STATE aPvAXGE OF ILLINOIS. 81 



Expecting that the meeting of the National Grange would 

 commence on the 3rd Tuesday in November, and fearing that, 

 in case a lengthy session should be held, there might not be time 

 for this Grange to meet and conclude its deliberations before the 

 holidays, your committee thought best to change the usual 

 time of holding the meeting of this Grange from December to 

 January. Your committee believe now that in asking the 

 National Grange to hold its sessions in October, instead of later 

 in the season, an error was committed. It is believed that sound 

 policy would require that the several State Granges should hold 

 their sessions previous to the meeting of the National Grange, 

 that the members of the latter might be more fully conversant 

 with the needs and wishes of the Subordinate Granges. The 

 National Grange should be regarded as the servant or executive 

 of the Subordinate, and should ])e governed in its action by the 

 wishes of the latter expressed through the State Grange. It is 

 a commonly recognized principle that those who furnish the 

 means of support for an enterprise of any kind, should have the 

 right to control it in their own interest. 



We believe the National Grange should look to the Sub- 

 ordinate for such light as will indicate what measures it will be 

 best to adopt, and the true line of policy pursued, and not the 

 Subordinate to the National, as has been too much the case in 

 the past. 



This Grange, through its Master, received an invitation from 

 the *' American Cheap Transportation Association " to send dele- 

 gates to its annual meeting to be held in Richmond, Va., Dec. 

 1st. Your committee believing that the Patrons in this State 

 have a vital interest in the question of cheap transportation, and 

 hoping that in this Association we might find a valuable auxil- 

 iary in this branch of our work, appointed Bros. Golder and 

 Yan Court delegates to represent the interest of the Order in 

 this State in said convention. Bro. Yan Court reported that he 

 attended the meeting as required, and it is presumed will report 

 to this meeting the result of their deliberations. 



We believe it would be for the interest of the Order if this 

 Grange would make a permanent arrangement by which dele- 

 gates could be appointed to attend not only the meetings of this 

 Association, but of other kindred organizations having similar 

 objects with our own. 



Your committee received an application from Bro. N. D. Wet- 

 more for a recommendation to the Patrons in this State as a 

 suitable person through whom to open direct trade with New 

 Orleans. They instructed their Secretary to open correspond- 

 ence with Bro. Wetmore with authority to enter into a contract 

 with him similar to other commission agents already appointed, 

 if, in his opinion, it would be for the interests of the Order. 



