The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-03-18
FARMER JONES.

-
Head of the National Grange Spoke in
i Corvallis Some Things He Said.
! Fifty years ago the wealth of the
United States aggregated eight and
a half billions. The farmers Of the
country owned Fl We. a iaad a
half billions or 81 per cent of it.
Today the aggregate is more than
| 90 billions. Seventy per cent of
the increase came from the farm.
All the products of the mines, forests
and manufactures combined made
but thirty per cent Of the vast in
crease. But of the 90 billions the
farmers of the country own but 20
billions, or 22 per cent. The other
fellow got the bulk of the profit.
| That is what Aaron Jones, of In
diana, master of the National
Grange of the United States, said at
the college Monday evening. All
of the statement, save the reference
to the present aggregate of the
farmers wealth was made in a
public address,. the other was stated
in private conversation. Mr. Jones
also said many other graceful and
interesting things The oranges
OF the state of Oregon should be, he
said, the recruiting stations for
sending students to the Oregon
Agricultural College. The train
ing received at the college should
be such as to justify the grange in
sending them to the college. With
$50, 900 people in her borders, and
Oregon an agricultural state, the
attendance at the college should be,
not 500, but 1000 students. The
young men going out from the in
stitution should go back to the
farm, and by the business and
scientific principles they should ap-
ply there, should show neigbor-
hoods the advantages to be gained
on the farm from application of
science and business to farming.
The time has long passed when
toll without intelligent direction
will make farming successful. The
successful farmer must be student.
If farming were intelligent1y di-
rected, but one-fourth as much
physical labor as at present would
be devoted to the business and the
remaining three-fourths would be
spent in planning; study and in
vestigation. The result would be
a far more successful and thrifty
agricultural population.
The grange has membership
of over 500, 900, and is increasing
at the rate of more 1000 a week.
The grange was the influence that
secured the creation of the position
Of secretary of agriculture in the
the president cabinet. The Grange
is the father of the rural free de-
livery system After experimental
appropriations of $40, 900 and $780,
900 for it, the first movement of
consequence was made four years
ago for the permanent establish
ment of the system. Mr.. Jones
was Chairman of the legislative
committee Of three from the Nation
al Grange that secured it. The
amount was $3.50, 900. The COM
mittee induced the postmaster gen
era1 to recommend it. They Sc
cured the agreement of the ap-
propriations committee to indorse
it. They secured the promises Of
sena tors and representatives to vote
for it. It passed the house and
was defeated in the senate. The
vote in the latter body was rs to
20. Matt Quay and Mark Hanna
voted against it, after promising
support. The committee returned
to Washington, interviewed Quay
and Hanna, and secured reversal
of their votes and the passage of |
the measure. The appropriation
became available. and that was the
real beginning of the rural free de-
livery. Neither the democratic
party nor the republican party.
said Mr. Jones, .'gave you the rural
free delivery; the National Grange
gave it to you. and for that all you
farmers who go to your boxes each
day and there get your mail at
your very door, ought as a duty to
think of the grange, and support it
and assist it, for what it has done
for you.' The appropriation for
the rural free delivery this year is
II millions dollars. rs
Mr. Jones captured the hearts of +
all who heard him. He is a typ4
ics1 farmer, 1arge-framed, silver