The Ward County independent., 1921-12-08
The POLICY OF, THE GRANGE
IS TO BE "SLOW But SURE

The National Grange has just con-
cluded--at Portland, Oregon--its
55th annual session. Viewed from
many angles the session just closed
was the most important of any that
the organization has ever held. The
Grange now has organizations in 30
states-two, Virginia and North Car
olinia-having been added during the
year.
After the delegates had assembled
and the progress of the years work
was reviewed, the accomplishments
hopes were outdone.
In view Of the fact that the Farm
Bureau, the Wheat Growers, and var
ious other farmers organizations were
putting on strenuous drives for mem
berships, the grange deemed it a
wise policy to lay low until all OF
these had spent their force. Con-
sequently, no special effort was put
forth to acquire new oranges or IN
crease the membership Of those al
reody established.
Notwithstanding this seeming leth-
argy on the part Of the grange, we
find that there has been 203 new sub
ordinate oranges organized and "a
reorganized, and thousands added to
the membership.
Pennsylvania leads with 35 new
subordinates, while Ohio added more
than seven thousand new members, all
of this without any special effort, and
in the face of adverse farm conditions,
which shows conclusively the faith the
farm folks have in an organization
that has stood the test of So years of
service.
Now why this splendid growth when
the grange stood back and let other
organizations have first place in the
field? There's a reason; The grange
has never put forth any extravagant
claims, as to how their members were
to invest the price Of a membership,
and in return receive recOmpense
far greater in vaule than the original
investment.
Furthermore; the grange does not
believe in special privileges TOR spec
ial classes, and we believe that any
organization that has such motives
will of consequence be short lived.
But on the other hand the grange
seeks the greatest good to the greatest
number. And in order to bring this
about, we must accomplish the goal
for which we strive.
The grange-so far as | have been
able to learn-is the only farmers
organization in existence that furnish
es the slightest opportunity for its
members to become familiar with the
work that is being carried on by the
parent body. The grange theory
IS. that if all farmers were educated,
SO that they understood, not only the
problems Of production, but also the
problems of distribution and market
ing, and last but not least the prop,
lens of the consumer, that it would
no be long before they-the farmer
would stop chasing "the will o, the
wisp" and would organize his busl'
ness on business principles and the
farming industry would be trans
formed.
Now why does the grange furnish
Just the medium to bring this about
Because in the grange you have your
community organization, the funda
mental to the success of the state OF
National organization Because mere
is where you must come together to
initiate and to discuss every measure
that is of any Importance to you as ar
individual or group, and you must not
only decide as to the merits OF the
subjects as they effect your com
munity, but you must also. take into
consideration the effect on the country
rs whole.
Any Individual or group that IL
not qualified through a process simi
lar to what have just stated is mo-
in any sense fit to make recommen
dations as an individual, or as rep
resentative for an organization.
Another very important reason wh!
the farmers like the grange is, tn
open and above board way that tn
business of the National Grange il
handled. How many Of the mem
bership of other farm organization
know what the heads of these receive
in salaries? Why don't they tell u
in the literature they put out? Simply
because they don't want US to know
where our money is going. Wn!
don't they tell us what it costs t.
maintain Legislative representative II
Washington, D. c? ! suppose the!
have their reasons for that also.
The Master of the National Grang'
receives as salary 100000 per year
and it costs 100000 per year to main
tain our legislative representative il
Washington, D. c. including Secre
tary's salary, and ! am firmly con
vinced that the grange representative
has Influenced more real constructiv
legislation for the benefit Of the farm
er than all the other representative
combined.
In conclusion, let me say, the grang
has been attacked because they are to-
slow, but as said in the outset, W
have never promised to revolutioniz
things overnight. And the grang
has come to place in its caree
where it seldom has to- retrace an,
step. It is always better to be SLOW
and sure than to build in hurry an
have the structure fall with its owl
weight. / want to say to the farm
ers- of North Dakota, that now is th
time to ally yourself with the bigges
the most progressive, the most in
fluential and most highly respecte
farsnnrs organization in eXiStenc