The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-02-03
FIRGMBN Want A Home
Committee Of the State AS
ISOLATION Working for That
End at Trenton.
Especial to THE Jersey city News."l

4 Especial to "The Jersey City News."l
TRENTON, Feb. 9, 1Sss.-A committee.
consisting of eleven members of the New
Jersey State Firemen's Association,
Comptroller William s. Hancock ard
Commissioner of Banking and Insurance
William BEETLE, met at the State House
yesterday to discuss the project Of estab-
fishing a home for dependent disabled
firemen and their wives. Before adjourn
ment a definite plan of action was agreed
TO, and the committee announced that II
the necessary Legislation was secured the
proposed home would be an established
fact within a few months. The commit
Tee in question consists of General Bird
w. Spencer, President of the State Asso-
citation and Chairman of the Committee;
Comptroller Hancock, Commissioner Bet
tie, former Governor George Werts, Will
lam H. Brown of Newark, Horace Brown
OF Newark, Secretary of the committee;
John McKiernan. of Paterson; William III.
Jeffreys Of Burlington; Mayor Egbert
Seymour of Bayonne, William t. Corliss
of Red Bank, Edward J. Condit of East
Orange, BENJAMIN w. Cloud of0Woodbury,
and George NJ. Reading of Fyenehtown.
The committee was APPOINTED at the
annual convention of the association, held
in this city last September, and the two
State officials, while not ffremen, were in
eluded because. by virtue of their posi-
lions. they are directly concerned in the
revenue of the association. As soon as
the meeting was called General Spencer
explained the necessity for such a home
as the one projected and the great bene-
fits that would accrue from its establish
,ant IIo 1acorfhod of Ion 9TH fha State
Home at Hudson. N. Y, which was Sc
cured for an original outlay of 5000,
and which is partly self-sustaining, and
told of the homes situated in many of the
Western States, few of which are as well
able to establish or maintain a home as
New Jersey, with its 10000 active fire
men. All that was required to put the
plan into operation was, he said, neces-
sary legislation. and that, he predicted.
could be secured at the present session
without trouble.
Mr.. Brown went on to explain that the
association which comprised about 12O
local organizations in different parts of
the State. has a combined treasury ac-
count Sof about $500, 900. The income of
the association is derived from the two
per cent. State tax levied on foreign in
surance corporations doing business in
the State, and which is distributed pro
rata among the several local organiza-
tons.
The entire fund is distributed on the
Masonic plan, to dependent, exempt and
disabled firemen, in proportion to what
they may need. If no assistance is re-
quired, none is given, but where it is.
there is no restriction as to amount as
long as it does not exceed what is abso-
lutely necessary. Widows and minor chill
dren of firemen are cared for in like man
ner.
Many of those in receipt of aid are old
and infirm. and obliged to live in any
thing but pleasant surroundings. For
a home on the plan of the Soldiers Home
and experience has proved, it is held. that
such a home is less expensive than the
Individual maintenance of dependents.
The necessary funds are available. but
cannot be used for any person except the
necessary legislation. To prepare a bill
for that purpose. and secure its passage,
the following committee was appointed
William s. Hancock. George t. Werts.
William H. Brown, Egbert SEYMOUR and
George NJ. Reading. The bill will be pre-
pared at once and submitted to the Legis-
lature.
Counting upon it's favorable reception
the general committee appointed another
10 secure a site. as fol-
lows:-William H. Brown. General Bird
w. Spencer and BENJAMIN w. Cloud. The
committee had no particular site in view;
but it proposes to secure one in {. pleasant
country district and hopes to find one I'M
der similar circumstances to the one es-
tablished at Hudson, N. Y.