Evening star., 1928-11-14
FARM GROUPS AID
IS ASKED BY TABER
National Grange President
Says McNary-Haugen Bill
Is Dead Issue.

Farm organizations should recognize
that the McNary- -Haugen bib as passed
by the last Congress and vetoed by
President Coolidge is dead, and should
unite upon a legislative program for
agricultural relief that can be promptly
enacted into law, Louis j. Taber of
Columbus, Ohio, master of the National
Grange, told delegates today at the
opening of the organizations sixty
second annual session, at the willard
Hotel.
While Mr.. Taber made no mention of
President-elect Herbert Hoover in his
address. it was indicated in ofdcial
lquarters that before the Grange COM
pletes It's sessions action will be taken
expressing confidence in Mr.. Hoover's
intention and ability to solve the farm
problem in the best interests of the
farmers of all parts of the country.
Changers Supported Hoover.
A large majority of grange members,
who number approximately 100000
scattered through 80 States, are under
stood to have voted for MFR. Hoover in
the recent presidential election, regard
less of their previous party Affiliations.
One delegate today remarked privately
that 90 per cent of the Democratic
members of the grange in his State
had voted for the President-elect
Sessions of the National Grange will
last from today until November %.
Hundreds of members were present at
the opening ritualistic ceremonies this
morning, and by tomorrow it Is es-
timated that 5000 members, including
two official delegates from each Of the
80 States, will be present.
The Grange is ritualistic order, de-
voted to the interests of farmers and
their families. It's membership includes
men and women and each State is
represented at the present session by
man and woman delegate.
Dunlap Extends Welcome.
Only members of the seventh or high
est degree of the order participated in
today's opening session at IL am, al
though members of the other degrees
were present in large numbers.
The National Grange was officially
welcomed to Washington by Assistant
Secretary of Agriculture r. w. Dunlap,
representing Secretary of Agriculture
Jardine, who is expected to address the
Grange at later session. Another of
the opening speeches today was made
by Sherman j. Lowell of New York, a
past master of the Grange and present
member of the United States Tariff
Commission.
Among events of the To-day session
will be a speech by President Coolidge
~ Qo 1Sn EffiI fnIHk Of
Washington Auditorium.
Expressing regret that Congress failed
to solve the farm question at its last
session, MFR Taber, in his opening ad-
dress, declared that the Grange had
sought by every means at its command
to obtain effective legislation.
MANY of our members, he continued,
could not support the principles of the
McNary- -Haugen bill. Ours is ma
tional organization and views all prob
lens from national rather than
local or sectional viewpoint. We earnest
ly advocated the export debenture pro-
gram, believing it to be the most prac-
tical, workable and logical plan yet
offered for adjusting tariff inequalities"
Five Planks in Platform.
The agriculture relief program advo-
Gated by Mr.. Taber involves five main
steps, as follows
l. Organization, production and re-
search-Wider organization of the
farmers for improvement purposes;
better balanced crop production in all
sections; extensive research to find in
dustrial uses for surplus farm products.
Q. Tariff rate readjustments - In
creased duties on many agricultural
ir1DOrts: broadened mowers of the tariff
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