The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-01
WISE AND CONSERVATIVE BODY

The State Grange has gradually grown
to be wise and conservative body. It's
voting membership is composed: of the
masters of subordinate oranges, with their
wives or husbands; but all members are
privileged to attend and take part in the
discussions. The result is large meeting
each year of representative farmers and
their families, at which most matters
affecting the larger policy of the Nation
are considered and intelligently discussed
Among the subjects which in. various
years have occupied the attention of the
grange have been those of irrigation, agri-
cultural. college, primary education, insur-
ance, taxation, money and many others,
upon all of which judicious ana timely
expressions have. been made. Into the
grange no politics ever come and questions
which elsewhere invariably excite heated
discussion are calmly considered in the
grange on their merits. The grange is an
actual and powerful molder of opinion in
publ affairs.
: In education. the great cornerstone of
the order. there remains much to do, for
higher education costs money and the
grange has always been poor. The last
State Grange appointed a committee to
devise, if possible, some plan analogous to
the Chautauqua Reading Circle which
could be put into practice. This has: been
dIGtluDGSNl tilc IJdSt, Jul uOL, DIS appears
from the reports to the National Grange,
with the most satisfactory results.
Farmers are too widely separated in their
homes, too much inclined to sleep after a
hard days work and have not the habit of
buying books. That condition perhaps
also exists in this State; the farmers may
not vet be ready for it, and it costs not
only labor, but money for books and super
intendence.
One very promising advance on this line
has been made during the past year. One
grange, with the approval of the executive
committee of the State Grange, has estah-
lished summer school, its educational
features being controlled by the State
Grange. This school was a distinct adj
ment yet promoted by the grange,
even at the East, in several par
ticulars. First-It was real university
extension course, conducted by great
universities, which were responsible for
the instruction. and not by popular orators
or half-educated men. Second-The scope
OF the instruction included economics as
we'll as agriculture. Third-There were
definite courses in both branches systemat-
ically laid down and rigidly adhered to.
Fourth-While there was ample discussion
on all topics there was no voting on reso-
buttons and no partisan discussion what
ever allowed.
The grange has some money carefully
boarded for a long time for educational
purposes, to which it devotes two-thirds of
its revenues. It has lately spent some of
this fund in thorough inspection and in
struction of all the oranges. The officers
now know where they stand. All the
signs point to general revival of grange in
terest, not on the purely commercial lines
upon which it started out in Califor-
MIA, but purified by misfortune and in
fv1n fah ny NnrIn ho Gov
broader and nobler basis laid down by Its
founders.
The grange, as thus understood, seeks
material improvement through the in
crease of accurate knowledge and con-
siders as material advantage proper cul-
tivation of the moral and social nature.
The State is now ripe for new movement
in this direction, and much is expected
from the ensuing meeting of the State
Grange.
The present officers of the California
State Grange are: Master, A. P. Roache,
Watsorville; overseer, W. W. Greer, Sac
ramento; lecturer, S. Goodenough, Oak
land; steward, E. c. Shoemaker, Visalia;
assistant steward, George Ohleyer Jr, Yuba
treasurer, A. d: Logan, San Francisco;
secretary, Don Mills. Santa Rosa; gate
keeper, J. D. Cornell, REUTERS; Ceres,
Mrs. S. H. Dewey, Oakland; Pomona,
Mrs. E. W. Davis, Santa Rosa; Flora, Miss
Aida Allison, Lodi; lady assistant stew
ard, Miss Eta Plummer, Brighton; ex-
ecutive committee-B. F. Walton, Yuba
City, chairman; George P. Loucks, Pa
checo; Cyrus Jones, San Jose.
Next to the master the executive COM
mittee hold the most responsible offices in
the society, as between the sessions of the
State Grange they have great discretion in
the use of their authority as representa-
tiyes of the order. One member is elected
at each session of the State Grange and
holds office for three years. The member
whose term expires this year is Cyrus
L. On Inn