Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1914-02-06
THE GRANGE
Conducted by
J. W. BARROW. Chatham. N. r..
Editor Of the Nei0 York State Grange
Review
MASSACHUSETTS GRANGE.
Senator McCumber Addresses the Con-
vention Held at Boston,

Senator McCumber Addresses the Con-
vention Held at Boston.
Massachusetts has a total of 36312
members of the grange in 2S7 local or
CARNATIONS. During the past year
twenty-six new oranges were organ
lied with charter list of 2,635. There
were about GOO voting delegates at the
last session and about the same num-
Der of associate delegates.
There was a lively contest over the
office of state grange master, the chief
contestants being past Overseer Ed
ward e. Chapman and past Lecturer
q. r. Richardson. The honor fell to
Mr.. Chapman. Mrs. George S. Laid
was chosen lecturer Leslie r. Smith
overseer, W. N. Howard secretary and
Hon. F. A. Harrington treasurer W.
G. Jewett and &. d. Richardson we're
elected to the executive committee,
The state grange education fund for
the assistance of grange young people
in obtaining an education was reported
in good condition. the receipts the past
year having been $3.927. including the
$1,000 contributed by the state grange.
Subordinate oranges to the number of
1856 contributed various sums to the
fund, as did also eighteen Pomona
oranges, the balance coming from indi-
viduals largely. Six community prizes
were awarded to oranges performing
the greatest public service during the
past year in their home towns, the
winners being in order as follows:
Acton. Plainfeld. Windsor, Norwood,
Bndgewater and North Reading.
Equal suffrage for women with men
has long been a cardinal principle of
the grange. and every year 1t is sane
toned by the national grange, but that
did not prevent the Bay State grange
from going on record against 1t by a
referendum vote of GO per cent of
those voting. In another matter the
Massachusetts grange did not follow
the lead of the national grange-name-
ly, in its attitude toward Secretary of
Agriculture Houston. 1t commended
the secretary for his work. The meet
ing voiced its opposition to the Ellis
milk bin or any other like measure. In
dorsed the play ground movement. ia
vored a recommendation that the state
grange offer sweepstake prizes for the
best grange exhibitions or fairs. urged
subordinate oranges to aid in civic bet
terment and voted a prize of 500 for
oranges making the best showing. The
committee on agriculture asked that
five members of the order be chosen as
q state grange committee on milk to
cooperate with farmers in fixing milk
prices. The department of agriculture
was asked to investigate the actual
fire hazard of denatured alcohol. kero-
sene and other such combustibles.
Each subordinate grange was urged to
select one of its members for CORE
spondence course in home economics
to be established in the state agricul-
tural college. each grange to pay the
cost to its own student.
Governor Foss. Senator McCumber
of North Dakota and J. II. Hale or
Connecticut were the "notables" who
addressed the grange at this session
Mr.. Hale spoke with great earnestness
on the railroad situation in New Eng
land and stated that a great calamity
was confronting the leading railroad
interests serving New England. The
Massachusetts state grange" said he,
should not be found asleep at the
switch In this crisis" Senator Nc
Cumber declared that farmers should
receive whatever moiety Of protection
Is awarded any other industry and no
more, that they shall receive as much
for their products, according to the
amount of labor and thought expend-
ed on them. as is received for the prod
ucts Of the mill and factory. and that
II the policy of this country shall be
free farm products and open compeu-
ton with the world. that policy shall
be applied universally to the products
of all our great industries. Governor
Foss said he would like to see Massa-
cusetts lead in establishing. under the
state If need be, system OF rural
banks-at least one In each county,
SO that farmers could secure money at
a reasonable rate.
Invitations for the next meeting OF
the state grange were received from
Worcester and Springfield. The execu-
tive committee will decide A fine
agricultural exhibit OF the quality"
products OF grange farms In the state
was made in connection with the an
nual convention.