The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-06-08
WASHINGTON
STATE GRANGE

|
Wenatchee last Tuesday morning.
Below are quoted portions of the
opening address of C. B. Kegley,
Master of the Grange, on current
topics of general interest to all:
War
Since last we met our nation has
entered the world war and as an in
evitable result the year ahead for
which you are to legisiate is full of
greater possibilities for good or evil,
and your responsibilities as spokes-
men fer he rural half of our popu-
lation are greater than ever before.
How long this war is to last, now
many of our young men are TO die
on the battlefields or go through
life manned or shattered in health,
how many homes shall be made desc
late, how many women shall moan in
anguish for the loss of husband or
son, how many children must go
through life without a fathers guild
ing care, how far the cause of de-
mocracy shall be advanced or retard-
ed, God alone knows. But it is for
you, brothers and sisters, to face the
situation solemnly, with a higher
realization than ever before of the
greatness of your responsibility and
the magnitude of your task.
Army and Navy Must Be Democratic
This is a war, as President Wii%Qp
has said, for democracy, but our
army and navy are not built on dem
ocratic lines. The resolutions asking
for the reOrganizing of the army and
navy on democratic lines adopted at
our last session should again be
endorsed and plans made to see that
support is aroused throughout the
country to carry them into effect.
An army organized on the lines of
the oid monarchial ideas of common
/ soldiers and aristocrat officers, a
class apart, is most inefficient for
fighting for world democracy and
would be a constant menace to de-
mocracy at home.
War Finances
| How shall the cost of the war be
met? To me it seems very clear
that we should insist with all our
might that the war be paid for as
we go and that not single dollar
shall be left for our children, or our
children's children to pay, until the
| last dollar of the accumulated wealth
has been exhausted. We have as
sisted in organizing Farmers Ma
tional Committee on war finance asd
have affiliated with the American
which organizations have done and
are doing splendid work to place
the burden of financing the war
where it belongs. | urge you to
consider their program and take
strong, positive stand on this vitally
important matter of how the cost
OF Cne war Shall De fIleI.
Government Owned Merchant
Marine
The federal shipping board has
made a splendid beginning toward
the establishment of a government
owned and operated merchant ma
rine and we hope no backward step
will be taken when peace is de-
clared. In the contest for the
world trade that will then ensue
the nation making the cheapest rates
will win, and with government-ow
ships we can beat the world. If
congress and our government Off
cials are alive to the danger, never
again shall we be subjected to the
mercy of unregulated private ship
ping concerns which, througs COM
binations, manipulation of ocean
freights, and gambling on the grain
exchanges, milk both the producer
and the consumer.
Industrial Alcohol Distilleries
Any system of national prepared
ness that does not include provision
for encouraging the most rapid pos
sible development of agricultural in
dustrial distilleries is defective,
whether viewed from the point of in
creasing food production, the liquid
fuel supply, or munitions of war. l
consider this a matter of such i'm
portance that / want to see a ma
tional association of farmers, liquid
fuel users, and alcohol using manu-
facturers to take charge of this i'm
portant part of national prepared
ness, and / hope you will appoint
at this session a committee specially
charged with the duty of helping to
form such an association.
Back to the Village
In my last annual address | called
attentios to how most of the evils