Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-01-28
WISCONSIN CHANGERS.
Statement Of the Purchasing Agent
Address Of Col. COchraRe,
Master or the state ..,. F..
Grange, Etc.

JANEsvILLE. Wis, January 21.-This
has been the first real working day in
the Grange Convention. The reports
Of the Secretary, Treasurer, Pur-
chasing Agent, and Executive Commit
tee are being made.
The Secretary's report shows 303
oranges reported up to October 1st,
and says there are probably enough
formed since that date to swell the
number to $50. His expenses for the
past year were 1896 10, which includes
his salary.
The Treasurer reports the receipts
for the year ending January LIST 81, OF,
disbursements ,277-leaving 81, TAO
now on hand. He says 1t will be neces-
sary to borrow about 1000, in order
to pay the expense of the present con-
ventiOn.
The Purchasing Agent made an ex-
haustive report which created consid-
cradle stir, and was a fruitful topic of
conversation during most Of the day.
The agent pointed out that farmers
have suffered as much from want of
unity of action as from severe oppres-
sion, and that to bring unity out of
a wild plurality Of efforts aud aims is
the bedrock upon which the grange
stands entered largely into the dis
cussion Of cooperation purchasing,
and suggested the following neoessi-
ties for consideration
/. Facilities to exhibit receive and dstri-
butte goods.
g An ability to concentrate Oh selected ar
tlcles, IN order to create volume of trade
sufficiently large to be satisfactory
3. Ability to aggregate orders SO as to buy
at Wholesale rates.
A. sustaining power back of the gents to
give their action potency.
To accomplish these objects he
recommends the organization of CO.
operative councils, to organize and
conduct the business interests of the
order. In response to the refusal of
some manufacturers to sell goods to
the order at wholesale prices, and who
asked What are you going to do
about it - and g How can you help
yourselves ?" he proposes to present
the efforts of these cooperation bust
ness councils. For the organization
Of this branch Of their work, the state
agent says:
have endeavOred to include within the
provisions of the plan ose tor raising capt.
tai, tor beirg,mcorporate for careful SUPER
vision Of atfafls for preventing the transfer
and speculation ID stock Tor rigid adherence
to the cost, ready-pay system, and to a Judi.
clOus limitation of the power of agents. Also,
that not only Individual members may be
stockholders, but sub-granGes as well, thus
including all the membership in the business
t,crgaulz ton as we'll as the fratornal.
! Every indication Of the times, he says
seems to point to the adoption OF some gen
er2f plan for the cooperation of labor. With
! the progress OF intelligence. and the increased
| enterprise OF commerce, has come the power
| OF amassing and Controlling great fortunes
! In turn, this power has been brought to bear
upon the producer, to govern his political ac-
ton and induce hun to grant spece privileges
| to the arlstOcracy of wealth. The increased
! power Thus acquired has been used to tax la
Dor until the conviction has possessed the
pablo m nd that 10y some means the wealth
which the laborer has created is being unjust
ly diverted from him. While capital has &C.
cumulated those privileges which cOufer pow
er, labor has been slowly but steadily increas-
ing in intelligence, unJil to-day 10 boldly
demands its lights. great social revolu-
ton is in progress, which slowly but surely
must end in providing both equal and exact
justice to all men the equal distribution of
the profits of labor"
An encouraging exhibit of the work
ing of corporations is given, and the
members are exhorted to get ready for
| the new order of things, which is GER
tainly coming, and from which they
are destined to reap "the first fruits y
The document is one Of the ablest
which has yet seen the light in grange
circles.
In the afternoon, the Grand Master
Of the State Grange delivered the fol-
lowing address
Brethren and Members Of The State Grange:
On the 10Th day OF October, 1872, the State
Grange of Wisconsin was organized in Portage
City. At that time there were tWenty-six
oranges in the state.
A subsequent meeting was held on the 10th
of December following, at R1pOn, when the
annual meetings being held on the third
Tuesday in January. At this, the second ses-
sion of the State Grange, there are, perhaps,
325 subordinate oranges in the state, with a
membership of not less than from $4,000 to
20, Geo. being an increase OF nearly 800 oranges
since our organization, period of scarcely
fifteen months With view to the probable
increase next year, / would cali your
attention to the necessity of making
change in the basis of repre-
sentation to the State Grange. by reducing it
to reasonable limit, experiences in other
sentaton to be not only very expensive, but
unWieldy. In this connection [ would direct
your attention to suggestions which have
| been mn de by Brother William Orledge, mas
ter OF Kenosha Grange. No. 208, that the Ma
| tiohal Grange should make such alteration in
the organization as would provide for the
County Grange, the master Of the subordi-
nate oranges to constitute the County Grange.
There are obvious reasons to recommend this
plan, Que of them being that the representa-
ton to the State Grange might be reduced to
reasonable limit and, furthermore, the
councils as they are called, are out
side of the order now, and seem to have
grown up out of an absolute necessity. Some
| of the councils IN other states have conformed
80 far to the general plan Of the order as to
elect officers with the same Names, duties,
| ETC., as provided Tor in the order, thus pre-
pairing themselves to be embraced within it.
The state bylaws need to be revised, and the
State Grange should be Incorporated !; and
provision should be made fixing the remuner
alton of such officers of the Grange as will
require to be paid for their services.
On the 22d Of July. an unauthorized call
having been issued to the grange OF the state
to take part in convention designed ,or po-
litical action, [ deemed 1t my duty to warn
the order against being committed to partisan