The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-01-27
GOVERNOR TENER
RAPS CHANGERS
Won't Appoint Their Man on
Foreign Credit Inquiry.
SAYS THEY'RE INCONSISTENT
Calls Them Unfair Critics and Declares
They Interfere In Matters They
Don't Understand.

Harrisburg, Pa, Jan. 27.-Governor
Fener threw down the gauntlet to the
State Grange In return for the free
and-easy way In which the Changers
have been attacking his administration
Of late.
{ The governor bluntly refused to &C
cept their suggestion that he appoint
man selected by themselves as one of
the two representatives Of the state to
join with delegates from every other
state in the Union in junket to Eu-
rope to study agricultural conditions.
especially the agricultural credit sys-
TENS on the continent
In doing this the governor told the
members of the Grange Legislative
committee exactly what he thought of
them and their organization In terms
that made them gasp in amazement-
Farmer" William T. Greasy was the
spokesman for the committee, which
called upon the governor, and which
included also Jerome T. Altman. Sec
retary; F. N. Moore, of Bradford
county; T.. M. johnson, Washington:
E B. Dorset, Tfoga; Allan d. Miller,
Susquehanna: w. f. Throop. Craw-
ford; Archie Billings, Erie: T. B. Pal
mer. Delaware, and Representative w.
II. Grabe, of Butler.
Not only did he reject the proposal
of the committee, but he informed
them that he considered the Grange a
secret society, which represented only
q small fraction Of the farmers Of the
state. He denounced them as critics of
conditions they knew little about. com
planned that they were restive under
taxes that they themselves imposed
through their representatives. and out
Of which they received far more in
school and road appropriations than
they paid into the state treasury.
The governor was equally defiant on
the road building Issue, taking his
stand squarely beside his commission
or of highways. e. M. Bigelow, who
is now under fire from dozen direc-
tions for his alleged extravagant and
ineficient management OF the highway
department of the state.
81 alone am responsible for Mr.. Bige-
lows appointment" said the governor.
"and I assume the full responsibility
for that fact He Is admitted to be
one OF the best road builder1 II the
! !. .,-ssl, 4s.ka &s15 tEn
have to concede that the 5000 miles q
state highway now under his control
are in better condition than they have
ever been before.
"The trouble is that though your 10.
cal authorities and supervisors were
notoriously negligent Of the roads
when they had their hands on them.
now you criticise the state department
If there is a stone as big as marble
In the highway"
The governor and everybody else
was silent on the proposition to have
Bigelow defend his administration be-
fore the house in debate with repre-
sentatives of the Grange. The Grange
committee declared that the challenge
was still open until Feb. 1.
On the $5O,0O0,00o highway bond is
sue, which the Grange legislative COM
mittee condemned In unneasured
terms at It's meeting on Friday, the
governor was also emphatic In his in
terview. He assumed the whole re-
sponsibility of that proposal, declaring
that it was the only businesslike way
to secure good roads Immediately.
''You do it in your local Improvement
undertakings" he said. why should
not the state do 1t as well?"
It was an indignant rather than
crestfallen. troupe of Changers that
fled from the governors Office after
the interview, and they Immediately
showed their feeling in the matter by
by deciding to raise money themselves
to pay the expenses of one of their
representatives on the foreign trip. 1t
was reported afterward that already
3110 had been raised to that end.