The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-01-15
State Changers
Hear Sherwood
Discuss axatiOn
LaSton Man Be ieves That
System OF Cooperate on 3hould
Be Inaugurated

New London, Jan. 15.-Three hum
dred grangers. representing over 100
subordinate oranges and eight of the
eleven Pomona oranges of Connecticut
sat in the annual session of the state
grange. yesterday.
The grange was called to order by
Master ]. Arthur Sherwood, of Eas-
ton.
Taxation of farm property was
ing state masters address. zone year
ago., he said, you continued the COM
m1ttee of three appointed by this body
to Investigate the conditions relating
to the assessment of taxes on farm
property, as compared to the assess
ment OF taxes on other properties; and
TO report at this meeting recommend
ing some action looking for a more
just and equal raising of our state 8
revenue. trust that later in the SEES
sion we may hear from that commit
tee with a plan which it will be
pleasure for this body to present to
our lawmakers. The justice of a fan
tax on property is everywhere reeos.c
n1zed, and the Increasing demands Of
our municipalities will tend to add to,
rather than reduce the annual rate
of valuation. It is the injustice upon
d1SturbS the public mind and pro-
vokes i'll feeling. IF all property bore
its fair share Of the burdens of gov
eriment. the annual tax would be
looked upon as but just payment for
a full equivalent. The united p, wer
OF the corporation must be met by the
united Influence of the farmers
TT is not the payment of fair tax
which is objected to, but the forced
payment of some portion which, IN
justice, should be paid by others. The
more complex, by reason of legisla
ton exempting stocks and bonds of
corporations from state tax"
The state master pointed out that
while there had been no new oranges
added to the list in Connecticut during
the year, yet there had been a steady
among those already working. Accord
ing to the report of June 20, he said,
state with a membership of 14,169.
Only very few OF the oranges were
not strong or needed special care.
Referring to a statement by the ma
the underlying principle of the
grange. the speaker said that while
he believed this was truer in the west
ern states than here, nevertheless the
fact remained that while the saving
of the dollar was not the principal or
only work Of the order, yet it was an
siders he said. that so per cent 10
added to the cost of production for
the distribution of farm products, it
would seem as though steps might be
taken to find out who is responsible for
this excessive advance to the con-
can be tnaugurated whereby the pa
irons of one section can buy or dis
pose Of products to the patrons or
eliminating all intermediate profits
As such a plan has not yet been
formulated. we must be content for
the present with confirming ourselves
largely to what can be accomplished
In our own state.
While for. the past three years the
patrons exchange has been doing
something along this line, I believe the
work has only begun. The purpose of
the organization is to sell the crops
direct to the consumer, and also buy
direct from the producer or n1anufac-
turer: The success of this depends
largely upon the amount of business
transacted. Thus far the buying part
has been most easily solved