56 PKOCEEDINGS OF THE 



Friday Afternooi^". 



Called to order after recess by Worthy Overseer. Reported 

 all correct. 



The motion of Bro. D. B. Greene was carried, that the Grange 

 proceed to the election of three members of the Executive 

 Committee for the ensuing two years. 



On motion, the foregoing motion was reconsidered and the 

 time for holding the same appointed immediately after the report 

 of the Investigating Committee was acted upon. 



On motion, the report of Committee on Transportation was 

 received and adopted: 



The Committee on Transportation would respectfully state 

 that, having but a few hours allowed them to consider this sub- 

 ject, and one of so much importance to the people, we feel that 

 we shall fall far short of treating it as it should be, and that we 

 cannot reasonably expect any other than that opinion from our 

 brothers and sisters of the State Grange. We have the conso- 

 lation to know, however, that the United States Senate Com- 

 mittee, known as the Windom Committee, investigated this 

 subject a whole year, having all the facilities then deemed neces- 

 sary to a full investigation of the question, with even powers to 

 send for persons and papers, and after applying themselves 

 assiduously to the work during the whole time, they then stated 

 that the information transmitted in their report was by no 

 means as complete as they desired. With these few prefatory 

 remarks in justice to ourselves, we respecfully submit the follow- 

 ing as our report: 



The people living in this great valley, surpassed by no other 

 portion of the globe for fertility of soil, with a climate suited 

 to nearly all the various branches of agriculture, with a popu- 

 lation of 20,000,000 souls, representing nearl}^ every nationality 

 on the face of the earth; with forests of the choicest timber, 

 hardly touched; with worlds of mineral wealth, and its mines 

 scarcely opened; with only about one-fifth of its land in culti- 

 vation, and near 12,000 miles of navigable rivers; with all these 

 great natural advantages in view, we ma}^ here inquire what the 

 general government has done for this people in the way of pro- 

 viding for the transportation of their surplus products? These 

 people can answer, as with one voice, by simply saying that, if 

 there has been anything at all noticeable in the action of the 

 government, it has been a most extraordinary indifference, a 



