Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-12-13
Grange to Talk
State Legislation
At Coming Session

An improved budgetIng and audit
ing system for the State and opposi-
ton to any increase in the gasoline
J tax are two matters which will be
particularly stressed by State Mas
ter John E. Abbott of North Berwick
at the annual session of the Maine
State Grange which will be held in
City Hall, Lewiston, Dec. 1916.
The reports which will be present
ed at the annual session viii show a
/ substantial increase in Grange mem
bership all through the State.
I Reports of the committees on
roads. agriculture and taxation will
have more than usual interest this
year from the fact that the head of
each of these committees, recently
appointed by Master Abbott, is con-
nected with the State Department
most vitality interested.
] E. T. Clifford of Winthrop. chair
man of the Roads committee, is a
member of the State Highway Com
mission. Frank z. Washburn of Per-
ry, State commissioner of agriculture.
is chairman of the Grange commit
tee on agriculture, and the head of
the Grange taxation committee is AL
bert G.. Merritt of Houlton, member
of the State board of assessors.
One of the important National
( Grange proposals which will me en-
dorsed by the Maine Grange at its
sessions, at Lewiston will be that of
putting the Pomona Oranges of the
country upon a uniform basis in the
matter of degree work.
The only officers to be elected at
! the state Grange session will be two
members of the executive commit
tee. The two members whose terms
expire are Frank Potter of Bangor
and H. F. McGlaufin of Pressure Isle
and it is predicted that both will be
| elected.
The makeup of the new legislative
! committee which will be named at
Lewiston will include three of the
senators-e EFT and four of the repre-
| sentatiyes elect of the new Legisla
| ture.
It's members will be Senators Merle
! J. Hartman of kennebec, E. Cband-
Ter Buzzell of oxford and Albert t
Nickerson of Waldo; Representative
Harry 3. Crawford of Houlton, Leon
A. Mcknight of holland, Arthur II.
Ellis of Fairfield and Samuel e. Nor
wood of Warren.
The grange committee on creden-
. tiaIs will open it's sessions on Mon
day afternoon at Lewiston City Han
and on Monday night the Lewiston
| Chamber of Commerce and citizens
of Lewiston will give a reception TO
the patrons.
The business sessions of the grange
! will open on Tuesday and continue
through Wednesday. Winthrop de-
gree team will exemplify the work OF
fhe third and fourth degrees on
T1esday evening The fifth degree
will be conferred at { o'clock, Wed
nesday afternoon by the Androscog-
Elm Pomona and the sixth degree VIII
he conferred on Wednesday evening"
The Maine State Grange is expect
ed to endorse State Master John u.
Abbot for National master at the
election which will take place at the
annual session OF the National
Grange next year at Cleveland, Ohio.
state Master Abbott was assured OF
the support of delegates from sever
al of the Far West and Middle West
| states at the close of the National
Grange session in Portland last
month. .,.
THE. grange record of Mr.. Abbott
goes back to the chartering of BeaVe-
err Dam Grange of North Berwick,
| of which he was the first master. He
served subsequently as steward, sec
rotary, lecturer and overseer. ana
went twice through the chairs OF nus
home grange. In York Pomona he
served as assistant steward, lecturer,
oYerseer and master.
He was first elected l. ster of the
State Grange at Lewiston in 1928.
defeating C. o. Purinton of Bow
doinham and J. Sherman Douglas OF
lLamoine He was reelected State
master in 1926. Before becoming
state master he had served on the