Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-02-06
FIGHT FOR EXEMPT
FIREMENS FUND
NOT U%NFRIENDLY
Proceedings to Wrest 500, 900
from Relief Associations Con.
troll DO Not Mar Harmony.
MONEY DERIVED FROM
FOREIGN INSURERS TAX
$4,000 Yearly Paid to Widows,
Orphans and the Disabled of
Exempts' Organization.

Despite the fact that the Association
of Exempt Firemen has begun a suit In
~chancery against the Newark Fire
mems Relief Association to gain con-
troll Of the 100000 fund for orphans and
widows and fremen injured on duty,
now controlled by the relief associa.
ton, 1t was declared today by hremen
and Michael T. Barrett. counsel for the
defendants, that the suit Is not of an
unfriendly nature.
The $4,000 fund is derived from a 2
per cent. tax on foreign insurance
companies doing business in Newark
1t Is now invested IN good securities
and is perfectly safe.
Pay S2s,O0O Yearly In BENEFITS.
An average of SIS, 900 a year is paid
out in benefits. The exempt as 3ocia
ton, which is a corporation distinct
from the relief association, has for
sometime wanted to gain control of
the fund moneys The relief associa-
ton, however, has said that becaus
1t has always Deer in control of the
n 1t proposed to maintain its
power. 1t was then that the exempt
SAi6oS0o EAlDClt ~
to draw up a petition and begin suit
in chancery.
1t IS said that whichever association
wins In the courts the members of both
will be satisfied with the result.
No Hard Feelings Over Fight.
Speaking of the suit today, Michael
7. Jarrett said:
The whole thing hinges on the mat
ter Of controlling the money. The suit
may be regarded as friendly, neverthe-
less. OF course, l will fight hard to
have my clients retain the control; but
let me say that no hard feeling exists
among members of the two associa-
tions. On the contrary, l regard the
whole thing as a friendly suit"
The exempts filed their petition in
Trenton on Saturday.
In the petition 1t is claimed that
when the exempts first Joined the Re-
lief Association their organization
poured into the treasury money that
had been raised by entertainment and
by requests to the exempts. Accord
ing to the rules of the Relief Asso-
citation the eXempts were allowed two
delegates n each company in the
city was permitted to have one. Hence,
the exempts lost direct control, as an
association, while their members kept
on receiving benefits as members OF
the regular department.
Exempts Organized in 1857.
The exempts were organized into an
association in 1857. The charter mem
bers were members or former members
of the fire department, which was then
entirely volunteer, and the object of
the. association was to provide for the
old age of the members or for their
families at their death.
The exempts' fund had its beginning
i'm a bequest of $1t7, which was in
creased by the proceeds from entertain
ments and other sources. Jonathan S..
Conant in 1879 left $13, 500. payable on
the death of his wife, which occurred
two years later.
At this time the money was paid
over to the Firemen's Relief Associa-
ton, as we'll as more than $11, 900
which had been accumulated by the
exempts in other ways. Other amounts
have been paid into the same treasury.
which can not be exactly determined.