St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1914-12-16
THE VERMONT GRANGE
Large Attendance at Annual Meet
ing-The Officers.

mS-1n0 OI1CerS.
With the largest first day attend
ance ever recorded, the Vermont
State Grange convened at Montpelier
December 8 for it's Ard annual ses-
sion. The secretary, A. A. Priest OF
Randolph, reported a drop of 1000
members during the past year, max
ing the present membership of the
organization $4,000. This drop was
explained by some as due to the eff
fort to collect the fees and to d. op
those who did not pay. The secre-
tary reported 5,913 members in the
Pomona Oranges and the organiza-
ton of one new Grange, the Capital
City at Montpelier. Cobble Hill
Grange of Barre reported the largest
gain in membership.
Other reports were given, includ-
ing that of the state lecturer, E. H.
Hallett of ST. Johnsbury Center,
Master Cady of Middlebury and
Overseer M. D. Roberts of Rupert.
The last named official recommended
a permanent fund of $4,000.
The report of the treasurer, F. B.
Pier of Brattleboro, showed the
amount of the permanent fund to be
$1,003.67, and current fund, &c.,
q . .oO1 AAdh1nS d IOIdA VI p1
II. This is the goth report of Mr..
Pier, who was elected to the office of
treasurer at the time ex-Gov. Charles
J. Bell was elected master, Mr.. Pier
succeeding Gov. Bell as treasurer.
A banquet was held Tuesday eve
ming. The speakers included Gov
elect Charles w. Gates, Master Will
lis N. Cady, Secretary H. A. Flint of
the board of trade, National Lectur-
er A. F. Gaunt of New Jersey, and
o. l.. Martin of Plain6eld, the latter
acting as presiding officer.
w. N. Cady was reelected master
for two years. All other officers
were collected except the gate keep
er and Ceres who are E. M. FAIR,
of Chester, and Mrs. w. n. Cady, of
Middlebury. In tthe contest over lee
tuTer, E. H. Hallett defeated o. L.
Martin by a small majority.
The resolutions adopted were as
follows For equaI suffrage rights
and asking the fede. al government
to enact a law covering it; for re-
ferendum on State prohibition and
asking the support of Vermont con-
gressmen and senators TO assist in
the passing of a federal law to pre-
vent the manufacl are and sale of
liquor; for re-enactment of law al
lowing $4,000 offsets; for amended
law so that all money loaned at five
per cent be declared exempt from
taxation; for cooperative insurance;
favoring the county agent plan and
agricultural extension conducted by
the State Agricultural College; for
a large appropriation for the State
Agricultural school at Randolph Cen
ter.
The Grange also went on record
as advocating State control of State
institutions supported by State mon
ey and as commencing that part of
the leport of the educational com
mission relative to elementary
schools. The sum of $500 was set
aside as a fund to be loaned to pa
irons of husbandry, not more than
500 to be loaned to each at a rate
of four per cent. 1t is proposed to
raise this sum to $4,000. The sum
of 500 was set aside for the use of
State Lecturer Hallett of st. Johns
bury during the year. The execu-
tive committee was also instructed
to loan money to oranges for build
ing purposes at three per cent. in
terest. This committee will be the
same, o. L. Martin and Frank Sar-
gent having been reelected. This
committee will choose the place in
which to hold the 44th annual ses-
sion.