Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-06-05
MASTER OF STATE GRANGE
DELIVERS ANNUAL ADDRESS

I
bers to sell comparatively, but it has
always been an uphill fight with many
failures and but few isolated eases of
success tnexperienee land sometimes
dishonesty contributed to the failures.
but more often the true causes were the
united opposition of the business and
financial world and the fact that the
consumer was not taken into consider
alton.
"The farmers of Denmark have
made notable success in cooperative
buying and selling, in fact they prac-
tieally control that business in that
country and have agents for their CO.
operative society in other countries.
They are substantially the controlling
factor in politics, in fact it was only
thru politics that they were able to
get control of the marketing situation.
1.-THE Australian provinces have ae'
eomphshed the same results by using
the machinery of the state to establish
markets, warehouses, cold storage and
packing plants.
The following resolution was passed
without a dissenting vote at the 1917
session of the national grange:
/ Whereas, too large a portion of
! the agricultural products of the eoun-
TRY go to waste at the present time for
want of proper means of conservation
and distribution,
Resolved, that the national grange
in fifty first annual session assembled
endorse the proposition of the crea-
tion of municipal food warehouses,
where practicable, to contain a cold
storage plant, creamery dehydrating
plants. canning factories, and potato
evaporators so that the consumer in
the city may receive the necessities
of life at a more reasonable cost, ana
the producer be assured a market for
his products.
"The resolution was introduced by
Bro. Chapman, master of the Massa-
chusetts state grange.
"The marketing problem, next to
that of the war, over shadows all 9TH
ers. 1t is my opinion that proper So
luton of it will do more to promote
the general welfare, establish justice
and insure domestic tranquility, and
create a united, contented and home
owning, home loving, patriotic people
than any thing else that can be done
at this time.
"Nothing can do more to unite the
people in support of the government
and insure domestic tranquility than
an equitable marketing system that
will abolish the unnecessary middle
man and profiteer.
"This is our opportunity. VIII the
grange lead or will it follow2
Cooperation
cooperative buying thru a state
purchasing agent seems now to be tlrm
ly established and it is believed that
with proper encouragement from the
state grange for another year the bus
mess will be able to take care of itself
and pay its way.
cit is gratifying to note the coop
eration of the oranges with other or
ganizations in the war work, such as
{ Red Cross, liberty bond and thrift
stamp drives, and | would suggest that
the grange take more active part as
an organization in order to get the
credit due as a patriotic body.
Agricultural Lime
"Many people have been disappoint-
cd in not getting lime for this year $
crops from the state lime board, but
the board has been sadly handicapped
for want of sufficient funds with
which to secure a suitable deposit of
lime, were compelled to purchase sec
ond hand equipment and now have no
funds available for the operation OF the
plant.
"This state grange should adopt a
resolution requesting tnat the unex-
pended part of the $4,000 appropriat-
led by the last legislature to advertise
the state to tourists, be transferred to
the lime board. as it is now generally
admitted that the corn crop will be
more potent in the winning of the war
than the tourist crop.
Rural Credits
"Tn the matter of state rural credits
is another instance where the tourist
receives greater consideration in the
state of Oregon than the farmer.
When the land board received bids
below par, for rural credit bonds they
Idecided that the honor and credit of
1.-THE state would be impaired if state
bonds were sold below par.
"But when bids were received as
Ilow as 92 cents on the dollar for road
bonds, evidently the honor nor credit
of the state were not involved, for
road bonds were sold al about that
price.
Good Roads
| During the road bond campaign the
| farmer was told that it was all in his
interest and it would get him out OF
the mud, but when it came to the APP
pointment of highway commission,
there was no farmer in the state who
could be trusted with the expenditure
of the highway funds. a timber bar
on. a banker, and politician were Civ
en- the job. Again the tourists inter
ests scored over the farmer.
Practically every condition pre-
dcted by those opposed to the bonds
l. are assured at this date.
| "War conditions have caused a
scarcity of labor and paving costs are
higher than predicted. The patented
paving has been favored almost ex-
clusively and the price Is high enough
to include royalty and profit.
"a second hand paving plant was
purchased at a good price last fall but
as vet has not been used by the high
way commission.
/ aThe good roads movement has suf-
fered beyond estimation from the in