Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-12-12
STATE GRANGE IN
ANNUAL MEETING
Address Of Master G. F. Smith
Feature of the Opening Day
at Rutland.
CONTINUED from page ri :,

continued from page 81 >
lieve they had nice line of
farm machinery and had We sue
| ceeded in closing the deal any re-
sponsibe member in our state could have
bought almost any machine that he need
cd at wholesale price, payable Septem-
Der /. for anything bought previous to
that date. OF course it would have re-
qured the co-opera ton of our members
| to have made IL a success, but with that
the saving would have amounted to a
| large sum. The subject Of co-operation
| has not in recent years received as much
| time and attention IN the National Grange
as at the last session.
| The difference between what the producer
gets and what the consumer paws makes
| this a vital question. when we realize that
the average price more than doubles
| both on what the farmer buys and what
| he has to sell. We supposed by what We
had read that the fruit growers of Cali
! fornia and Washington were thoroughly
organized along cooperative lines but We
I found they We're not They are having
, their troubles. They have too many small
! operative associations that are work
! ing against each other and the large
dealers are trying every way possible to
create discord among the associations go
as to break them up II is so hard to
make all the farmers see that II is for
their interests to pull together. This ques-
! ton has become nation wide and good
Is sure to come from "A thorough study
of It. The farmers of Europe are benefit
| "a SN pf
and this is especially true in Europe as
to system of cheap farm loans. With
their system Of credits. real estate Sc
| curities sell as readily as government
bonds. All kinds Of business requires
credits The lo.OoO.0OO farmers of the
/ United States are paving s5lO.O0O,TO of in
icrcst annually This. counting com
missions and renewals. is at an average
rate of - per cent. while in Germany
the farmers pay an average of - per
/ cent. In Europe the government is be-
hind the farmers cooperative credit as
. ISOLATION. The millions of dollars that
are pouiiu, into the postal savings banks
| could be used under government control
10 finance cooperative credit systems for
! tn. benefit of the American farmer An
! effort is being made to send a delegation
systems. Each State is to be asked 70
/ send two delegates and appropriate 81 ..D
to pay the expense of each Our l.egisla-
| ture could use money in more unprotit-
ablc ways than to send this delegation
! This project was heartily endorsed by
the National Grange.
OIiOMARGARINE.
Last March We received call from
/ tho National Grange Legislative commit
tee TO come to Washington and appear
before the agricultural committee Of Con-
pross in the farmers interest for just
legislation regarding oleonargarine. An
effort was being made 70 change our
| present law and bill had been drawn
| known as the Lever bill. This hill had
some good provisions but II left the laws
! many States have enacted subject to the
decisions of the courts as to what would
lie an original package. The main OBJ
/ lection to the bill however was its
! failure to max. any color line or DIS
! tinction that would enable the consumer
I to know whether he was eating butter or
a substitute for butter Our present law
is defective, as it compcls the homes;
manufacturer or dealer, who pays the ten
cent tax, 10 compete with the one who
pays the IA cent tax and then coors it
| fraudulently. Under our present law
millions of pounds are colored by the
dealer and sold as butter and for butter
prices.
| Oleoma .'garine can he manufactured at
about one-half the cost of genuine but
ter There is legitimate market for both
butter and oleo. II Is an established
principle of justice that person has the
right to buy which he prefers. but he
should he protected against deception.
He should always be enabled to buy eac n
at their fool values. The color line Is
the best evidence he can have that he is
getting what he pays for. II will enable
the one who wishes to buy oleo to get
II a oleo prices, The natural color of
butter is yellow while the natural color
of oleo is nearly white. Each should
have their distinct natural colorings and
he sold on their merits
| Last August we were called to Albany,
! y. y. where representatives of the Ma
tlOnal Dairy Farmers Congress. several
state Grange masters ana others met to
| consider the draft of bin to Represented
TO Congress, regarding the manufacture
and sal" Of oleomargarine, We believe
the bill as drafted il enacted into law.
will prove to be just and equitable to all.
and enable both butter and butter sub
stitutes to he sold for what they really
are. All people Interested in honest
legislation should unite IN securing the
passage of this bill Any one wishing for
a copy of the bill can secure it by writing
to Bro. n. =. Hull, Dimondale. Mich.
TAXATION.
| 1t seems to us as though this subject
mad been worn threadbare. Every member
OF the Grange In our State ought to be
familiar with our views and our remedy
FOR some of the evils OF double taxation
! we Will not enter into a discussion of this
subject at this time. We trust every
member Of our order Is doing his part
10 persuade his representative and sena-
tor to give this subject their careful at
tention and study, and try to carry ous
the will of the people.
we believe our Legislature should not
| ran to adopt the income tax amendment
| we do not see how they could Justify
their action in failing to do so when It
Is III the interest of at least 95 per cent of
our people, If they fail to adopt the in
come tax amendment they virtually say
that the day laborer should pay as much
tax ~ the millionaire, which he would
have to do should Congress impose a
| direct tax AS our law now is
TEMPERANCE.
This is one of the cardinal principles
| OF our order No one can live up to the
| Teachings q ,.,tst hit,