The Republican journal., 1913-12-25

Master.
The 10th annual session of the Maine
State Grange opened Tuesday morning,
Dec. 10th, in City Hall, Bangor Nearly
600 of the 946 delegates entitled to seats
had presented credentials 1t was esti-
mated that $500 patrons were in the
city and the hall was crowded. Officers
were in the chairs as follows: c. S. Stet-
son of Greene, master; E. c. Patten of
Topsham, oyerseer; B. Walker Mckeen
of Fryeburg, lecturer; d. 0. Hall of
West Eden, steward; A. L. Roberts of
West kennebunk, assistant steward; b.
b. Addition of Greene, treasurer: E. H.
Libby OF Auburn, secretary; S. K. Cush-
man Of Steuben, gatekeeper; Mrs. D. G..
hall of West Eden, Ceres; Mrs. Z. C.
Patten of Topsham, Pomona; Mrs. A. L.
Roberts of West Kennebunk, lady as
sistant steward
The only vacancies were filled by Mrs.
Kate B. Ellis of Fairfield as Flora and
Prof. A. E. Morse Of South Paris as
chaplain. There was music by combined
Grange choirs with Mrs. Lizzie Bick-
more Of Charleston as pianist. The first
action was the passing of resolutions re-
garding the pending hearing on the po-
tato embargo. 1t was voted to forward
the following telegram to the United
States Agricultural Department and to
Senator Charles F. Johnson.
"The Maine State Grange, now in an
nual session at Bangor, commentis the
United States Department of Agricul-
ture for the measures taken for the pro-
lection of the potato industry of this
country from the introduction from for
eign countries of dangerous potato dis
eases.
THE Grange, representing the agri-
cultural interests of one of the leading
potato growing States, earnestly appeals
for the extension of the present quaran-
tine to afford complete and adequate
protection against all potato diseases
which may be introduced by foreign i'm
pcrtations.
1.-The Maine State Grange respectfully
requests Senator Charles F. Johnson to
appear at the public hearing at the De-
partment of Agriculture, Dec. 18th at
10 a. M. there to represent the interests
of the potato industry of the State of
Maine"
Taxation, farm credits, conservation,
transportation, good roads and leglsla-
ton by commission were among the
principal topics taken up by State Mas
ter Stetson in his annual address.
Perhaps the portion of his address
which excited the most interest and COM
ment was something of an attack upon
the present methods and procedure of
the Maine Legislature, which he Charac-
teriZed as antiquated and inefficient. He
said in part:
''ln session of about 80 days Repre-
sentatives are required to study and pass
upon hundreds of measures. The haste
necessary results in the passage of many
bills crude in fol m and without sufficient
thought or discussion as to the merits or
justice of the measures.
lone of the handicaps under which
the American farmer and man of small
means is laboring today is his inability to
obtain credit upon any collateral which
he has and at rate of interest which
his income will allow him to pay. 1t is
the man of limited means who most
needs credit and is most sternly denied
its use. There is no philosophy, sense
or business in the idea that credit should
be withheld from the poor man to pre-
vent him from running in debt.
The State master dwelt for some time
and with considerable emphasis or the
matter of better roads. He said that the
cost of transporting ton of farm pro-
duce on the roads Of New England was
more than double that in European coun-
tries. He urged that as agriculture was
clearly the biggest and most important
industrv in Maine it was all-important