-
sons who were indebted to the members
and this fact has had tendency to bring
delinquentS TO the front Last night,
however, grocer named Jewell was
taken TO task for having been careless
with the black list containing the names
OF persons who were 1ot to be trusted.
Mr.. JewelPs list had managed to get in
an ash barrel and for some time was pub
lie property. Debtors need have no fear
OF exposure. as one OF the rules of the as
ISOLATION compels members to swear that
the black list shall not 90 out of his pos
session and snail be returned to the asso-
citation upon a members resigning.
MANY NEW MEMBERS RECEIVED.
Applications for membership were re-
ceived from NJ. c. +. Silberdorf, A. G.
Shippey. II. 7. Buchanan, William Heps-
ley and Jacob Guteri. The applicants
were asked TO retire to the ante-room
while their names were considered. AS
soon as it was found that eacn mans 50
accompanied MS application he was
elected full hedged member of this
Mutual Protection Association. The
names of twenty-nine members were
read off as being In arrears for dues. The
delinquents settled their indebtedness
short time after the disclosure.
The next business was to escort the
newly elected members from the ante
room, in which they had been incarcer-
ated for about fifteen minutes, into the
meeting room. President Beach cate
chised them and compelled them to affirm
that they would exercise the utmost care
with their black lists and not let them 80
out Of their possession. President Beach
would be well for the members TO ''listen
to the names introduced TO them.p The
gentlemen's names wore read by Secre-
tary 1ift In manner destined to be un-
derstood by himself only. A desperate
handshaking followed, and the ceremony
of being received into the organization
was over. The Hoboken branch reported
that ID. Geismas. NJ. Goldrain. e. A Wit
tenberg, John Bodmartin and Fl. J.
Rosenthal had been elected members at
the last meeting. A committee was
appointed recently to revise the bylaws
so as to make the annual dues a instead
of 81; compel all members TO be careful
with their black lists and not allow any
one but a member to see them, under a
penalty of IS for the first offense and ex-
pulsion for the second; and prohibit a
merchant from giving credit to a de-
linquent. A slight discussion arose when
an amendment was proposed that no
merchant should open an account with a
deiinuuent, no matter whether an ac-
count had already been opened or not"
This astonishing amendment will be de-
bated at the next regular meeting
An invitation was received from the
Retail Merchants Association to attend
the eighth semi-annual convention to be
held July s, in this Assembly Hall of the
West Side Hotel, AsburY Park. The re-
cording secretary reported that Jersey
City had 242 representatives In the As
sociatiou; Hoboken 50 and Bayonne "a.
The number of names on the black list
has reached 9, ,721. and their bills aggregate
$40. .57652. During the last quarter IS
persons have taken their names from the
black list and have paid 81. 037 g. Treas
urer Banks reported that 81 600 had been
deposited in the Proyident Institution
for Savings at four per cent. interest, aud
that there stiIl remained in the treasury
sixty-six cents, with bills amounting to
$3.50 to pay within month.
TO JOIN THE STATE ASSOCIATION.
The matter of joining the State Associ-
alton was brought up and discussed ut
length. Treasurer Banks objected to
JOlHluk tLC pASoCDb lAAlO tyeccta6C VI tlc
Iowness of funds. Mr.. O'Rourke, how
ever, argued that the State Association
would be wonderfully strengthened II
The Hudson branch would join it. The
alleged benefits TO be derived from join
ing the State Association were discussed
at length, and after an hours voting it
was decided TO join the association az
once. The 500 required is TO be raised
and paid In anticipation of the collection
OF 1854 quarterly dues. The semi-annual
convention of the State Association is to
be held at Asbury Park tomorrow. Ac-
cordingly a committee consisting of
Messrs. Grassman and Snair of Hoboken,
Carver and Griswold of Bayonne, and
Myers and Beach of the Jersey City
branch was appointed to attend the con-
vention. MessIs. Banks, Gordon and
Coughlin were appointed committee to
wait upon the coal dealers 10 make ar
rangements regarding the latter associa-
tion's joining the NJ. p. A. Alderman
Salinger's ordinance to prevent fraud in
the delivery of coal and other goods was
endorsed.
The proposed early closing movement
was not brought up. Final action on this
matter will he taken at the next regular
meeting. A petition was received from
several well-known physicians, asking to
be admitted to the association, but no ac-
tion was taken on the petition, owing to
the lateness OF the hour. The Association
is rapidly widening its scope. and the Of
ficers are hopeful that every business and
profession will be represented In the s.
81