The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-09-09
OLD FIRBHHD CLASH
Delegates at the Annual
Convention of the State
Association Dis
agree.
Committees REPORT THE CAUSE
Will Build a Home for INDECENT
Members-Life Membership
10 Be Limited.
COMMITTEES REPORT THE CAUSE

~ SCNtioAA iS4cliihS "
was first taken up and was concurred in
without discussion or dissent.
The next section taken up was that
which dealt with the ffremen's home.
Delegate Kagan of Bayonne moved that
the Executive Committees recommends
ton be adopted.
Rufus Ogden of Keyport moved to
amend by providing that whatever plan
the committee might recommend be print
ed in circular form and be forwarded to
local associations for consideration, and
that final action be deferred until the next
annual convention.
Charles j. Beck of South Orange could
see no reason for delaying action in the
matter. All the delegates, he said, had
had the subject under consideration, and
came prepared to vote upon it.
Another delegate said that he under
stood the plan to be hi the money that
is divided among the local associations is
to be used to build the home. This, he
said. would be al right for the associa-
ions that are rich. But, he argued, let
these associations with big incomes do it
themselves. There are lots of associations
that cannot afford to go into it..
Mr.. Bendham of Stockton said that the
matter was before the last convention,
and if it had not received the careful con-
sideration of every local association it was
because the delegates did not do their
duty. 1t is not the fault of the rich as
sociations that the younger ones are poor,
and the smaller and poorer ones should
not ask the older and richer ones to main
tain the home for them.
Mr.. Lane of Summit expressed the
opinion that it was not necessary to delay
action in the matter any longer. Further,
he said, the smaller associations would
not suffer, for it could be so arranged
that a certain percentage of he receipts
should be used for the maintenance OF the
home, and thus each association would
pay it's share.
Mr.. Carhart of Ocean City said he could
not support the committees report be-
cause no plan had yet been submitted.
William A. Cotter, the associations
counsel, said:-stAt the last convention 1t
was decided that we SHOULD build a home
for aged and INDECENT firemen, and the
matter was referred to the Executive
Committee with power to secure the
necessary legislation. The committee did
not exercise the power that was given 1T.
Il Hey 1Dtlta lA4oL t1AS
tee was a changing body. You couldn't
expect the same good effort from a chang
ing committee that you would get from
a committee that is continued until the
end of the job. They decided to appoint
a special committee. That re-
Dorted that 1t was advisable that the con-
yention appoint a committee OF eleven,
the membership of which should pc SO
constituted tina The whole State should
be represented. Some legislation may be
necessary. 1t may be necessary to nave
a State official upon that committee. and
then, possibly funds would come IN from
sources of which you had no knowledge,
and not near 50 much would De taken
from the firemen'S pockets.
The burdens that will fan upon the as
soeiations that are rich will be fully as
great as those which fall upon the poorer
associations. While we live we should do
our duty by those who may need 1t. There
is no reason why the fremen cannot trust
this matter with their committee.
There was some, other discussion. after
which Mr.. Ogden's resolution was lest by
a large vote.
]. r.. Buckle of North Plainfield then
moved that the committees recommended
ton be adopted. which was carried.
The life membership question was next
taken up, and a motion was made 10
adopt the committee's recommendation
Mr.. Coigrove of LambertviIle said that
New York and Pennsylyania nave 9Iin9ee
three year eligibility provision Tor me
membership, and there is no reason why
New Jersey should not. The New Jersey
association has $50 delegates, and $50 ME
members, many of whom were HE mem
bers before the resolution went into Ell
feet. Should this recommendation be
adopted, he said, not one out of ten Will
q F. Benners of Moorestown held a
similar opinion. He said that many of
the delegates had served two years, and
have only one more year to serve before
attaining the high privilege of life MEM
herShip.
said: VIII do the life members repre-
that will conflict with the law under
which we exist. l raise the point of or
der tina life members have no right TO a
voice in the vote of this association.
President Spencer denied the point OF
order because the constitution of the as
ISOLATION recognizes life members.
which provided that three consecutive
elections as delegate to the annual con-
vention should constitute life member
shin. and that such life members should
have a voice in matters before the con-
~vention, but no voice in voting upon such
matters.
wears about one-half of this association
are life members. In another two years
more than one-half of those who are left
will be life members We are growing old,
and the time will come when the fremen
who have passed out of active service
will be able to outvote the men who are
doing active service. nat VIII occur Il
we dllO III am ~ 90. $50 Aho
made the mistake at the beginning we
Should now at least partially remedy it,"
On motion Mr.. Benners' was
laid on The table.
President Spencer suggested that a part
of the difficulty could be eneompassed by
inserting a provision that the fve-year
rule should not be enforced until 1898. thus
lloWing those who hav only one more
year TO serve to reach their life member
ship.
The suggestion was received with APP
plause. and Mr.. Benn Incorporated it in
an amendment. which was quickly
With this %mendmen the committees
recommendation as to life membership
was adopted.
cations to the ponds of officers and the
appointment of an auditor were also
Aise pursuant to the committees rec
o~mmehdation that a pro rata division of
funds be made in a case when a new
After some discussion, it was also de-
cided to Increase the salary of the as
socfation's counsel from $500 to $1,000 per
The Executive Committees report as
amended was then adopted as a whole.
The following officers were elected to
serve during the ensuing year.
President. Bird w. Spencer. vice presi-
dent. N. n. Wentz. Blackwood; Frank s.
Branch; ii. b. Green. Pennington; W
S. Colgrove, Passaic; Z. /. Condict. East
Orange; w. A. Ryder. New Durham;
Isaac Seeley. Westieid; treasurer, John
McKiernan. Paterson; recording secre-
ant secretaries. T. Howell Johnston.
Bloomfield; William Exan. Newark;
financial secretary, George IL. Everitt,