The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-10-13

C. B. |. CONVENTION
Well Attended Meeting of
the State Council at
Belleville Yesterday.
ANNUAL STATEMENT AND REPORTS
jerseys Prominent Place in the
Organization Election of
officers.
ANNUAL STATEMENT AND REPORTS
Especial to The Jersey city News..l

der the auspices of the State Council Of
the Catholic Benevolent Legion, was held
here yesterday. Every part of the State
was represented and the proceedings were
very interesting.
President Sinnott called the convention
to order, and when the preliminaries had
been disposed Of these committees were
appointed
observation-disclosures, Collins and Fla
herty.
M~ileage-Lane, Cunningham and Jenny.
New Business-Hickey. Guthrie and Nc
Nance.
Reports-Butler, Dunn and Steines.
A recess was taken for the committees
to prepare reports, after which the presi-
dent made his annual statement. He
called attention to some of the work lone
during the year and offered suggestions
for the increased growth and usefulness
of the organization. He also referred to
the formation of ten new Councils, but
insisted that there still remained a large
amount of territory that had not been
covered. Most of the uncovered field is
IN Southern New Jersey, he said, and the
expense incidental to the organization of
new Councils in that section would be a
subject of great Importance to the Cam
paign Committee.
President Sinnott advocated the appoint
ment of a permanent organizer and re-
ferred to the fact that New Jersey rank
ed first in work performed at the recent
National Convention, which should prove
an immense incentive to future efforts.
In his annual report State Secretary
John ]. Ghegan announced that the net
increase in membership was smaller han
shown in the records of former years,
yet under the continued unfavorable cir
c-urnstances. usually called hard times"
the result was considered satisfactory.
During the past six months a decided
increase in the number of admissions
was shown, and this fact was taken as
indicative of a favorable outlook for the
future. The percentage of increase in
membership, it was added, compared fav-
orably with that of other fraternal or
CARNATIONS in the State as well as with
that of the Legion in other State juis-
dictions.
1T was stated at a recent session of
this State Council" added the secretary,
in his report, that the legion death rate
percentage in New Jersey was higher
than that of any other State. In this
connection 1 think 1T proper to call your
attention to the fact hat the table on
this subject, submitted to the recent ses-
sion of the Supreme Council by the Med
ical Examiner-in-Chief, shows that out
of the nineteen States and Canada, nine
of them have a higher percentage of
deaths than New Jersey, so that we can
congratulate ourselves m the fact that
if we are not growing big very rapidly,
we are certainly growing healthier, which
is of equal Importance.
However, we are not so slow in the
increase of councils in our State, ten of
which have been added to our roll since
the session of last year, by the vigorous
efforts of the Campaign Committee and
the Supreme Council Committee on Elk
tension of the Legion. Every one of
these new Councils are well differed and
enthusiastic in the work of the Legion.
AS a majority of them are located in
places where no other Council exists and
nave plenty of material to draw upon
we may confidently expect a great show
ing by them at our next annual meet
ing"
The new Councils referred to were or
ganized in Paterson, Atlantic City, AS
bury Park, Morristown, Salem, Burling-
ton, Millville, B~ridgeton, Camden and
Caldwell. These additions make the to-
tai number of Councils ninety-four, with
an aggregate membership of S,315 in New
Jersey.
Mr.. Ghegan's financial statement shows
that S., 712.65 passed through his hands to
the State Treasurer during the year. This
sum simply represents the per capita
tax levied upon members of the o~rganiZa-
ton to pay the running expenses of the
arpa n iz1tinn = and tho nor nnnif1 fay
levied upon the State Council by the SUI
preme or National body. The assessments
for the beneficiary fund are paid direct
to the Supreme Treasurer by the subor-
dinate Councils, and the State organiza-
ton has nothing to do with this fund.
A. ". Harding, Supreme Representative,
preme Convention, held at Brooklyn, and
he reviewed the doings of that body.
He also said that he had attended a
convention at Plattsburg, N. Y, at which
of religious affiliations, were represented.
The C. B. L.ait was shown then, ranked
with the highest in the matter of
finances and other important features.
Considerable routine business was then
transacted, and the event of the day, the
election of officers, was next in order.
There was a great deal Of sparring and
hustling over this order of business. New
ark has invariably captured the offices
and a desperate effort was made to
change the existing order of things, but
the newark lGSIOIitGS, Will their SQDuT-
ban friends, were too strong for the
ants. Hudson was unanimous for David
Barry, of Security Council. Jersey City,
for President, but when the vote was
called, James r. Thornton, of Father
Dalton Council, Newark. got there with
a majority of u. The other officers
elected are as follows:-Vice President, F. |
G. L.. Schriener. Orange; Chancellor, |
John f. Sinnott. Newark; Secretary, j. j.
Ghegan, Newark; Treasurer, E.. H.. Wieg-
ers. Newark; Spiritual Director, the Rev.
M. Al. McManus, Newark; Marshal, w. J.
Hallissey, Newark; Guard, James R. De
Camp. Englewood: Board of Finance,
Messrs. Steimes, McNamee and Taaffe;
Messrs. Romond, Jenny, Fla
herty. Powers and Steets: Supreme Rep
resentatives, Messrs. Harding and Rowe:
Alternates, Messrs. Sinnott and Mullin.
There was a hot contest for the meet
ing place of the next convention. Pas
sale, Atlantic City, Camden and Morris
town were entered and Passaic won by a
very narrow margin over Atlantic City,
with Morristown and Camden in the or
der named. After the close of the con-
yention proper there was a public meet
under the auspices of Father Hogan
Council. The hall was filled to its utmost
and a very enjoyable time was
spent by the legionites and their friends.
TORN RY A W0T,P HOTTND