The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-05-10
Woolley & Co.'S. Trouble
With the Eighth Ward
Republican Club.
The SYNDICATE WORRIED
Bought the Club House "On
Spec" and No Returns
Are in Sight.

Ine members OF the Eighth Ward Re-
publican Club, that is, those who are not
office holders IN the club. have begun to
open their eyes to the fact that they are
in the hands of a clever combination OF
Spectators known as the e. w. Wool
ley e Co. Syndicate
g .sThe News published an article some
time ago on the fruitIess attempts made
by the majority of the members to con-
troll the clubs affairs, or at least to have
some say in its management. These at
tenlpts have always been crushed by the
strong arm or the syndicate. So cleverly
has the syndicate conducted its opera
tons that many Of the members have ac-
tually been led to believe that the COM
bination was busted" when in reality
there is not an important office in the
club government today that is not occu-
pied by syndicate man. Once matters
became so hot that Mr. Woolley himself
was obliged to step out as chairman Of
the House Committee, and President Hall
appointed George w. Decker in his place.
But Mr. Decker being a member of the
Woolley syndicate didn't care about the
job, so Mr. Woolley still holds his own,
and the club cannot buy a paper of
matches without his consent.
The club house. which is located on Vir-
ginia avenue. is absolutely owned and
operated by the "E w. Woolley & Co.
Syndicate" The building. which was for
merly the club house of the New Jersey
Bowling Club, was bought by the syndi-
cate under the name of the Claremont
Realty Company or "E w. Woolley &
Coz
Like most political organizations, the
Eighth Ward Republican Club is not with
out its .deadwood." It has an unusually
large quantity of ii. 1t is said that there
is ten times as much dead as there is live
wood, or, in other words, about ten per
cent. of the membe~s pay dues. The
shareholders in the realty company are,
They would like to have their shares pay
the stock is not very popular on the mar
ket e
To coax the members to pay dues has
been the aim of the syndicate since it
took hold Of the big club house. Meetings
were held at which the problem was freely
discussed The names of all the members,
with their arrearages. were posted on the
wall of the club house, but this mad little
or no effect. One member would not pay
because some one else wouldn't. and all
were backward about paying anything be-
cause they had no say in the manage
ment of the club. The bowling alleys and
billiard tables, although well patronized,
were not profitable enough to defray the
club expenses, so something had to be
done.
Mr. Woolley is head of he syndicate
head of the Board of Governors and head
of the House Committee At a recent
meeting of the Board of Governors he
made the suggestion that word be sent at
once to the fifty or more young men who
were at that moment using the bowling
alleys and pool tables to either pay their
dues instantly or get out of the club
house.
It so happened that there were wiser
heads in the Board Of Governors and Mr.
Woolley's proposition was not carried
out. Had it been there would have been
a marked decrease in the club member
ship But the "Woolley Co. Syndicate"
was not benefited by the situation and
the members of the syndicate decided
that some way must be found to induce
members to pay up. To drop from the
TClL DIT one tlII16 dlI lllUSt WHO were Ot-
hind in dues was considered too danger
Gus to the welfare of the club, so it was
concluded to drop few each month and
see what effect that would have At the
last meeting5of the Board of Governors,
therefore, five members were suspended
for non-payment of dues. The suspen-
sions have caused a sensation in the club
and the delinquent members are wonder
ing where the Woo,ley axe will fall next
None of them is praying very fervently
to be spared. Many have already steered
clear of the clubhouse. not because they
are afraid of Mr.. Woolley. but because
they do not care to hand up to his syn
dicate They do not believe in trusts.
To prevent any of the suspended mem
bers and other persons Objectionable ITO
the syndicate from using the clubhouse
a boy has been hired to stand guard at
the door. The boy has positive orders to
admit no one who cannot show a mem
bership card. AS to members entertain
ing friends at the clubhouse the syndicate
has passed a rule permitting each men,
Der to entertain but one friend at the
club each month.
p. r. R. BREAKS RECORD