Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-12-06
STATE FIPEMEN OUT /
TOPASSREPEAL ACT.
Association Seeks Remedial
Legislation Affecting
Relief Laws.
TO CURB ALL MEASURES
HARMFUL TO THE OLD MEN
Mould Prevent Exempt Fire
men from Drawing from Re-
lief Associations Funds.

In connection with an intention to
have introduced at the coming ses-
sion of the Legislature an act to re-
peal legislation, said to be inimical
to the welfare of. old firemen, the
widows and orphans and other de-
pendents of old f1remen, the New Jer-
sey State Firemen's Association has
issued a statement explaining the
situation of affairs.
THE New Jersey State Firemen's
Association is made up Of 265 Fire
mems Relief associations in the
State, represents the whole body of
paid, volunteer and exempt firemen,
all of whom have repreN entation in
the State organization, and has been
in existence thirty five years." the
statement in part sets forth. During
that time the local relief associations
under it's control have accumulated
permanent funds amounting to more
than 81, 100000. making it the lai gest
firemenS charitable fund in the world.
During the last fiscal year there was
disbursed from this fund $96519.S2 for
the relief of aged and INDECENT volun-
teer firemen and their widows and
orphans, $1,000 for the maintenance
of the Firenen's Home at Boonton.
and $4S, IS for the pension funds
of paid departments.
THE income which permits these
operations is derived from a tax of
per cent on the premiums of fire
insurance in this State collected by
insurance companies of other states
and countries, the New Jersey insur-
snee companies being exempted.
when fully paid fire departments
were created in the larger cities of
the State a question arose as to the
future application of the fund in such
cities. After much consideration the
matter was amicably adjusted by the
enactment Of a law providing that the
. per cent. tax income should be di-
vided-one-half going to the pension
fund OF the paid fire department. and
the other half to the relief associa-
ton, the latter also holding for its
uses the large funds previously ac-
cumulated in such cities, making an
income sufficient for the needs of the
old volunteers and their dependents
while any should remain.
Some years ago the exempt fire
mems associations in few of these
cties--Jersey City, Hoboken, Trenton
and Passaic-began to express u de-
sire to control the funds. They pro-
posed that they should be allowed to
take the accumulated funds and with
draw from the established relief as
sooiations, declaring that the funds
would he sufficient for all their needs.
This some were permitted to do under
81 law which had been passed to en-
able such separation and control.
I'm every case where this has been
tried it has resulted disastrously. In
Jersey City an accumulated fund OF
about $4,000 was taken, all of which
has disappeared and the needy old
volunteer tiremen and their depend
ents in that city are without funds
for their support. In other places the
funds have been so depleted as to in
dictate that their condition will soon
be like that of Jersey City.
'Passaic. the latest example, acting
against the advice of the State as
ISOLATION, withdrew from the old re-
lief association and took away the
accumulated fund. In the two years
since elapsed it's expenditures have
shout doubled it's receipts, and it is
apparently going the way of the
others. In the last year it paid about
3! per cent. of it's receipts in salaries
TO officers, while the average salary
charge in the other associations of the
State did not reach per cent. This
association, of which John Ken
rell is president, is the most active
of any in the State in Waging war
OF the State association
1.-THE State Firemen's Association,
which controls all relief associations,
presents as a contrast the operations
in seven cities where paid depart
ments exist. and where the eXempts
have not been beguiled, like those of
Jersey City and Passaic, into seced
ing from the old relief associations.
In these cities a very different state
Of affairs exists. The seven relief as
sociations last year received $5S, 440.41,
from which they disbursed for the
relief of old volunteers and their fam
lilies SIS 975, 80, for pension funds of
paid firemen S26006.30, and carried a
substantial sum TO their permanent
funds, which now amount to $211, 1913
sufficient, with their future income,
toirelieve the needs of the old volun
(teers, while any shall remain. In fact,
all of the 265 local associations under
control of the State association are in
fiourishing condition, with their funds
safely invested and guarded under the
rules Of the parent body.
ut is stated that an effort will be
made to induce the next Legislature
TO enact law tc divide the funds be-
tween relief and exempt associations.
Aside from the doubtful legality of
such legislation, the cost of operating