Evening star., 1920-12-05
GRANGE DEMANDS CONGRESS
LEGISLATE TO AID FARMERS
Action Urged on Reclamation, Dry Laws,
Postal Savings, Land Banks
and Taxes.
BY r. c. ATKESON.
Washington Representative, the Na-
tiOna1 Grange.

BY r. C. ATKESON.
Washington Representative. the Nn-
ti0na1 Grange.
1t does not require the gift OF
prophecy at this time to forecast that
Congress, when it resumes work this
coming week, will not be able to
continue it's activities to supply bills
and Unanimous consent" legislation.
Economic conditions. especially those
affecting farming, are pressing too
strongly for consideration to be set
aside for a problem3tical special ses-
sion. The harm which has come to
farming has been too serious for Con-
gress not to take notice and make
an effort, at least, to do omething."
legislation, or in dangerous and un-
wise legislation, or in NO legislation
at all, depends on many factors. and
among these factors the action of
the recent annual session of the Ma
tional Grange may be one.
The National Grange of the Patrons
of Husbandry is the largest and most
active organization Of farmers in the
world. 1t has just completed its fifty
fourth annual session, where reports
were received showing growth and
activity of satisfactory character. The
session was held in Boston. and was
the first of the great farmer organiza-
tion conventions held each fall.
FarmcrD Position Clear.
The National Grange was in session
ten days. attended by the largest gath
this or any other country. The sew
enth degree-this is a secret frater-
nity-was conferred on class of
nearly 10000 men and women, and
10000 farmers and their wives. all
members of the grange, crowded the
participate in the ceremony. Thirty
three states were represented, and
when, during the later days of the
session, matters of national policy
and legislation were up for final
action, these representatives care
fully and deliberately, under the OBJ
legation and the responsibility Gre
ated by their speaking for nearly a
million members, put themselves on
record clearly and plainly.
The record of the session shows
that only once, and that when high
ways were under discussion. did the
grange favor government aid of any
kind. In not another instance was
there suggestion of an appeal for
paternalism of any kind, or for any Of
the socialistic or semi-socialistic
remedies often heard discussed and
suggested.
Government Ownership Opposed.
Instead of this, the position taken
by the National Grange in 1919, when
it said: I'VE declare our opposition
to government ownership and to ma
try. and favor the safeguarding and
protection of every right of private
property" was emphasized and made
explicit by the adoption of resolu-
ton headed. Keep the Government
Out Of Business" as follows:
firmly in the principle Of more
business in government and less
government in business" opposes
the rehabilitation of the continu-
ance of any Of the devices by
which the government entered Ell
ther the actual practice Of or. the
control OF business as a wartime
emergency measure. and asks for
the repeal Of any and all laws
having this as their object.
This was qualified by naming some
of the devices sought to be made
impossible in the future. including the
grain and food administrations. the
war finance. the feet and the housing
corporations, the war trade and war
labor boards. the National Defense
Council and all fair price organiza-
tions.
Farmers Demand Projections.
Two positive statements of broad
economic Importance were adopted.
One Of these dealt with the tariff.
enuncating this principle:
so long as a protective tarn
Is the established policy Of the
government we demand that the
given the same measure OF protec-
tion as the products Of any other
American industry"
The other dealt with marketing,
and was in the form of a long report
favoring cooperative marketing Of
products, and cooperative activities
Of other kinds It ended with three
ed, one for the better organization of
state grange purchasing agencies. so
that there might be interstate organi-
zation: another for grange support of
commodity selling organizations, and
the third was the Recommendation
live stock, etc, the grange wait for
the report of the national committees
now investigating, and then unite in
helping carry out tho program then
adopted.
Detailed recommendations are sum-
married. in a bulletin issued by the
Washington office of the grange, from
What Grange Recommends.
A program Of taxation based on the
principle of equal valuation and as
sessments of all property for state
and local taxes. local and graduated
income and Inheritance taxes for per-
manent federal revenue. excise, excess
profits and luxury taxes for emergencies
and no sales or consumption tax for
any purpose.
A practical farmer and trained ad-
ministrator as Secretary Of Agricul-
ture.
A liberal policy toward reclama-
tion, but no wholesale land d-settlement
program.
Extension of postal savings banks,
increase in their interest rate and
use Of deposits solely to maintain
liberty bonds at par.
Operation of Muscle shoals air-ni-
trate plant by government or by lease
for manufacture Of fertilizers.
Enforcement of Volstead law, no
change in alcoholic content permitted.
Strengthening the land banks, op-