The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-07-29


with original petitions, and the ad-
mission of worthy persons who had
through one means and another lo st
connection during the dull period
preceding the past year. Late re-
ports from the Secretary ofthe State
Grange give the gratifying infor-
nation that nine-tenths of the SUBJ
ordinate Oranges which have re-
ported for the quarter ending with
March, exhibit material increase in
mem bership, and the receipts are
thereby largely increased. The
State Grange is free from debt and
has a surplus fund sufficient to meet
contingent demands. During the
last quarter the National Grange re-
quested payment of dues to meet
requirement caused by bills
brought against the National
Grange, and the State of New York
had much pleasure in being able to
respond promptly.
TIE experience in cooperation,
regarding which I am required to
report, is in effect the experience
of Subordinate Oranges, large
number of which have entered into
cooperative association quite
independent of the State Grange.
The name is "The Union Grange
Trade Association" It's district
embraces IL counties, within which
most of the Subordinate Oranges
have taken membership at cost
of So zach, which entities all Nom
bers of these Oranges to whatever
advantages are offered in the corp,
erative trade of the association. II
am not able to report the amount
of transactions under this co>opera-
tive agreement, still l may estimate
the sum within the past year at
fully two million dollars, informa-
ton received from the officers OF
this association appearing to justify
the estimate. AS an illustration of
the extent of this trade, in sim
gle branch Of supplies, | may men-
ton the fact that these Oranges
have orders enough to take all the
wagons made by an extensive man.
ufactory in a year. In fact this
supply was insufficient, for within
the month past the officers of the
association have been driven to the
necessity Of ordering carloads of
wagons from other manufacturers.
A similar demand has been made
and partially supplied in reapers
and mowers; SO throughout the list
of articles comprised in the term
farmers supplies" the trade has
run beyond the capacity of manu-
facturers and the managers Of the
association have been compelled to
open new avenues. All this extern
sive cooperative trade comes by the
voluntary association of the Subor
dinate Oranges. The State Grange
has no part in the arrangements or
responsibility.
An important factor in the pros
perity of Subordinate Oranges has
been and now is the general senti
ment favoring the restriction of
powers exercised by corporations,
especially the sentiment favoring
the regulation of transportation
methods. While members of the
Order have never brought within
the gates political aspirations or
prejudices or partisan politics in
any sense, there has been free dis
cussion of public questions affecting
the material prosperity of the ag-
ricultural class. Out of these dis
cussions there has grown de-
termineG purpose to establish reg
ulations for the restriction Of un
warranted powers hitherto exer-
cised by corporations, and through
these influences wholesome legisla-
ton has been proposed in the State
Legislature with prospects OF imme
diate enactment.
At thepresent time arrangements
are liz progress for organizing a
large number of summer meetings,
to be held under the direction of the
Oranges in several localities but
open in all cases to the public.
These meetings will be addressed
by eminent speakers of this and
other States, and will have more or
less of political character because
the questions that affect the farm
or in their solution will be freely
discussed. This has been the practice
in the past years and to it may be
traced much of the gain that has
marked the progress of the Order
in the past. 1t is hardly too much
to say that these free open discus
sions have given the Order in this
State strength and prominence and
entitled it to the respect of good
citizens and inspired for it whole-
some regard in the political parties.
There is not the slightest danger
that the Oranges can be led into
partizan methods or in any manner
become political, in the sense cons
sidered by the National Grange,
against which prohibition has been
made. 1t is simply the awakening
of broader thought and the exercise
of the privileges and prerogatives
of citizenship which in their fulness
constitute the highest manhood.
w. A. ARMSTRONG, Master.
Elmira, N. Y, April 1, 1882.
ILLINOIS.
| find it is next to impossible to
get reports from the Subordinate
oranges, but from all the informa-
ton that / can gain, I think the
Order is on the upward grade in
this State. We are trying to get
an able corps of Deputies, and
hope, by the end of the year, to