The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-12-19
Fully One Thousand
Patrons Present.
Annual Report Of State Master
Gardiner.
Demand of Order For
Tax Reform.
Demand For Abolition OF Fee
System and Other Matters.

Lewiston, December ls.-At nine
O'Clock o. m, Tuesday the delegates as
sembled at City hall, Lewiston, for the
s7th annual session OF the Maine State
Grange. Fully one thousand patrons
were present. AT 10 Is the meeting was
called to order by state Master Obadiah
Gardiner who announced that the fifth
degree would be conferred Wednesday
evening and that this would be followed
by the comforting of the sixth or state de-
gree.
Secretary K. Ii. Libby oallsd the roll.
Nearly every grangs in the state re-
| sponded.
While the committee on order Of bust
ness was preparing Its report, the meet.
| ing was addressed by Past Master Ed
ward Wiggin. he congratulated the
grange that It had not allowed politics to
interfere with its high missi on. Prof A
E. Rogers, of Orono, also briefly adj
dressed the meeting.
State Master Gardiner delivered the
annual report which was important and
| exhaustive.
STATE MASTER GARDENERS RE-
PORT.
| Within the last decade, we have added
nearly 10, 600 to the membership IN Maine
and as we meet in the twenty seventh
annual session of our state grange, l
congratulate the reprssen tatives of the
order, hereby assembled, on the oon-
tinued prosperity and success OF our en- :
| deayors.
In our state we have organized eleven
oranges, reorganized thres subordinate
oranges. and organized two Pomona
oranges. The existing oranges have been
strengthened BY dropping from their
books, what might be termed dead
wood" or non-paying members, and l
believe there never was time when we
than we do today.
We believe there has never been time,
sincs wa became connected with the
Official work OF the grange In Maine,
when the order as whole was living up
to the laws as generally as at the nresent
time.
In conversation with o. II. Ks LEY re-
w thO hAobOAy Va oho oh4oAs aAscA
pointing out some Of the many mistakes
OF the past, he said; mo one is eligible
to membership in our order unless they
have a practical interest in Agriculture.
Whenever grange departs from this rule
It Violates fundamental law, 1t is some
times done but never to advantage.
The grange Is a fraternity, and nowhere
in its laws, Its precs pts, or in the tiles
that bind ia there place for political
methods or intrigue. The Introduction
into the grange, either local, state or ma
tional OF partisan politics or political
msthode, has left many blots ana scars
hard to effsce.
The question of revising the tax
laws" which Is now so fairly and promi-
nently before the people viii no doubt be
taken up by the incoming Legislature in
the true spirit Of good intent. Ths state
grange should give strong support, and
having been the leader in this movement,
now comes to Its greatest responsibility.
We never considered 1t fair or equal to
assess one GLASS OF property upon Its earn
ing power, and another upon an arbitrary
valuation, In many instances far above
its selling value. No one can complain
when the provisions Of the constitution
are carried out ana all property is as
sessed according to the just value thereof.
The position OF the grange. as we under
stand 1t, IL, not to Cypress or impose un.
just or unequal burdens upon any OF the
legitimate Industries of the state, but to
ask as a matter Of fairness to the agrioul-
tural interests, that they be required to
pay only their fair share of the public
burdens.
In our last annual address we favored
the abolition of ths fee system; since that
time, we have only been confirmed In
what we said then. The argument has
been advanced, by those who profit by
the present law. that a change would
throw the cost upon the state, whereby 1t
is now paid by individuals. We fail TO
see the logic of the argument, as II
thought best. the law would be SO
amended that all fees should revert to the
state or county and In some instances,
the amount saved to the county on sheriff
fees alone, would more than pay the total
salarisd account of the county. There Is
no question but that the service Ia abused
In Practice. AS one eminent man has said,
II our governor is worth only $500 per year
to tina state, 10 is hard to bellows county
sheriff is worth from ten to twenty thou
sand dollars per ysar to a county. All
opposition to the abolition of this per-
niclous system yet developed is arguments
In favor OF doing away with the nuisance
We repeat what We said last year, while
the farmers realize the great benefit, they
highways, they are opposed to the orea-
ton of state boards of control for build
ing expensive roads until the tax burdens
or tine state bear equally upon all GLASSES