THE STATE GRANGE. 655 



The chief object of this communication is to lay before von the general 

 condition of (lie order in the stale the work done during the past year, 

 with such suggestions and recommendations as experience seems to die 

 tate, to the end thai yon will not only know of my stewardship, hut you 



will be hotter prepared to legislate Tor the future. The reports of the 

 Worthies Secretary and Treasurer will tell you (he exact condition of 

 our treasury, and your Executive Committee will, no douht, give you in 

 formation along business lines and the Woman's Work Committee will 



lell you of work well done. 



THE NATIONAL GRANGE. 



The National Grange recently closed its thirty lirsl annual session at 

 Barrisburg, Pennsylvania, and the session was considered of much value 

 to the interests of the order at large. Three thousand dollars was placed 

 at the disposal of the Executive Committee to he used in placing or- 

 ganizations in the weak and dormant states. Secretary Wilson, of the 

 Agricultural Department at Washington, and now a member of the Presi- 

 dent's Cabinet, came on for the sole purpose of making the acquaint 



a nee of t he Nai ional Grange and l<> pledge the host possible service at I he 

 command of the department t<» the interests of the farmers of the United 

 States. All who saw and heard this staunch advocate of agricultural 

 development were most favorably impressed. Secretary Wilson is a broad 

 and strong minded man, imbued with intense honesty of purpose and 

 thoroughly conversanl with the importance and needs of agriculture. 

 The National Grange Hushed with pride ami enthusiasm as the members 



recalled the lirsl advocacy and continued demands by the National 



Grange, that the Agricultural Department at Washington be established 



independent of other depart nls, ami <;iven such breadth of responsibil- 

 ity as the importance of agriculture to the welfare of our country de- 

 manded, and then that its chief, the Secretary of Agriculture he made 

 a member of the President's Cabinet, with powers equal to other cabinet 



officers. As the National Grange listened to Se< rotary Wilson, as he e\ 



plained the many kinds of experiments, inquiry ami actual work being 

 done along lines calculated to diversify and assist production, expand 

 and create markets for farm products, the National Grange fell that it 

 now realized I hat which was hut a dream, and that to have been the prime 

 mover and chief supporter in a demand which has resulted SO eminently 



helpful to our agricult ural in l crests is one of its greatest achievements. 



BUREAU OF [NQUIRY. 



As recent decisions seem, in effect, lo nullify the "long and short haul" 

 provisions of our Interstate Commerce laws, and as it often happens thai 

 the people in one part of our country would he consumers of the large 

 surpluses that exist in other parts, hut are prevented by excessive cost 



of transportation, it would he gratifying to know that by virtue of a 



resolution, passed by the National Grange, Secretary Wilson is to estab- 

 lish a bureau of inquiry for the purpose of collecting a record of condi- 

 tions and fads from different parts of the country relative to the ques 

 lion of transportation, to he used as a hasis upon which lo ask of the 



government relief from these hinderances to production ami consumption. 

 in this the National Grange is again leading in an important mailer. 



