The daily banner., 1913-12-10
1890 ATTEND
STATE GRANGE
|DeIegatss From Nearly Every
County al 0psnlng.
|CREASYS OPENING ADDRESS
Declares High Cost OF Living Can Be
Reduced by Dealing Direct With the
Farmers.

Farmers.
Reading, Pa, Dec. 10.-The forty
first annual convention OF the Penn
sylvania State Grange was opened i'll
the Auditorium here on Tuesday.
William T. Greasy, worthy master,
spoke at the opening session and said
the way to reduce the hish cost oil
living was through the parcel post
and By direct dealings with the farm
ers, excluding the middleman as un-
necessary.
He said the Pennsylvania Grange
had made big gain in numbers dur
ing the year and now leads all other
oranges in the country.
The convention was opened behind
closed doors. The official opening last
ed an hour, and then the public was
admitted and the annual address OF
Mr.. Greasy was delivered. Fully 1900
packed the hall, taking up every avail
able seat on the first floor and sur
rounding balconies. Members OF the
Chamber of Commerce have found
rooms and boarding places for all OF
the visitors.
Mr.. Greasy spoke on the work &C
complished by the order and upon
topics of general interest to the mem
bers of the grange. Among other
things, he said:
"Since our last meeting one year
ago tfifty-seyen subordinate oranges
have been added to the list, retaining
the lead Pennsylvania has always
shown in the grange movement. 70
retain this honor you must fight for
the grange in your homes. A grange
home Is needed in every community
not only for grange meetings, but to
attend to all farm activities, for with
out a social life we cannot keep ouI
young people on the farms. The deputy
work is of the greatest Importance.
live energetic deputy is necessary te
the proper development of the grange
work in the country.
"The education of the children Is
one of the prime objects of our order
Since the foundation of the grange
we have advocated that practical agri
culture, domestic science and all the
arts which adorn the home, be taugh
In the courses of study in our agricul
tural and industrial colleges and ex
tended to our common schools system
as far as possible.
"The grange affords the best posi-
BILE agency for farmers to cooperate
with the business man. Hence we mus
dispenes with the middleman, not tha
we are unfrfendly to him, but that we
do not need him. 1t is impossible fol
the farmers, owing to the decrease II
farm help, to bring their produce t
the customers, and it is therefore vi
to the CUSTOMERS to arrange a way II
which they can secure it direct. II
this matter the railroads play an i'm
portant part as relates to the loca
freights.
sour legislative program, naturally
has been carried out in most of oul
demands. The parcel post, in thu
movement for which the Pennsylvani;
State Grange, with the other stat'
oranges, took an active part, has prov
en- q success beyond our dreams, ant
the possibilities are that the weigh
limits will be increased to fifty pound:
In the first and second zone limits
And we believe that the parcel pos
will be one of the great factors in re
ducing the high cost of living"
In speaking of. the murdens of {
farmer, Mr.. Greasy said that an I'M
equal taxation of the farmers as cum
pared with other properties was uil
lust.