The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1874-01-31
WISCONSIN CHANGERS.
Statement OF Tie Purchasing Agent
Address Of Col. Cochrane,
Master Of the state
Grange, Etc.

as DGeu Ilt 1iISb ItJl way IL
the Grange Convention. The reports
of the Secretary, Treasurer, Pur-
chasing Agent, and Executive Commit
tee are being made.
The Secretary's report shows 3o3
oranges reported up to October LIST,
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 1st "a, OF,
disbursements 81, 277-leaving 81, TAO
now Oh hand He says 1t will be ueces
sary to borrow about 81, 900, IN order
to pay the expense of the present con-
vention.
The Purchasing Agent made an ex-
haustive report which created conslds
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
wild plurality of efforts and aims is
the bedrock upon which the grange
stands entered largely into the dis
cussion of co operation purchasing,
and suggested the following necessi-
| ties for consideration
! l. Facilities to exhibit, receive, and dstrl-
butte goods
2. An ability 10 concentrate on selected ar
ticles, in order to create volume of trade
sufficiently large TO be satisfactory
B. Ability to aggregate orders 50 as to buy
at Wholesale rates.
! 4. A sustaining power back Of the az 9nts 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 2" and 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 {:
Ihave cudeavored to include within the
provisions OF the plan t 0se Tor raising CAPT
tai, tor being incorporated. tor careful super
VISION of affairs, for preventing the transfer
and speculation in stock, tor rigid adherence
~ We C'lSl, ItduN pay SANbtll, ana To Il 1Oul-
clous limitation of the power Of agents. Also,
that not only individual members may be
stockholders, but sGb-granges as we'll thus
including all the membership in the business
| orGanIZ ton well the tratcrnaI.
Every indication of the times. lie saws.
| seems to point to the adoption of some gen
cral 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.
tr1rn hoo hoo,
! upon the producer 10 govern his political &C
ton and induce him to grant specel privileges
| to the arIstocracy Of wealth. The increased
| power thus acquired has been used 10 tax la.
Dor until the ConYlctlcn has possessed the
DUbllC N nj that 10y some mears the wealth
which the laborer has created Is being unjust
| ~ diverted from him. While capital has ac-
| cumulated those privileges which confer pow
! or, labor has been slowly but steadily increas,
| ing in intelligence, uaIil to-day 1t boldly
| demands its nights. great social revoIu-
ton is in progress, which slowly but surely
must end III 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 ale exhorted TO get ready for
the new order of things, which is Ger
| tmnly 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 fell
lowing address
Brethren and Members Of The state GraaGe.
On the 18th 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.
\ subsequent meeting was held on The 10th
or December following, at Rlpon, when the
| bylaws were adopted, which provides for the
anDui! ceilings being held on the third
| Tuesday in January. At this, the second ses-
sion OF the State Grange, there are perhaps
so subordinate oranges in the state, with
membership OF not less than from Is goo to
20,O@G, beng an increase of nearly 800 oranges
since our organization, period of scarcely
fifteen months With Il view to the probable
increase next wear, | would cali your
attention to the necessity Of making
change lii the basis Of repre-
s6ntattOn 10 the Stale Grange, by Ie1ucInp If
| to reasonable limit experiences in other
states have proved the present liberal repre-
sentatIOn to be net only very expensive but
unWleldy. IN this connection | would direct
your attention to suggestions which Esva
been made by Brother William OrIedge. mas
Ter Of kenosha Grange. No. EOS, that the Ma
| hoHal 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 obVtouS reasons to recommend this
plan. Que OF them being that the representa-
| ton to the State Grange might De reduced to
reasonable limit ; and, Furthermore. the
councils. as they called. ale out
| side OF the order now, aud seem TO have
! grown up out OF an absolute necessity Some
OF Tie councils in other states Laye coufOrmed
so far to the general plan Of the order as To
| elect Off 1ers with tue same names duties
| etc, as provided for in the order ,hus ure
| pariug themselves to be embraced Within IT,
| The stale bylaws need to be revised. and the
| state Grange should be Incorporated and
provision should be made fixing the lemuner-
alton OF such officers OF the Grange as will
require TO be paid Tor their services
On the 2ld OF July. an unauthorized call
| having been issued to the grange OF tue state
| TO take part IL n convention designed or no.
! ilticat acton, / deemed 1t iay duty to warn
! the order against being committed to partisan
| political action, and subsequently, called the
| masters or the sub3rdinate oranges to meet
with the executive committee at WatertowD
to prevent serIons conse quences and declare
! T. t position OF the order in respect TO eurh
/ action. We have reason to think that the
| meeting resulted to the benefit OF the order
| Ii Is quite clear, however that the liberty
| taken by Individual members OF subordinate
! oranges TO constitute themselves a council TO
call cot VI ntiOns Ot political tendency il CON
! tIaTN to the spirit OF article II Of the coasii.
/ tnttCu and, ii lClmitted. would degenerate
| the order, And there would seem to be a ne
| cessltv fer some action Of the National
| Grange, at It's next session, which would not
ONLY define the restrictions within which the
| order should be confined, by amending article
II Int n NO pfUNIdp