468 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



of the national government, to be presided over by a secretary of agri- 

 culture in the President's cabinet, thus giving the farmers a voice in the 

 policy of the government as it effects the agricultural interests of the 

 country. 



The transportation question engaged the attention of the members of 

 The Grange in the early days of the order, and in the famous cases in 

 the central west decisions virere handed down from the Supreme Court 

 of the United States that all railroad franchises are subject to the power 

 which created them. Or, in other words, that "the creature is not greater 

 than the creator." 



Thru the direct influence of The Grange the Interstate Commerce Com- 

 mission was established by act of Congress, which aims to control inter- 

 state traffic, and gives the people a means of redress from the injustice 

 and extortions which are often practised by those gigantic corporations, 

 thereby saving the people great annoyance and vast sums of money in 

 reduced rates of transportation. 



The subject of taxation has always engaged the attention of The 

 Grange, and it is thru the Influence of this farmers' organization th^t in 

 many states the burdens of taxation have been in a measure, at least, 

 equalized by a more equable assessment of real estate between farm and 

 city property and corporations which had hitherto paid little, if any, 

 taxes for local or state purposes. 



The Grange is strenuously opposed to adulterations of all kinds, and 

 mainly thru its influence state and national laws have been enacted to 

 control the sale of oleomargarine and other butter frauds, and to protect 

 the great dairy interests of the country from these compounds which the 

 unscrupulous manufacturers would place upon the market as pure butter. 



The Grange successfully fought the driven well, the sliding gate, and 

 the barbed wire patents in the courts, saving enormous sums of money in 

 royalties which were being extorted from farmers and others using them. 



In its very early history, thru the influence of The Grange upon Con- 

 gress, the extension of the patents on sewing machines was prevented, 

 saving the people fully 50 per cent in the prices, amounting to millions of 

 dollars annually. 



The Grange has a grand record of usefulness in legislation in nearly 

 every state in the Union for its influence on the side of justice and 

 equality in the enactment of many wise and judicial laws in the interest 

 of the people, and for the protection and advancement of farming 

 industries. 



A more recent victory of The Grange, and one of its grandest achieve- 

 ments of rural mail delivery in all sections of the country. The Grange 

 was the first organization to publicly proclaim that if it was right for 

 the government to carry mail to the homes of the people in the cities, it 

 would be right for it to carry mail to the homes of the people in the 

 country, and thru the discussion of the question an intelligent presentation 

 of the matter in Congress, appropriations were secured, first for experi 

 ment, then for permanent establishment of the system of I'ural mail deliv- 

 ery. This breaks up the isolation of farm life, will tend to securo better 



