Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1902-12-11
The State Grange.


was held in Trenton last Wednesday and
Thursday. Because Of the absence of Aaron
Jones' master of the National grange, who
was to have made an address and an attack
on the trusts, which, he claims, are running
the farmers of the country, Past Lecturer
Mortimer Whitehead addressed the MEM
bers Wednesday evening in the Y. nj. G.
A. parlors Mr.. Whitehead spoke of the
small beginning of the grange,o of its growth
and how it had prospered to great society
in New jersey.
"Years ago." declared the speaker, "we
used to speak of the grange as an expert
ment, theory, but we have passed this
stage and the grange is solid institution. !"
Continuing he said SAT the time the
grange started, the farmers, as far as or
ganization was concerned, were in a condi-
ton of chaos, living isolated and to con-
siderable extent lonely lives. In every
other profession and calling that great
modern element had been adopted, namely,
organization. Laboring men, business men
and professional men had all learned that
in union there is strength and were profit
ing by it.
THE farmers, too, at least realized that
they must apply this spirit of organization
to their calling. In fact, in the face of
other organized classes, it became necessary
that the farmers should have some organiza-
tion as the grange. Therefore, one of the
first foundation stones is united effort
Based on this single word, the grange
means education-educationf for the farmer
and all his family mentally, socially and
financially beneftting him and teaching
him that knowledge is power, that brain
rules muscles.
IT is EDUCATIONAL.
Therefore, through this grange edu-
cation, the farmer knows far more about
his soil, his crops, his markets, his rights
and duties as an American citizen. When
all the forward steps that have been taken
in the past twenty-five years for the better
ment Of agriculture are reduced to the last
analysis, it will be found that they have
their birth and inspiration in the organiza-
ton of the grange.
s'This applies to our farmers institutes,
our state and national agricultural expert
ment. stations, the growth of the small
bureau of agriculture, to great government
department with its head member of the
presidents cabinet, and in passing it can be
said with but one exception that all the
secretaries of agriculture have been honored
and eanest members of the grange.
''Other good results the grange has
achieved are !: The passage of the fertilizer
law in this State; protecuion of farmers
from frauds in that direction; the law by
which our present state board of agricul-
ture is organized and conducted; the state
road law; the passage of the oleomargarine
law"
Mr.. Whitehead was followed by Frank
lyn DYE, secretary of the state beard of
agriculture, who declared that the serious
work on the farm developed good law
abiding citizens. He spoke of the labor
and the pleasures of the farm and called
attention to its results in the lives of men
who had grown up God-fearing men and
risen to the nations councils-great men.
program of songs, duets, ETC., finished
the evening session, which was an open
one
The annual business meeting Wednesday
held in the Y. M. c. A. building, was the
best attended grange meeting held in years.
When Grange Master George w. F. Gaunt
raped for order at II a. IN. there were
over two hundred members present, and
he remarked that it was the largest gather
ing at any morning session in his experience
of years.
Chairman Gaunt, of the executive COM
mittee, reported that all the counties were
represented, and that all except half a
dozen subordinate oranges had regular
delegations in attendance.
COMMITTEES APPOINTED.
The committees appointed at the morn
ing session, were =
Finance-Edwin Dudley, chairman; w.
Dubon and VIM. Fl. Borden.
Executive-George w. F. Gaunt, Albert
Heritage, Nicodemus Warne, ]. T. Cox,
A. E. Hedden and M. D. Dickinson.
Good of the Order-Henry F. Bodine,
Joseph Low, Charles Turner, John d.
Horner and Robert Peacock.
By-Laws-Thomas @. Taylor, Clarence
Wiley, Henry Bacon, Frederick Klein,
David H. Agans, John Fl. Young and
sisters Ballinger, Oberly and Forman.
The afternoon session was also a closed
one, none but members Of the grange being
permitted to enter the meeting room.
The New Jersey Grange concluded its
annual meeting Thursday night by con-
ferring the deree of "Flora" on class of
go, after which the following officers, elect
ed at the morning session, were installed
Master, G.. w. f. Gaunt, Gloucester, re-
elected ; overseer, Edwin Dudley, Med
ford; lecturer, George L. Gillingham,
Moorestown, reelected; steward, w. S.
Bonham, Shiloh; assistant steward. J. HI.
NJ. Cook, Caldwell; chaplain, Levanus
Meyers, Alloway; treasurer, Charles Col
Inns, reelected, Moorestown, and secretary,
Henry F. Bodine, Locktown; gatekeeper,
E. A Strong, Ringoes; ceres, Georgia A.
Duell, Woodstown; Pomona, Ella Vanne-
man, Dias Creek; Flora, Louie Chew,
Sewell; lady assistant steward, Laura E.
Strong, Ringoes; executive committee,
John I. Cox, Readington; A. E. Hedden,
Caldwell; M. D. Dickinson, who is 30
years old, and for IS years past secretary of
the order, positively refusing an election,
it was forced.
At the morning session it was ascertained
that the New Jersey Grange had $609.1 10
cash balance, and So, 735. Is invested funds,
making total assets So, 344.28
The members of the New Jersey Grange
will fight again this season for law COM
polling the trolley cars to carry freight; a
general automobile speed-limiting law, and
will try to have the game laws changed to
give farmers rights in killing rabbits out
side the open season on the ground that the
law now protects the pests while they are
destroying farms.
Medical Termination for Teachers