Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1912-01-25
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H. S'%--k<s&s
NATIONAL
~ ORANCE
Conducted by Charles NJ Gardner, Editor
of the National Grange. WestfIeld Mass.
NATIONAL GRANGE SESSION
Recent Meeting at Columbus Was the
Most Successful in Forty
five Years.

The session of the National Grange
recently held at Columbus, o., was the
most successful in the 40 years his
tory of the order and marks new era
in its work. The attendance was large
and the business was carried through
to completion without hitch or delay.
Every voting member of the National
Grange was present, while the at
tendance of outside members, particu-
larly from Ohio, was large.
This was the biennial election year
of the order and choice was made Of
the following officers: Master, Oliver
Wilson of Illinois; overseer, l.. III.
Healey of Connecticut; lecturer, n. z.
Hull of Michigan; steward, ID. G. Null
len Of Idaho; assistant steward,
George r. Schaefer of Wisconsin;
chaplain, c. F. Smith of Vermont;
treasurer, Mrs. Eva S. Mcdowell of
Massachusetts; secretary, c. NJ Free
man of Ohio; gatekeeper, A. B. Jud-
son of Iowa; ceres, Mrs. Richard Pat
tee of New Hampshire; pomona, Mrs.
T. c. Atkeson of West Virginia; flora,
Mrs. A. b. Judson of Iowa; lady as
sistant steward, Mrs G. f. Smith of
Vermont; member of executive COM
mittee for three years, G. o. Raine OF
Missouri.
The National Grange strongly ex-
pressed its support for: Federal aid
for road improvement; a general par
cells post system; conservation of nat
ural resources; a national income tax;
direct election of United States SEN
ators; a non-partisan tariff commits
sion; agricultural education and ex-
tension; enlargement of the powers
and duties Of the interstate commerce
commission. The body also placed It.
self on record as opposed to ship sub
sides, centralized United States
bank, and any amendment to the
oleomargarine law in the interests of
imitation butter.
The grange position on the regula-
ton of railways was thus concisely
and emphatically expressed:
The farmers are the largest shippers
of freight over our railways, and any
decrease in freight rates is in the last
analysis chiefly paid by them; hence
The National Grange favors the
strict regulation by the federal gov
eminent of all railroads engaged in in
terstate commerce, and urges that the
interstate commerce commission for
bid any increase in freight or passen-
ger rates unless it can be shown that
such increase is necessary in order to
pay fair dividends on the capital actu-
ally invested in the road.
We favor the enactment of legisla-
ton to provide for ascertaining the
true value of the railroads of the
country, so that It can readily be seen
whether the proposed increase in
charges is justifable.
The Canadian reciprocity episode of
the year was extensively reviewed and
by unanimous vote the National
Grange endorsed the fight against
reciprocity made by the national of
tcers; while the position was force
fully taken that the Canadian pact now
standing upon the statute books of the
country should be speedily repealed.
On tariff legislation the National
Grange thus declared itself:
The National Grange urges that in
any revision of our tariff laws the du-
ties upon any article should never ex-
coed the difference between the labor
cost Of producing such article in this
country and in foreign countries; and
We favor the immediate amend
ment of the present tariff act so as
to reduce the excessive protection now
given to many staple manufactured
articles, the production of which is
ontrolled by trusts and monopoly COM
| binations; and
We urge material reduction of the
duties on all articles which are sold
by our manufacturers in foreign mar
kets at lower prices than those
charged to the people of this country;
/ and
We favor the negotiation of com
mercial treaties.