Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1916-12-15
STATE GRANGE MEETS,
Wills N. cady Elected State
Master for Third Term.

nual convention, Willis N, Cady ol
Middebury, State master, occupied the
chair, A brief business session in the
morning was followed by the master
annual address In the afternoon and
speeches in the evening by Commits
sioner Of Education Milo b, Hillegas OF
Montpelier. Judge John h, Weeks of
Middlebury, chairman Of the State
penal board, and w. j. Lowell of FIRE.
donia, N, Y, master of the New York
State Grange. Mayor b. l.. Stafford
welcomed the conVentioners.
The Grange has II, 600 members in 1856
subordinate Oranges in the State, ac-
cording TO Secretary A. l., Priest Of
Randolph. There was % Pomona
Oranges, In comparison with a year
ago the present total membership varies
very little. The Grange has perma-
nent fund Of 81 ,5S4.37 and a current
fund of So, 100 OS, according to Treasurer
f. b. Pier of Brattleboro. The expend-
tures Of the last year for officers fees,
delegates expenses, etc, amounted TO
S3, 335. As.
State Master Cady in his address said.
"'Ihe man who invests his time and
capital in an intelligent manner in the
business Of agriculture in Vermont is
going to win Mr.. Cady said to the
grangers in the course of a discussion
of education, cooperation, good roads,
insurance, temperance and good of the
order" He pointed out that Vermont
is approaching an era of agricultural
prosperity with farms increasing in value
and better methods of cultivation and
fertilization greater interest in orchard
ing, purer bred stock and improved
methods Of marketing.
He said: at has often been said that
farmers, because of their scattered con-
dition and spirit of independence, cannot
cooperate but think that we are prov
ing that this is not so. The combining
of milk shippers to obtain better prices
is notable instance of refutation of
this notion. Cow testing associations,
in which Vermont leads, cooperative
creameries, farmers clubs, potato grow
ing associations prove that to be lnde-
pendent we must combine forces. He
urged support of the Grange educa-
tional fund, saying that farmers are
learning more and more the need of a
trained mind to acquire success in agri-
culture.
"The value of our farms are very
largely affected by the condition of the
roads leading by them but we will never
get good roads by kicking to those who
have charge of the work. We should
help and encourage them to do good
work and if they do not turn them out
and put someone else in their places
We should stick to the pay as you 60
plan and insist that we get a dollars
worth of road for every dollar eX-
pended. "
Anent the temperance question, he
said: There is not much use of asking
for further legislation until we enforce
the laws we have, because we have no
guarantee that better laws will be en-
forced"
State Commissioner of Education
Milo b. Hilegas took as his topic, "The
Education of the Village and the Rural
Child" He said he believed that
better understanding of the school
transportation law would remedy the
present abuses of it, He believed that
no one is in position to change this law
until it is carefully studied and watched.
The commissioner deprecated the prac-
tice of disfguring school houses in en-
deavoring to make repairs that are in
accordance with law and called atten-
ton to the improvement in the standard
of the teaching force in the State
within a short time.
Of the rural high school problem, he
said: THE condition which makes it
necessary for boy and girl to leave
home in order to have high school priv
lrges is to be deplored, " The home
needs the boys and girls and they need
their homes. One child out of every
five in Vermont cities are found in the
high school and outside of the cities less
than one in ten There is need of de-
velopment of high school which can
care for the village boys and girls. A
junior high school, which is now much
favored by educators, will help to solve
the problem. Mr.. Hillegas dwelt at
length upon the character of the work
junior high schools.
Contests over the selection of the
officers of the Vermont State Grange
necessitated the continuing of the We'd
nesday morning session into the after
noon for the choice of leaders the COM
ing year. In the afternoon, following
the business session, when Master
Willis N. Cady of Middlebury was re-
elected for the third time, the third
and fourth degrees were exemplified by
the Rutland Valley Grange degree team.
In the evening the sixth degree was
worked by the State body on class of
over 200 candidates.
During the morning session there was
a lengthy discussion of the Patrons CO.
operative Fire Insurance company, the
project being explained to the delegates
by Judge A. W. Foote of Cornwall,
secretary of the company.
The following officers were elected:
Master, w. N. Cady of Middlebury;
overseer, G.. C. Flint of Randolph, to
succeed M. B. Roberts of Rupert; lee
turer, Orlando l.. Martin of Plainfeld.
to succeed E. H. Hallett of St. Johns
bury; steward, E. M: Farr of Chester,
to succeed G. C. Flint; assistant stew
ard, M. w. Hyland of Washington;
chaplain, Mrs. C. J. Bell of Hardwick;
secretary, A. A. Priest of Randolph;
treasurer, F. B. Pier of Brattleboro;
gate keeper, E. D. Adams of West
Haven; Ceres, Mrs. w. N. Cady of
Pomona, Miss Jennie Bell
of Ho rdu,ioly. Flora MIRO II w Cor