The Jersey City news., 1906-05-07
Grand Council Of the State
Convenes Today In Pyth.
las Hall, Lakewood
TWO ELECTION TICKETS
DIVISION or PARTIES OVER THE
RAISE IN ASSESSMENT RATES
GIVE RISE TO A WARM CON
TEST FOR CONTROL.

gin this afternoon in knights Of Pythias
Hall here. when the grand council of the
State will convene in its tWenty-fourth
annual session. Because of the feeling
engendered by the raise in the rates of
assessment ,and the failure of some Of
the representatives from New Jersey to
the special meeting of the supreme coun-
Gil to obey the instructions of the grand
council, the latter body has been split
into two parties and each will have a
separate ticket in the field at the annual
election of officers, which will take place
on Tuesday.
Grand Regent James Rogers, OF Gran
ford, and Grand Secretary Robert II.
Alberts, of Hoboken, will probably be
the only candidates who will have no op-
position. Grand Regent Rogers's sympa-
thies are with those who are opposed to
the supreme councils action, and Grand
The other side, which is led by Past
Grand Regents Apgar, Washbourne and
Bovine, were at first disposed to oppose
the reelection of Grand Regent Rodgers
and nominate John w. Weeks, of New
ark. the present grand yice-regent, for
the position. This plan was abandoned,
however, and the members of that side
will centre their efforts in endeavoring
to retain Mr.. Weeks in his present posi-
ton. Weeks will be opposed by Harry
r. Ward, of Jersey City, the present
grand orator, who is the leader and man
ager of the opposing forces.
Three representatives to the supreme
council, which will meet at Fortress Mon
roe the latter part of this month, are also
to be elected, and bitter fight to secure
these offices will be made by both sides.
The opponents of the supreme council
have selected Past Gand Regent l.. A.
Lightfoot, of Westfeld; John D. Beach.
of a Byonne, and John FL. Farrell, of Pat
erson. as their candidates. The only
candidate named by the other side so far
is Past Grand Regent B. B. Mcdowell,
of Jersey City.
William c. AIcKeever, of Rutherford,
whose term as grand trustee expires this
year, has been chosen as the opposition
as its candidate for grand treasurer
against the present incumbent, Henry
Hollinshed, Jr., of Camden. Hollinshed
has been treasurer for number of years
and the only reason assigned for oppos-
ing him is that he resides too far away
from the centre of the Arcanum popula-
tion in this State. Hollinshed, however.
will be supported by the regulars. and
another pretty fight may be expected.
The regulars, it is said will also sup
port Rev w. T. Dorward. of Stelton. for
grand orator; H. J. Bierman, of Newark,
for grand guide, and Samuel Drummond,
of Bound Brook, for grand warden. Who
the other side will put up for these of
fees is as yet unknown, although they
will undoubtedly have candidates.
An effort is also to be made to have
|
the members Of the committee on laws
and the committee on finance elected by
the grand council instead of being ap-
pointed by the incoming grand regent,
and it is said that Grand Regent Rogers
favors this plan.
When the reports of the various Off
GERS are read at the session it will be
found that there has been remarkable
falling off in the membership of this
State When the grand council met last
year there was total membership in the
State of over 25,000, while at present
the membership is but little over 49,
O0O a loss of over 5000. Only two coun-
ellis in the State, Caldwell, No. 2144, and
lGarret A. Hobart, No. 2145, closed the
year with net gain, while the others
show a loss of from five to fifty per cent.
On April 16 Of this year Ramapo Valley
Council was consolidated with Lafayette
| Council. Of Paterson, and it is likely that
two other councils will consolidate in the
near future.
corinthian Council. Of Newark, one Of
the largest in the State, was a heavy
loser during the year, suffering d net loss
of 225. Bayonne Council, which had the
largest membership, lost 2S2 and Hobo
ken Council Ia Excelsior, Of Jersey
City, lost 1s1.
Grand Secretary Albert's report VII