The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-03
7AHY need MORE SPIRIT.
Merchants Protective Assoeia-
ton Discuss the Causes
Of Their Apparent
Inactivity.

The Merchants Protective Association
had but little business to transact at
last nights meeting, but discussed a
number of matters of general interest and
some particularly so 20 the association
itself. Messrs. Banks, Beach, Secretary
Newton and several other members had
attended the recent complimentary dinner
and reception Of the Hudson City Bust
ness Mems Association. There they heard
the affairs of the Hudson City business
men thoroughly discussed and were en-
| Unused over the work of that organiza-
Ition.
Mr.. Banks last night had many com
plimentary things to say about it. He
said the business mems entertainment
from beginning to end was a credit to
them and was a practical exhibition of
enthusiasm which can be aroused in an
organization when it is composed of
active, jealous workers. He saw there
what the Hudson County Merchants
Protective Association most n~eeded-fire
and zeal. He said he had no fault to
find with the general work of The COM
mittees of the Protective AS
ISOLATION, but declared that some por-
tons of committee work were not being
QOIe dS II S1Oulu Dc Qo0e. VI din
cited the work of the Hudson City BUSH
ness Mems Association in connection with
the public schools of thai section, as
shown in School Director Mersheimer's
speech at the dinner, and said it only went
to show what a pull business men could
exert in municipal matters when they
pulled actively and strongly together. He
| said he had no doubt that the improve
ment associations of the Bergen section
would eventually pull the new High
School up on the Hill.
Ex-President William Meyer agreed
| with Mr.. Banks and said it would not
do for the Protective Association to
| simply lay back on past laurels. The as
ISOLATION he said was affluent, it had
money, but it seemed the association had
| fallen into a rut, and a jolt was needed to
| shake it out. He agreed with Mr.. Bern
| stein that such old chestnuts as trading
! stamp and condensed milk should be
| laid aside.
Alderman Howeth suggested that the
association give a dinner and reception.
| He attended one of the business mems
| at Pohlmann's. and from what he saw,
| he said, jokingly, the Protective Associa-
| ton had better get the business men in
| and let them run it in their enthusiastic
| manner
Secretary Newton called attention to
| the fact that the blacklist for the past
| two weeks was heavier than ever before
| in the same period since it's inauguration.
| Affairs in connection with the Hoboken
| branch of the association. was discussed.
| Mr.. Beach said he would not be surprised
to hear of it's disbanding. He thought
! efforts should be made to get the mem
bers in the central organization.
The Executive Committee was em-
powered to answer the question of seven
| teen merchants who in response to cards
| sent out recently to secure new members.
| asked for further Information concerning
| the working of the organization.
Ex-President Meyer asked If something
| could not be lone to compel the street
| railway companies to sprinkle the streets.
Ex-President Henry Hoersch said that
| what was needed more than street sprink-
ling was street cleaning, and he Thought
the association should be powerful
| enough to induce the Street and Water
| Board to keep the street ordinarily clean.
Mr.. Banks called attention to the fact
the railroad companies had agreed to
| sprinkle the streets if the city would fur
nish the water free. Mr.. Beach declared
that the city ought to be willing to fur
| nish the water free. He, understood, how
| ever. that this would be Illegal. Even
#. so, he could not understand why the
city could not furnish the water at a
nominal cost, just enough to get aroun
the legal obstacle.
The matter will be further discussed at
the next meeting.
Secretary Newton notified the associa-
| tion that he had received a letter from
Governor Voorhees, notifying him that he
had referred the anti-trading stamp bill
to the Acknowledgement for an opinion as
to its constitutionality.