The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-12-04
WHAT NATIONAL
 GRANGE HAS DONE
Oruanizatioll's Work at Recent
 Annual Session.


 The following summary of the pro- ceedings Of the recent annual session of tn e National Grange has been pre- pared by 9. W. Darrows
 The forty eighth annual session of tie National Grange convened at Will frliaae eton, Del, on November Il l. Of the thfrty-two grange states twenty nine vera represented. The unrep- resented were North Dakota. Min nesota and Delaware, the last on a.o- count Of the illness of State Master Bancroft. The opening address by ldnois reviewed the work Of the year. There have been 490 new granges or ganized the past year, the largest number since 187 73. He spoke with much satisfaction of the fact that the resources Of the national grange now amounted to almost S100s000, to be exact $Ss,992.3A This is 3. gain of about $as0o0 over last year. Tn re- gard to some of the public questions in which the grange is interested that of farm credit he considered as one of the most important He fayors government aid The oppressive in- tereet rates that have so long ob- etructed agriculture he said should be speedily reduced On postal inn provement he congratulated the order on the success of the parcel post. a. grange measure, and looked with fa- vor On the increase in weight of pack ages to be shipped by parcel post He dfsapproved any attempt to reduce letter postage, believing that it might better be retained as it is and the extra proceeds from the higheT rate be devoted to the improvement of the servicet On the subject of federal aid for highway Improvement MT. Wilson said that the burden of road building and maintenance should be borne by national state and local governments in fair and equitable ra- tio- He commended the system of employing prisoners to work on the highways. Relative to the much dis eussed question of bonding the state to improve the highways, he believed the policy wrong and that roads CT than saddle a debt on coming gen. eratIons, which they had no part in contracting He advocated an edu- cationaI test for immigrants seeking naturalization. They should be re- quired to be able to read and write the English language and stand exam lnation in the Constitution of the United States and of the state in which they seek citizenship. Regard ing the interests of peace MT. Wilson supported the principle laid down by the President, that of strict neutral fly in the present situation
 The National Grange does not nesi- tate to deal with the large questions of the day whether they be connected directly or indirectly with agrieuI- tnre. Mostly they have an indirect yet nevertheless a very real copnec- ton with the interests of the farmer Among those considered at this ses. sion. farm credits, cooperation, gov ernuient ownership of public utilities woman suffrage, improvement of the hi highways. and taxation stand well te the front
 Report on Highways.
 Whereas. The grange has been the pioneer in the good roads movement and national aid for same and as the sentiment for good roads is practically universaI and
 Whereas, There is great danger o1 this sentiment being diverted toward the construction Of arenTc highNays and bouIexards for the benefit oi