The Republican journal., 1903-12-24
MAINE STATE GRANGE.
A Successful Meeting in lewiston. State
Master Gardner Reelected.

A Successful Meeting in lewiston. Stat,
Master Gardner Reelected.
The State Grange opened in Lewiston al
10 q. M, Dec 10Th, in the fifth degree. AT
ter roll call of officers, the subordinate and
pomona Oranges, committees were ap
pointed. The various reports showed sat
Worthy Treasurer NJ B. Hunt of Centre
Belmont reported the receipts $4,000, and
expenditures, $4,000. The credential com.
mittea reported TAG delegates present State
Master Gardner read his annual address al
the opening of the afternoon session, 8
O'Clock. After opening he said in part: at
Is very gratifying to be able to report that
the last fiscal year has been the most pros.
porous since the order has been established
in Maine. We have so more subordinate
oranges in the State than last ear, and our
increase in membership is far ahead. Sept
80, 1908, our membership was 40,OS3, gain
for the year OF 1901 members. There have
been II grange halls built and dedicated to
the use and purposes of our order. Seventy
four per cent of our subordinate oranges
own their own halls. We have but 347
subOi dinate oranges, and yet we are, as a
State exceeded in membership by but one
State, and they have more than 700 subor-
dinate oranges and only about 1000 more
members, which brings our average at lis
per grange. No other State can begin to
make such a showing.
Master Gardner referred to the work of
the Legislative committee which had to do
with the attempt to have certain of the
Revised Statutes amended, touching the
taxation of corporations and shareholders
of corporation stock.
"The question of good roads" said Master
Gardner, SIS one that the farmers of Maine
are vitality interested in, and which they
have long been required to understand by
hard experience and to contend with. We
believe the only practical solution of this
question is through government aid The
Federal government is spending millions of
dollars each year in great public improve
ments and properly so; but it is all eX-
pended in expensive postOffices and rivers,
harbors, etc, and all in the cities, hardly
any in the country towns"
The real spirit of the address came when
he arrived at the point where he touched
upon the game laws of the State. 1t had
been expected the State Grange would take
up for serious consideration the game laws,
and the following is in part what the State
Master had to say
"The game laws of Maine have been the
bone of contention by the different advo-
Gates for some time, until at the present
time we find many who live on the borders,
or in near proximity to good hunting
grounds, that say no one has any respect
for the present laws and all violate them
with impunity whenever they feel disposed
to do so, and in the same breath say every
citizen would assist to enforce good whole
some law for the proper protection OF the
wild game. But when, as it appears, every
other interest is to be subverted that we
may appear at the st. Louis fair in the garb
of the AborgineS with the prevailing opin-
ion that already exists in the West that
Maine is composed of icebergs and wild
animals, and S125, 100000 is invested in
manufactures and as much more in agrlcui-
ture, it would seem that these interests
with many others should receive some
at the hands OF the State in advertising our
wealth of resources The serious charge
is made that on the northern borders of the
State growth in population has ceased III
consequence of arbitrary and unjust laws
for the protection of wild animals. If this
charge is true it behooves all good citizens OF
Maine to unite in protest against contlnu-
ance of such conditions. AS has been well
said, "Humanity must be placed above
wild animals" The cause of civilization Is
mighter than the cause of the sportsman
and its march must not be retarded TO graf
ify the ambitions of the latter. The true
prosperity of ii State or nation Is evidenced
by the prosperity of its agriculture. IL the
effect of our game laws is the furtherance
of what must ever be sport or pastime
is not and cannot ever be an industry,
to the hindrance OF progress and the devei
opment of our agricultural resources. theL
the time has come for change IN the law.
After a contest of great interest to grang
ers, Obadiah Gardner of Rockland wa,
elected master of the State Grange OF Pa
irons of Husbandry at Wednesdays ses
sion, defeating j. A. Roberts of Norway
by 80 votes. The total vote was as follows
Gardner, 269; Roberts, 10; c. S. Stetson,
Green, %: Boyden Bearce, Eddington, 10
Eugene II. Libby, Auburn. 3,
Other officers were elected as follows
Overseer, Boyden Bearce; lecturer, W. j
Thompson, China; steward, d. ". Benson
Durham; assistant steward, T. [. Patten
Topsham treasurer, NJ b. Hunt, Centre
Belmont; secretary, Eugene H. Libby gate
keeper, S X. Cushman, Steuben Ceres
Mrs. r. G. Pease, Cornish; Pomona. Mrs
Boyden Bearce, Eddington; Flora, Mrs
Obadiah Gardner, Rockland lady assistant
steward, Mrs. E. c. Patten, Topsham.