The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-03-03
WHY THE BALL FAILED.
Fourth Regiment Officers
Enquiring About the IN
successful Function.

The all absorbing topic of discussion last
evening at the meeting of the Board OF
OFFICERS of the Fourth Regiment was the
recent Armory Ball, its failure financially
and it's success in all other respects. 1t
came to light as the meeting progressed
that there was some underhand work in
the ball plans, and not only were some
of the officers in the scheme. but a num-
ber of prominent people who reside on
the Heights. One officer, high in rank,
stated that he knew certain persons who
had openly remarked that the success of
the big society function depended upon
their presence, and to prove these state
ments they had stayed away.
This same officer became very warm
when making this statement. All of this
came about through the efforts of Colonel
Smith, who presided, to learn just why
the ball was not a financial success. He
delivered a neat address complimenting
the Ball Committee in the highest terms
for its unceasng labors and said ne felt
sure that it was no fault of theirs that
the event was not financial success.
Chairman John J. Broderick reported
for the Ball Committee. A deficit was
reported, but the committee at present
could not definitely give the exact amount.
TO get at the bottom of the matter, II Is
necessary to go back to about three
weeks before the ball. The Executive
Committee was paying little attention 10
the question of subscriptions as this mat
ter was left to the officers of the regi-
ment AT meeting of the Board OF OiIl-
GERS it became manifest that the subscrip-
tions were coming in very slowly. VI
the twenty-eight officers whose ists were
examined about two hundred and thlrty
subscriptions were counted. The commit
tee figured on that many more, as tnere
were about thirty more officers to near
from This amount of subscriptions did
not satisfy the committee. They got to
work and hustled for subscriptions with
some success. 1t was found subsequently
that many of the officers had padded
their lists. as no subscriptions were re-
ceived. nor did the people whose names
were on some of the lists take part In
the ball.
Colonel Smith, in referring to the ball,
said he thought it was strange that TOUR
hundred people could not be got to SUD
scribe for such an event. He said he
could not understand why the ball was
a failure financially and called upon some
of the officers to state what they thought
was the reason One officer made the
statement quoted above. Divers otner
reasons were given.
Socially the Armory Ball was success
in every sense of the word. Captain
Manuel Llera stated that he felt sure that
if another ball was given after Lent, 1t
would be successful. The concensus OF
opinion among the officers was that there
viii be no ball next year They do not
think that the results warrant the ex-
penditure of so much money and the
waste of time
..It must be understood" said an Off
GER that the ball is not a money-making
scheme. We simply do it for social pur-
poses and if the subscribers fail to sup
mort the enterprise. the failure to mold
such events can only be laid at their
DOORS"
The Amusement Committee reported
that the receipts from the recent cake
walk were about $500. of which about
500. will go to the regiment.