Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-10

| l00S6Q Cz1T SySICIH, lUe result or which was a great victory for the producers as most of you are well aware.
 This is one step toward removing a transportation system which has de- veloped in America. which discrimi- mates greatly between long and short haul freight rates. discouragfng, ma terially, production near the markets,
 and giving cheaper lands an advan- tage, but. at the same time. decreas- ing the amount of fresh products available to the consumer.
 When the cypher keys were first | issued and distributed a letter was sent to each state master to the ef- feet that the National Grange loaned them for the use of the State Grange. At the last session of the National Grange, a recommendation from the | assembly of the Priests of Demeter was concurred in granting the right receiving a copy through the proper channels, to be allowed to keep the same after the expiration of his term
 of office. Therefore. by this action, state masters are no longer held to account for cypher keys, but it Is their duty to provide each new subor- dtnate and pomona master with a copy.
 This action was taken solely to help to make the work more uniform, and l to enable masters to give the instruc- ton with absolute correctness. Rural America has always respond | ed to the call of patriotic duty wheth CT in time of peace or war From the time when the "embattled farmers stood and fired the shot heard around | the world" to the last call for duty on southern border. the loyalty and devotion of the farm people of the country to it's highest ideals has been | appeal for support in the fact of stern l responsibilities has been instant and | cheerful.
 Loyal to American Traditions. | Rural America has been, is. and will continue to be. loyal to the best American traditions.
 Rural America believes that the honor and dignity of the nation should be maintained at home and l abroad, and that the American flag, as it floats around the world, in times
 of peace or war. shall speak in terms of courage, national pride and inter | national justice and equity. Therefore, I would recommend that suitable resolutions be passed at this | session, setting forth the position of our order toward organizing a worlds court, which has for it's object the es- tablishment of a court made up of able statesmen, who will represent every nation, and to whom all inter- national controversy or dispute shall be submitted. and if any nation shall fail or refuse to abide by any finding of said court, then the combined eff forts and strength of all other nations shall be used to cause said dissent ing nation to comply with the order of the court.
 AS the years go by, the tendency
 grows to make the rural school near
 CT to what it should be, and the trend Is more to the country than during past years. Education is not all found
 within the covers of books, nor with in the walls of a school hours. A higher and better education may be and practical work, work that in structs and fits us for the duties of citizenship, and makes of us useful factors of society. The grange may, education that develops a better man. hood and wonanhood throughout our land, and in our order.
 Again we are called to mourn the loss of one of our older and most cap able workers, Brother C. E. Staples, of Colchester, for many years eff
 dcient deputy. and. at the time of his death a member of the finance committee of the state grange. Un- selfish, untiring, always ready and willing to serve the order in any sta ton to which he was called. are words
 inadequate to express his true loyal ty to the grange
 Each year of work proves more con- clusively the importance and the value of the subordinate grange. and the necessity of having real strength and efficiency in each one. How hopeless Iy weak would be our state grange or the National Grange without number less thriyty subordinates. Then let each member put more thought. more work more constructive criticism into the work of the first four degrees, and, by 50 doing, lift the work to the high plane which it justly deserves
 Lecturer Cook Speaks.
 Lecturer Allen B. Cook in part said: With the dawning of the new year every civilized person in this great world is thinking of peace. Not all are thinking of. it with the same de-
 wit h hopes and fears for the future, but all are wondering when it will come and how long it will last We here in Connecticut do not realize, we can a half years means to the countries across the sea. nor what it will mean to them in the time to come But we do realize; or a at teas teast & we gre . De. the farmers of America demands which have never been dreamed of They are called upon not only to feed and clothe our own people but to a great extent to feed and clothe the people of Europe as well. All over our great country and that means right here in Connecticut, farmers must exert every effort to produce ev- cry pound of foodstuff possible to meet these unnatural and uncalled for conditions.
 The agricultural colleges, through their various branches, the experiment stations and the granges must all do their part to help the farmer meet these unusual demands. It is not nec- essary for the grange to adopt any new principle in order to do it's part, for in no way can it be of greater as- sistance than by adhering to its fun damental principle to elevate and ed- ucate the American farmer and his family I am afraid, however, that in some cases the grange Is already drifting away from this principle and instead of trying to elevate and edu- cate it is simply trying to amuse. I do not think the lecturers are entirely to blame for these conditions.
 Competitive Score Card Basis.
 Several of the state granges have placed the work of the lecturers up- on a competitive score card basis and they report that 1t gives very satis- factory results.
 After carefully considering what has haoD dope and iS being done in other