Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-12-30

8 = - e-elected president at the an
convention of Overseers of the
rom all parts of the State at
ity Hall yesterday afternoon.
n ,uestion of having applications
-, ,,risions under the widows pen
-, ct Investigated by overseers of
y ~ Door instead of by inexperienced
investigators was urged, and other
topics OF vital interest to the over
seers con sidered.
In his opening address Mr.. Barck
laid great stress on the necessity of
the oversee .rs of the poor interchang
ing ideas nd meeting and discussing
the various problems that confront
them. ut Is absolutely necessary"
said Mr.. b; lrck, that we work in
perfect harm lony. The business of
looking after the needs of the poor
of any comm unity is a serious one
and no man can consider a moment
wasted that h 2 deyotes to seeing that
every penny a appropriated to his de-
partment is sp ent to the best possi-
bic advantage. You men, like my
self, are on the job every day in the
year. You know the conditions. You
are not tempora rily following up a
fad, but are executing a public trust
that is one that cannot be shirked
in any way. 1t is your business to
know the needs of the needy, and
with cooperation, there is no reason
why the care of the poor of New Jer-
sey should not be the best of al
State in the Union.
A Great Work.
This organization. the New Jersey
Association of Overseers of the Poor,
Is. to my mind, one of the most re-
sponsible bodies in the State. To us
= of ha
pahpers are not made, that the laws
relative to social conditions are lived
mp to, that suffering for the material
things OF life is aVerted or at least
relieved and that men and women are
helped to be reliant upon themselves.
Our aim should be more for the pre-
vention of poverty Than it's relief"
The question of the length of time
necessary for a person to acquire a
legal settlement or to be legally en-
titled to relief in any municipality
was one of the most important ones
discussed. When a vote was finally
taken IL was unanimously decided that
five years was the proper length of
time. The argument was mainly to
the effect that with a hve-year limi-
tation the person applying for help
would be referred to the city in which
that person had become pauperized
unless the case was one that was
exceptional.
With the idea in view of securing
the cooperation of all of the $50 over
seers of the poor of the State it was
decided that the president appoint a
representative in each county to con-
stitute an executive board and that
the main duties of the representatives
would be to keep astir enthusiasm for
the work.
Poor pay of poormasters was an
other topic of discussion. 1t was
pointed out that where a poormaster
received but $50 per year for listening
to and investigating the tales of the
poor not great amount of effect
could be expected. An effort will be
made to have a uniform rate of COM
pensatioR settled upon based on the
extent of the population Of the vari-
GUS municipalities.
In going over the annual report of
the State Charities Aid and Prison
reform Association 1t was agreed
that the ovevseers Of the poor would
gladly cooperate to have the con-
troll of county jafls vested in a State
body so that prisoners could be put
TO work on roads, etc.
Discuss Charities Report.
The report or the State Charities
Aid and Prison reform Association
was discussed thoroughly and the
poormasters went into much greater
detail in going over it.
The next meeting of the New Jer-
sey Association of Overseers of the
Poor will be held in Trenton Wednes-
day January 2S. when plans for
campaign for the better relief of the
poor will be gone into thoroughly.
suggestions for the changing of the
law governing the official Giving of
relief to the poor are already under
process of formulation and will be
discussed at the coming meeting.
At Yesterdays meeting all of the
officers were reelected and a new
office. that of financial secretarv
created. Mr.. Barcx was DESTROYS of
becoming one of the active. but nom
office-holding members of the associa-
ton. This was not listened to and
he was reelected president. whether
he wanted such to be the case or not.
The officers are: Harry L. Barck, jr.
president. Hoboken Gustave Kunz,
vice-president. Orange; George B.
Meneeley, secretary. West Hoboken;
j. ]. Moore, financial secretary. East
Orange; Thomas J. ONeill. treasurer,
Paterson; Anthony Sattler. sergeant
alarms TN1i1a hath