The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-03-20
MOVEMENT A NATIONAL ONE.
influence is Widespread-Some of
the Legislative Measures it Early
Demanded Have Been Enacted.

the Legislative Measures il Early
Demanded Have Been Enacted.
Many people who know that the
| grange is an organization that covers
the whole country, and who under
stand its social and educational
phases and are more or less in touch
with its efforts for local community
benefit, still do not understand how
! far-reaching is the work of the
! grange, in national sense, as it
exerts its influence for the promo
tion of large policies, directing its
enorts for their accomplishment year
after year, as settled grange policy.
/ Ten years ago, at its annual ses-
sion, the national grange made a
declaration of it's legislative policy,
In the platform given below, and
from that declaration the grange
support has never varied, in all the
years that have followed. Some of
the measures demanded have since
been accomplished in part at least,
, while the demand for their further
extension and for the accomplish
ment of the others continues more
lnsistent than ever, as the grange in
huence and prestige increases.
1t will be noted, in the case of all
these measures, that though aimed
primarily for the good of agriculture
and the benefit of rural life, they
nevertheless point the way towards
the general good, and are in no
sense class legislation or in the
slightest degree antagonistic to the
general policy of the greatest good
to the greatest number. The plat
form above referred to is as follows:
l. Free delivery of mail in the
rural districts, and that the service
be placed on the same permanent
footing as the delivery of mail in the
cities, and that the appropriations
be commensurate with the demands
and benefits of the service.
2. Provide for postal savings
banks,
3. Submit an amendment to the
constitution providing for the cleo
tlon of United States senators by di-
rect vote of the people,
4. Submit an amendment to the
constitution granting the power to
congress to regulate and control all
corporations and combinations pre-
venting monopoly, and the use of
their corporate power to restrain
trade or arbitrarily establish prices.
D. Enlarge the powers and duties
OF the interstate commerce commits
sion.
6. Regulate the use of shoddy.
Z. Enact pure food law.
3. Provide for the extension of the
markets of farm products equally
with manufactured articles.
y. The enactment of an antitrust
law, clearly defining what acts on the
part of any corporate would be det-
rimental to public welfare.
10. Speedy constructive Of the Mic
aragua canal by the United States.
IL. The speedy construction of
snip canal connecting the Mississippi
river with the great lakes and the,
great lakes with the Atlantic ocean.
IL. Revising the fees and salaries
or all federal officers, and placing
them on basis of similar service in
private business.
IL. Protect the dairy interests by
the passage of stringent legislation.
Fight for School Laws.
The grange in Massachusetts are
making vigorous fight for improved
school laws, to the extent of requir-
Ing that towns shall pay the trans
portation expenses of pupils living in
towns where no high school is main
tanned, who go to another town to
attend high school. Under the pres
ent Massachusetts law the tuition of
such children is paid by the towns
but there is no such provision for
transportation, which means in many
cases, a prohibitive expense, thereby
depriving many boys and girls from
getting the high school education
which they so much need.
The move to include transportation
in the same class as tuition was
initiated at the annual meeting of the
Massachusetts state grange and has
met with hearty response from the
oranges throughout the state. A bill
covering the desired change has been
introduced into the present session
OF the legislature and a strong sup
port for it will be rallied, both In
committee hearings and when il
comes to vote in the two branches of
the legislature.
The grange in Massachusetts, has
been instrumental in the past in Sc
curing many steps in school progress.
The compulsory school superintend-
ency law in that state was brought
about very largely through grange
influence, Industrial training and
agriculture courses in the public
schools here vigorously supported by
grange agitation and effort; while
much grange influence was also ex-
erted in behalf of longer terms and
better-paid teachers In the country
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