The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-05-17
Oh DEAR, OH DEAR!
Trouble in the Board Of
Trade and Joseph A.
Not a Winner.
A LETTER AND A CENSURE
Some Members Object to
What They Term Presi-
dent Furst's Arbitrary
Action.

Lie DOdTu OF lTdQ6 transacted no DuSls
ness of general Importance last night
Almost the entire evening was devoted
to the discussion of question which had
previously been considered at a. closed
meeting of the Board of Directors.
The proceedings of the open meeting
We're of an intensely lively character. II
developed that some weeks ago President
Myron J. Furst ordered Secretary TAFT
to write to DR.. L. j. Gordon, Assembly,
man Hall, w. ]. Sullivan, Frank Stevens
and Henry Dewitt, all five members of ths
Board of Directors, citing them to appear
before the Board of Directors and show
cause why their positions should not be
declared vacant and the President
appoint other members in their
stead, for having missed three con-
secutive meetings of the Board of
Directors. The bylaws governing the
matters give the President power to do
so, subject to the order of the board"
This proviso. it is said, was not mentioned
in the letter which Secretary TAFT sent to
the five above-named members, and the
members took exception to the arbitrary
language used The secretary, 1t appears,
claims he wrote as he was instructed, and
the recipients of the letters at follow
ing meeting of the Board of Directors se-
cured the adoption of a resolution cen-
suring the President and asking for an
explanation.
The President claims that he was not
at the meeting when the resolution was
adopted but it appears that he entered
before the discussion ended and the whole
matter was reopened while he was pres
ent. He did not see fit to make an ex-
PLANTATION. At last nights meeting of the
Board of Directors, the minutes embody-
ing the resolution of censure were ap-
proved as read. An effort was then made
to rescind the resolution.
Joseph A. Dear fought for this PROPOSE
tion. In his argument Mr.. Dear implied
a threat that if the matter was referred
to the open Board of Trade he could and
would talk there. The opponents of tbs
movement to rescind the resolution OF
censure decided to give him a chance to
talk and moved that the matter be re-
ferred to the open Board. Mr.. Dear op-
posed this, but the motion was carried.
AS soon as the proceedings of the open
Board meeting reached the new busi-
ness stage, President Furst arose from
his seat called Robert Anderson to the
chair and taking his hat and coat from
rack said
"If the gentlemen will excuse me,
think I'll leave the meeting"
He then left the building.
When the time came for taking up
matter referred to the open Board by the
Board of Directors Mr.. Andrew ]. Corr
coran moved that the action of the Board
of Directors be endorsed without further
discussion and thus end the matter. He
said he did not consider it wise to have
the matter discussed in the press. Nat
uraily, he said, the press would like to
see the matter openly discussed. He did
not blame the press. He intimated that
those who felt injured by the letter
should stifie their feelings for the sake
of harmony.
Some one suggested that the entire
Acting Chairman Anderson advised re-
ferring it back to the executive session.
"Will you please tell me what we are
talking about?' asked Mr.. Hall. There's
no business before the House
'I don't see how that opinion of Mr..
Hall can hold" replied Joseph A. Dear.
"a certain resolution was offered by the
Board of Directors that the resolution OF
censure be expunged. 1t was then
amended so as to refer the question OF
toin of cenSure to this open Board. he
insisted that It should be discussed In
the open.
but you didn't want 1t discussed in
the open before" said some one.
II said So" replied Mr.. Dear But
the majority insisted that it should be-"
member said Mr. Hall. "I suggest that
it be laid over until the gentlemen IS
present"
Mr.. Dear said the gentleman could not
be expected to sit there while the justice
of resolution condemning him was De-
ing discussed.
Mr. Hall then moved that the resolution
Offered by him referring the one proposed
to rescind the resolution Of censure to the
open Board, be read "If we are going
to have it, let US have it," he said.
The resolution was read.
Mr.. Russell moved that the resolution
of eensure be expunged from the min-
utes of the Board of Directors:
DR.. Gordon moved to table the reSolu-
ton on the ground of the Presidents abb
senee the latter having charged that he
had been tried and condemned while not
present at the meeting at which the res-
olutions of censure was passed.
The Doctors motion was seconded and
carried by vote of IA to 2
DIR. Gordon insisted that the Board had
no more right to consider the minutes
of the Board of Directors than the latter
had to consider the minutes of the Board.
Mr. Dear was one of the two who op>
posed the motion to table the resolution.
He was plainly nettled at the result,
and in explaining his vote he said ne
didn't now care what happened. He said
the written resolution offered had been
offered in the interests of harmony and
to avoid a public discussion. The direc-
tors, he declared naQ pracllcally reiuSS0
to expunge the resolution, by referring
it to the open Board, and now those who
did it came before the open Board and
by laying the resolution on the table re-
versed their action and put their oppon-
ents in a false light. He branded this
as cowardly.
Mr. Hall called Mr.. Dear's attention to
the fact that the other member who
voted with him against tabling the resolu-
ton was the first one to suggest its being
tabled.
Mr.. Dear was heard to say something
sotto voice to the effect that he would
vet have an opportunity to get the entire
matter before the public.
DR. Gordon was heard to explain in
more or less subdued tone something
about Mr. Dear getting in work with
blue pencil and saying things in writing
that he didn't say when speaking.
The Board adjourned after this matter
was disposed of and the arguments coR-
tinued among the contestants.
Prior to President Furst's departure,
Mr. Hall secured the passage of reso-
luton authorizing the secretary to com-
municate with the proper authorities and
ask them to make such preliminary maps
and estimates and take such other action
as may be necessary to carry out pro-
visions of law enacted at the last session
of the Legislature relative to the I'M
provement of the Hackensack River
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