The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1926-06-03
.78O REGISTER
AS CHANGERS
38th Annual Session Draws
Visitors from All Over
The State

have registered at headquarters in
the first four days of the session now
being held in Kennewick. This num-
her includes the children and the
members Of the local oranges who
have been in attendance at one or
more of the sessions.
Mondays sessions were taken up
with the business of the cooperative
businesses sponsored by the oranges,
the stores Of which there are sixty
scattered over the state and the CO.
operative buying associations for the
nurpose of pooled shipments of sup
niles for members and the cooperative
fire insurance. In the evening a fine
program was given at the church fol-
lowed by a well patronized dance at
the Highlands club house.
Tuesday morning the principal fea-
ture was the reading Of the annual
message from State Master A. S.
Goss. The message covers items of
interest to the farmers Of the state
including such topics as reclamation,
marketing, transportation, taxation,
education, roads, industrial develop
ment, politics, etc.
The preamble of the message
states: For the thirty-eighth time we
have gathered together. This is the
fourth session of the Washington
State Grange which it has been my
privilege to address.
Looking back over the road we
have travelled we find it has been a
difficult one. During the last five
years the Washington farmers have
suffered heavy losses with few gains.
First the victim Of plea for great
er production "to help win the war, .
he went deeply into debt to increase
( his production to the utmost. Then
came the days Of deflation when he
was suddenly called upon to pay his
debts and found his markets all but
disappeared. Hard on the heels of de-
flation came a raise in freight rates
which took from him any chance OF
profit he might have, and the COM
bination Of debt, demolished markets
and high transportation costs have
taken an awful toll in our ranks.
The beautiful Kennewick valley
where we are met in annual conven.
ton, has been as hard hit as most
parts of the state. Here in the valley
Of magnificent production the farm
ers faced a greatly increased produc
ton cost with falling market ane
in many instances their life's earn
ings have vanished almost over night
Happily, the tide has now turned
The year just ended has been thu
most profitable year of the five since
the deflation policy was adopted b!
the Federal Reserve board. Gradual!
we have developed new lines OF pro
duction and have found other sources
of outlets. 1t can not be denied, how
ever, that the profits of the last yea
are largely due to crop failure il
other sections Of the country. Pros
7 perity which thrives on the adversit.
of others is not sound. There are Ger
tain basic problems which must b
solved if prosperity is to be SCUM
and everlasting and to this end W
are building our organization and de
voting our energies.
Mr.. Goss' message which pertaine
to the matter of reclamation ha
drawn fire of Director of Agricultur
Earle Barnes, according to the dali
press. The full text of that sectio
OF Mr.. Goss' message is as follows
The stand of the Grange on recla
nation has been pretty generally mis-
Interpreted throughout the state
The Washington State Grange ha
never opposed the federal develoT
ment of reclamation projects. On tn
contrary, we have vigorously support
ed such developments when the pro
Jects are sound from an engineerin
standpoint which takes into consit
Grafton conditions are such that til
average farmer can find a markt
Tor what he raises at prices whic