Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1916-02-25
UNION AND GRANGE
WORKING TOGETHER
National Legislative Committees OF
Farmers Organizations Held
Busy Session at National
Capital

L. C. Grow returned last Friday
from Washington, d. c., where he
attended a meeting of the national
executive board of the Farmers
Union. He reports an interesting
session, which he briefly summarizes
as follows:
1.-The national legislative commit
tee met February at the National
hotel. All members of the national
executive board were present, also J .
J. Brown, president of the Georgia
division, j. Q. Alexander, president
of the North Carolina division;
Walter Smith, president of the Indi-
ana Division, Mr.. Pope. president of
the Texas division; Mr.. Gustafsen,
president of the Nebraska division,
and j. V. Mccall, president of the
Washington and Idaho division.
"A joint session of Farmers Union
members and National and State
Grange members was held on Tues
day, February 8. At this joint SEES
sion o. F. Dornblazer, member of
the executive board from Texas, was
appointed by the chair to represent
with Grange members before the
house military committee and explain
the attitude of the National Union on
preparedness. Bro. Dornblazer did
this very acceptably to all m members
of the Grange, acquitting himself in
creditable manner by reading and
commenting favorably on the report
of the legislative committee adopted
by the National Union at Lincoln,
Nebr This report gives the attitude
of the National Union on prepared
ness and can be procured by any
member sending to the national sec
rotary for the proceedings of the last
national convention. 1t declared for
reasonable outlay for coast defense
and a small standing army of re-
serves and an efficient state militia.
incidentally, while this joint commit
tee was appearing before the con-
gressional military committee of con-
gress, General Nelson A. Miles made
MS appearance and in his statement
asserted that no nation could invade
our shores at the present time, citing
the fact that Great Britain could not
take the Dardanelles, although she
mas the strongest navy in the world
owing to its coast defenses.
The joint session of the Grange
and Union agreed that direct govern
ment aid in rural credit measure is
the only remedy to stop the ever in
creaslng tenantry, and which would
De satisfactory to the farmers of the
united States, who really need
heip. The measure now pending, ID
was decided, does not reach the ten
anus Is too cum bersome and compli-
'aled' and would be of little, if any,
practical benefit to the farming COM
nuni1y' but would probably satisfy
Tue commercial and banking inter-
ests' II having been framed by a
banking committee. Several con-
sfessmen and senators attended our
meetings and all agreed that the pro-
posed Dill is not what we want. but
Is probably the best we can get. with
'onle amendments they will try to
eo' congress to agree to. Several
i"slhg provisions have, already
'eh stricken out and the senators
p'onised they would try to further
aiueno 1t in the senate, but the opin-
'oh OF our committee was that il will
prove almost worthless and will be
almost a dad letter.
Inc national marketing commits
SION was endorsed bv the Joint com
ee and is now pending in con-
e.eSs' but the prospect is rather
soomy Tor an independent PROPOSE
~ as 1t now looks to be the plan
further increase and magnify the
uitural department at Washing
son ny placing it under the bureau
= markets. Just what the final out
ss e VIII be is very difficult to pre-
NV out we are all agreed that If il
81. oun's to anything that will bene-
~ the farmer in marketing his pro-
1t should be passed as an in
dependent proposition and not be
anaied by the agricultural depart
'ning was quite clear to the
f'ee and that was that If the
mer ever gets his own he must
osSanize, and not only oroar,.a h..