The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-03-03

G. A. R. GRIEVANCE.
Van Houten Post Demands
Quarters in the New Z
City Hall.
NO ROOM AND NO RIGHT
M. Heugh Tells Why the Com
missioners Will Not Grant
the Request.
NO ROOM AND NO RIGHT

For seventeen years Van Houten Post,
NO. ., g. A. r., has had the use of the
TOP floor of the City Hall, rent free. On
or ABOUT May the new City Hall will
be ready for occupation. The old City
Hail wild consequently be sold and Van
Houten Post will have to seek new
quarters.
The question that is agitating the vet
Grams now is. Where shall we go and
why has not the city made room for us
ia the new City Hall?n
AS to the outlook for Van Houten Post
geUt1ng quarters in the new building,
City Hall Commissioner Hough has this
to say
No provision has been made for Van
Houten Post in the new municipal build
ing, nor will there be if my vote can
prevent IT. AS to my colleagues, Com
missioners Datz and Dickinson, l think
they have come to the conclusion that
there is no room for the veterans
By what right Van Houten Post has
occupied the old City Hall | do not
Know. Their presence has certainly been
drum and fife corps has praciced while
officials were transacting public business.
ms question must be looked at in a
broad light. L entertain as much respect
as anyone else for veterans, but about
their privileges I am not afraid to speak
Why should we find rooms for the Van
post any more reason to expect favors
from the city than any other post? The
new city Hall was built for municipal
business. not for lodge meeting or post
room. II we gave "a room to Van
Houten Post how would we be able to
refuse demands of other organizations?
j. OF not course ours win be criticised. e but !,
my duty. Politics do not enter into the
question. We haven't room for Van
Houten Post and if we had Ivwould not
any other. The. Board of Trade has as
much right to have rooms at the city s
expense as any post in existence
agree with me, I believe, but / see be-
hind the agitation of this question a
movement to make political capital. I'm
not a politician and any man who drags
politics into an issue of this kind should
be exposed"
An appeal which some of the veterans
ggaoS ied lke in Jersey citvg
The City Hall Commissioners have re-
fused to allow Van Houten Post No. 8,
g. A n,5c r. the use Of one room a for ma meet
has gathered an almost Invaluable col
lection of war relics and mementoes.
These will be preserved, and combined as
war museum only as long as Van Hou-
ten Post has a suitable place in which
to keep them.
THE United States has pensioned her
old soldiers; the State has provided a
Home for. Old Soldiers, and magnificent
armories for her new soldiers; which are
all very good and beneficial as general
measures: but they impose on the indi-
vidual communities the consequent obli-
cation of providing particular measures
for the care of the local soldiers.
for is home for their old flag, and a
meeting place. in which they may assem-
BILE and provide ways and means for pre-
serving those relics which are rendered
invaluable by the memory of the hard
ships and sacrifices which they symbolic.
Houten Post has no more right to a
room than any other post, for arrange
which every q. A. r. post in the city
could have the use of the room for their
meetings.
The following. are few of the relies
Gavel wood of Libby Prison, presented
by G.. B. Fielder
Card of Lincoln with prints of towel
stained with his blood.
Mail pouch found in Jeff Davis office,
Piece OF Rebel flag from steamer Isabel.
First flag raised in Norfolk, Va, after
evacuation by rebels
Large u, S. flag that f1oated from the
mainmast of q. S. steamer Kearsarge.
Picture of Confederate prison pen at
Salisbury, N. C. Presented by P. H.
Picture of Andersonville prison stockade
and hospital.
Limb of tree riddled with bullets from
South Mountain.
Bite RI s9 balls from GETTYSBURG.
Old revolvers, bayonets, swords from
other battles