The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1911-08-17
THE NATIONAL GRANGE.
Its Forty-third Annual Session at
DeS M0ines, Ia., Nov. 1919.

Secretary Freeman's Annual Report
Makes Encouraging showing-some
of the Important Matters Up For
Consideration - Proportional Repre-
sentation In National Grange an Is
sue.
During the three months ending with
September 431 oranges have been or
. ganized-9O in Michigan, II in Wash
! ington, 50 in New York, 81 in Ohio,
33 in Pennsylvania. 23 in Vermont. -
in Idaho, 16 in Maryland, II in South
/ Dakota. Is in Colorado. l. each in Kan
/ sas and Oregon. S each in Maine and
! New Jersey, in Massachusetts, in
| Illinois, each i'll Connecticut and
1 Delaware, 3 each in New Hampshire
/ and Rhode Island. . each in Kentucky
/ and Wisconsin. l each in Indiana.
! Iowa, Missouri and California. Fifty
/ six were reOrCaniZed-12 in West Vir-
/ ginia. 10 in Ohio, in Michigan, in
| Pennsylvania, 4 in Massachusetts. 3
each in Delaware, Illinois and Wash
ington, in New York, l each in Yer
mont, Connecticut, Wisconsin and Kan
Sas.
The session of the national grange
this year may prove vitality impor-
tant one in several particulars. The
question of proportional representation
will be again to the fore, and it may
be adopted. There will surely be a
strong effort made by grange leaders
of the western states, ably aided by
others in the east, to bring about a
new basis of representation in the ma
tional grange AS all Patrons know,
the official voting body of the national
grange comprises the masters of the
several state oranges and their wives,
women having equal representation
with the men in grange citizenship
Last year at Washington the PROPOSE
ton came up for consideration, but
failed. 1t was to the effect that every
state should have, in addition to its
present representation of two dele
gates, additional two delegates for
each 10000 members over and above
the first 10000.
This would change the representa-
ton from state representation OF two
| delegates to a popular form Of repre-
SentatiOn similar to that on which is
based representation i'll the lower
house of congress. There is bound 10
be a hard fight against this proposed
amendment to the constitution of the
national grange with the outcome
very much in doubt. The election of
officers for the next two years occurs
this year. and there is a sentiment
growing somewhat in strength that
the west should again have some Of
the chief honOrs, if not the chief one
However, it may be said that the east
has never had the office of master OF
the national grange but once before
the present incumbent was elected in
1905. This is the list to date: William
Saunders, Washington, D. c., elected
1867; j. T. Jones, Arkansas, elected
1875; S. f. Adams, Minnesota, elected
1877; J. J. WOodman. Michigan. elect
ed 1879; Put Darden, Mississippi, elect
ed 1885; James Draper, Massachusetts.
July, 1883, to succeed Mr.. Darden.
whose death occurred July II, 1855; j.
II. Brigham, Ohio, elected November.
1883; Aaron Jones. Indiana, elected
1897; n. ]. Bachelor, New Hampshire,
elected 1905 and now serving. Thus it
will be seen that the east has had but
one master for a full term during the
entire forty-three years of the orders
existence.
Another subject that is quite likely
to be discussed with more than ordi-
nary interest is the state taxation. An
able report on this subject was sub
mitted by Hon. F. Z. Derthick of Ohio,
chairman of the standing committee
on taxation, at the Hartford meeting
of the national grange in 1901 1t
was his view that the tax laws as
now administered bear unjustly on the
farmer as well as on all taxpayers
where tangible property exceeds their
intangible. The report was opposed
by Hon. Aaron Jones of Indiana.
whose resolution on taxation was
adopted instead of the report Of the
committee and was to the effect that
lin the matter of local and state
taxation all taxable property should
be listed and assessed at a just and
fair valuation at the same rate to the
end that every dollar of tangible or
intangible, visible or invisible prop
erty should have its just and fair pro-
portion of local and state taxation"
The essential difference between the
two propositions was that Mr.. Der
thick did not favor uniform rate.
Mr.. Jones did. This question will no
doubt be again thrashed over at the
national grange meeting this year.
These are only outlines Of some of
the really important matters that the
grange viii have before it for consid-
Grafton.
About Juvenile Members.
State Master W. T. Greasy Of Penn