The Republican journal., 1905-12-28
THE STATE GRANGE
Holds Very Successful Meeting in Bangor

tory and every grand officer in place, the
SD annual session Of the Maine State
grange opened in City Hall, Bangor,
at a. m. Dec. 10Th. About j, 500 peo-
pie We're in the hall when Master Oba-
diah Gardner of Rockland called the
meeting to order with these officers in
the chair: Boyden Bearce of East Ed
dington. overseer; W. J. Thompson of
South China, lecturer; c. w. Benson of
West Durham, steward; Z. G. Patten
of Topsham. assistant steward; b. NJ.
Titcomb of Pennington, chaplain; M.
B. Hunt of Center Belmont, treasurer;
E. H. Libby of Auburn, secretary; S.
X. Cusllman of Steuben, gate keeper;
Mrs. r. G. Pease Of Cornish, Ceres;
Mrs. Boyden Bearce of East Edding.
ton, Pomona; Mrs. Obadiah Gardner of
Rockland, Flora; Mrs. E. C. Patten of
Topsham, lady assistant steward.
An invitation from Lewiston to the
grange to hold its next session in that
city was presented by L. c. Bateman
and an invitation was read from the
grange and board of trade of Augusta.
Both were referred to the executive
committee. The committee on creden-
tials reported 400 oranges represented
by master and wife, 1913 by delegate
and wife, the total oranges represented
523.
The feature of The afternoon session
was the annual address of Worthy Mas
ter Gardner, who spoke at considerable
length covering variety of subjects.
On many topics he expressed himself
positively and vigorously, his arraign
ment of the present system of wild
land valuation and taxation in Maine
causing something of sensation.
In reviewing the growth and present
condition of the order in Maine he es
timated the present membership at So
200 The gain in membership for the
past year has been 500, There are
now 80 subordinate oranges and 2G po-
mona oranges in the 1G counties of the
state. BY actual inventory there is
9el+,oO0 invested III grange halls in
Maine
He said that by the efforts of the
grange legislative committee the tax on
steam railroads, electric roads, telephone
and telegraph corporations. trust COM
panleS and Pullman cars companies has
been increased. the monopoly clause in
the telephone law repealed and support
furnished which prevented the repeal
OF the state road" law at the last ses-
sion of The legislature-a demonstrate
ing thu power of the grange when APP
piled in Well-directed efforts.
Y our legislative committee is found
fault with for not doing the Impossible
things they are expected to" said Nh.
Gardner. If the farmers expect to
get Justice in legislation they must pay
more attention to who shall be sent as
senators. While we have usually found
the members of the house fair in legis-
latlye work, the senate is made up al
most entirely of men selected by the
corporations, who stand like a stone
wall to lead off any popular movement,
and SO far in advance are they selected,
that we have heard it discussed as to
who is to preside over the next senate
Taxation of the wild lands of our
state is a much discussed question, and
personally | wish to state that think
it a rank injustice and outrage to de-
cency that property valued by the State
assessors at S2S, 9S0,612 on the 9,053, 933
acres should pay only 79,696.6S tax,
when if taxed at the average rate at
which property is taxed in Maine they
would pay 1919, 61224. The real value
OF these lands, many claim, is at least
500 O00, 600, or nearly four times their
present valuation.
The owners of these lands ask for
police protection by the State against
forest fires, at the expense of the State
and pay only this small amount in
taxes The injustice and inequality of
the present condition of the tax levy
must be apparent to all at a glance,
when we remember that the value plac-
ed upon this great property is not over
% percent Of that placed upon the same
by those who are most familiar with
these wild lands.
III referring to game laws and egis-
4atOn Nh. Gardner said, in part: The
glst Of the whole controversy is,
whether the farmer has constitutions
al right to protect himself against the
trespas> Of either Wild or domestic ami
mals. H. has protection from the lat
ter, but by the sop thrown out by the
last legislature he now has right to
shoot deer that are found actually des-
tloyIng his property, or, in other
words il he found evidence that deer
lad actually destroyed bis crops, and
lie Should see them i'll his adjoining
Woodland he would not be allowed to
Kill them, but must sit in a fence corner
and wait until he found them at work
destroying his crops
III speaking of tield-day work, Mr..
Gardner said that he did not consider
it fair that the national officers should
charge $, a day and expenses while in
Maine, as the master was paid $500 a
year aud the lecturer $500 year and
50 a day and travelling expenses when
in the held, The Maine grange paid
into the national grange in fees last
year 8, s47, second only to New York
He didn't think the State had been
treated fairly, and that no national eff
GERS had been in the State for the past
two years for field work.
III speaking of automobiles, Mr..
Gardner said: NO innovation of mod
ern times has caused SO much discussion
as the appearance of the automobile on
our common roads. There is no doubt
but what these machines have come to
stay. There can be no doubt as to the
right Of these machines to use the high
ways OF our State under just and prop
Ct regulations that will protect the
rights of all. Most of those who use
these machines seem to have due re-
gard for the rights of others, but occa-
siOnalIy there is an exception. \ law
should be enacted that will at all times
protect those who use the highways IN
teams
Mr.. Gardner devoted nearly an hour
OF his time to the question of cheaper
al NO bn ,f 70